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| Country name: |
conventional long form:
Sultanate of Oman
conventional short form:
Oman
local long form:
Saltanat Uman
local short form:
Uman
former:
Muscat and Oman
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| Government type: |
monarchy
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| Administrative divisions: |
6 regions (mintaqat, singular - mintaqah) and 2 governorates* (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah) Ad Dakhiliyah, Al Batinah, Al Wusta, Ash Sharqiyah, Az Zahirah, Masqat, Musandam*, Zufar*; note - the US Embassy in Oman reports that Masqat is a governorate, but this has not been confirmed by the US Board of Geographic Names (BGN)
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| Independence: |
1650 (expulsion of the Portuguese)
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| National holiday: |
Birthday of Sultan QABOOS, 18 November (1940)
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| Constitution: |
none; note - on 6 November 1996, Sultan QABOOS issued a royal decree promulgating a new basic law which, among other things, clarifies the royal succession, provides for a prime minister, bars ministers from holding interests in companies doing business with the government, establishes a bicameral legislature, and guarantees basic civil liberties for Omani citizens
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| Legal system: |
based on English common law and Islamic law; ultimate appeal to the monarch; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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| Suffrage: |
in Oman's most recent elections in 2000, limited to approximately 175,000 Omanis chosen by the government to vote in elections for the Majlis ash-Shura
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| Executive branch: |
chief of state:
Sultan and Prime Minister QABOOS bin Said Al Said (since 23 July 1970); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government:
Sultan and Prime Minister QABOOS bin Said Al Said (since 23 July 1970); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet:
Cabinet appointed by the monarch
elections:
none; the monarch is hereditary
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| Legislative branch: |
bicameral Majlis Oman consists of an upper chamber or Majlis al-Dawla (48 seats; members appointed by the monarch; has advisory powers only) and a lower chamber or Majlis al-Shura (83 seats; members elected by limited suffrage, however, the monarch makes final selections and can negate election results; body has some limited power to propose legislation, but otherwise has only advisory powers)
elections:
last held NA September 2000 (next to be held NA September 2003)
election results:
NA; note - two women were elected for the first time to Majlis al-Shura, about 100,000 people voted
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| Judicial branch: |
Supreme Court
note:
the nascent civil court system, administered by region, has non-Islamic judges as well as traditional Islamic judges
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| Political parties and leaders: |
none
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| Political pressure groups and leaders: |
none
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| International organization participation: |
ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
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| Diplomatic representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Abdallah bin Muhammad bin Aqil al-DHAHAB
chancery:
2535 Belmont Road, NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
[1] (202) 387-1980 through 1981, 1988
FAX:
[1] (202) 745-4933
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| Diplomatic representation from the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador John B. CRAIG
embassy:
Jameat A'Duwal Al Arabiya Street, Al Khuwair area, Muscat
mailing address:
international: P. O. Box 202, Code No. 115, Medinat Al-Sultan Qaboos, Muscat
telephone:
[968] 698989
FAX:
[968] 699189
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| Flag description: |
three horizontal bands of white, red, and green of equal width with a broad, vertical, red band on the hoist side; the national emblem (a khanjar dagger in its sheath superimposed on two crossed swords in scabbards) in white is centered at the top of the vertical band
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