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*
Independence: 1650 (expulsion of the Portuguese)
National holiday: National Day, 18 November (1940)
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 Omani council, and guarantees basic civil liberties for Omani citizens
Legal system: based on English common law and Islamic law; ultimate appeal to the monarch; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: limited to approximately 50,000 Omanis chosen by the
government to vote in elections for the Majlis ash-Shura
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
Legislative branch: bicameral Majlis Oman consists of an upper
chamber or Majlis ad-Dawla (41 seats; members appointed by the
monarch; has advisory powers only) and a lower chamber or Majlis
ash-Shura (82 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 October 1997 (next to be held NA 2000)
election results: NA
Judicial branch: none; traditional Islamic judges and a nascent
civil court system, administered by region
Political parties and leaders: none