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The Sultanate of Oman is a country in the
southwestern part of Asia, on the southeast coast of the
Arabian Peninsula. It borders the United Arab Emirates in
the northwest, Saudi Arabia in the west, and Yemen in the
southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea in the
south and east, and the Gulf of Oman in the northeast.
History
Main article: History of Oman
The region of Oman was once known by its Sumerian name Magan.
Oman constituted one of the Satrapies of the Persian Empire.
It was incorporated into that empire around 563 BC.
After Oman’s development in the 3rd century BC, the Persians
developed an empire, the Sassanian Empire in the 3rd century
AD. This empire lasted until the 7th century AD. In the
beginning of the 1st Century, AD Arab tribes began to settle
in Oman. In 632 the Persian Sassanid Empire lost power and
Oman’s Arab character was established.
In the year 751, the Ibadi Muslims established an imamate in
Oman. An imamate is a country ruled by an imam. These
leaders would exercise spiritual leadership over the
country. The Ibadi Muslims are considered by other Muslims
to be a branch of the Kharijites. The Kharijites is the
earliest Muslim sect which was originally among the
supporters of Ali, the fourth caliph of Islam. A caliph is
very similar to an imam in definition. The Ibadi imamate
survived until the mid-20th Century.
Oman has been a centre for traders for centuries. In 1508,
the main port, Muscat, was captured by the Portuguese, who
held it until it was taken by the Ottomans in 1659. These
were driven out in 1741, when the present line of sultans
was formed by Ahmed ibn Said.
In the early 19th century, Oman grew to a major power,
having possessions in Baluchistan and Zanzibar, but these
were gradually all lost. In 1891, Oman became a British
protectorate, which lasted until 1971. The year prior,
sultan Said ibn Taimur had been ousted by his son, sultan
Qaboos bin Said Al Said, (ruled 1970 - ). Qaboos has since
greatly improved the economic situation of the country,
remaining in peace with all other countries in the Middle
East. In 1996 the sultan issued a decree promulgating a new
basic law that clarifies the royal succession, provides for
a bicameral advisory council with some limited legislative
powers and a prime minister, and guarantees basic civil
liberties for Omani citizens. Military bases in Oman were
used (2001) by U.S. forces involved in ground raids against
Afghanistan and Osama bin Laden. In 2003 the lower house of
the advisory council was freely elected for the first time.
Politics
Main article: Politics of Oman
Chief of state and government is the hereditary sultan (Qaboos
of Oman), who appoints a cabinet to assist him. In the early
1990s, the sultan instituted an elected advisory council,
the Majlis ash-Shura, though only a small part of the Omanis
were eligible to vote. Universal suffrage for those over 21
was instituted on 4 October 2003. Over 190,000 people (74%
of those registered) voted to elect the 83 seats. Two women
were elected to seats
The sultan functions basically as an absolute ruler.
Main article: Geography of Oman
A vast desert plain covers most of central Oman, with
mountain ranges along the north (Jebel Akhdar) and southeast
coast, where the country's main cities are also located:
capital city Muscat, Matrah and Sur in the north, and
Salalah in the south. Oman's climate is hot and dry in the
interior and humid along the coast.
Oman is considered to be one of the fifteen states that
comprise the so-called "Cradle of Humanity". Not all of
Oman's borders with the United Arab Emirates are well
defined.
Exclaves and enclaves
The peninsula of Musandam (Musandem) which has a strategic
location on the Strait of Hormuz, is separated from the rest
of Oman by the United Arab Emirates and is thus an exclave
although not an enclave.
Oman has one other exclave, this time inside UAE territory,
known as Wadi-e-Madhah. It is located halfway between the
Musandam peninsula and the rest of Oman [1]. The exclave is
on the Dubai-Hatta road in the Emirate of Sharjah. Belonging
to Wilayat Musandam, it covers approximately 75 km². The
boundary was settled in 1969. The north-east corner of Madha
is closest to the Khorfakkan-Fujairah road, barely 10 m
away. Within the exclave is an UAE enclave called Nahwa,
also belonging to the Emirate of Sharjah. It is about 8 km
on a dirt track west of the town of New Madha. It consists
of about 40 houses with its own clinic and telephone
exchange [2].
Culture
Main article: Culture of Oman
Although Oman is a modern country, Western influences are
quite restricted; the Ibadhi form of Islam is fairly strict
in comparison with Sunni Islam and Shi'a Islam.
Oman is famous for its khanjar knives (dagger).
Although Arabic is Oman's official language, there are still
native speakers of dialects or offshoots of Southern
Arabian, a Semitic language only distantly related to
Arabic. However, even in Oman the dominant indigenous
language is a dialect of Arabic.
Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Oman
Oman is the world's easternmost Arabian country. The
majority of the Omanis are Arabs, although there is a
sizable Baloch minority. As in most other Arab countries, a
large number of foreign laborers live here, mostly from
India and Pakistan. The official language is Arabic, but the
minorities speak their own languages. A non-Arabic Semitic
language is spoken in Dhofar.
Islam is the predominant religion, mostly Ibadhi Muslims
with a Sunni population in Dhofar. However, the exact
figures are not certain.
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Background:
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In 1970, QABOOS bin Said Al Said
ousted his father and has ruled as sultan ever
since. His extensive modernization program has
opened the country to the outside world and has
preserved a long-standing political and military
relationship with the UK. Oman's moderate,
independent foreign policy has sought to maintain
good relations with all Middle Eastern countries.
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Location:
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Middle East, bordering the Arabian
Sea, Gulf of Oman, and Persian Gulf, between Yemen
and UAE |
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Geographic coordinates:
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21 00 N, 57 00 E |
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Map references:
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Middle East |
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Area:
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total:
212,460 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 212,460 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than Kansas
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Land boundaries:
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total:
1,374 km
border countries: Saudi Arabia 676 km, UAE
410 km, Yemen 288 km |
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Coastline:
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2,092 km |
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Maritime claims:
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contiguous zone:
24 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
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Climate:
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dry desert; hot, humid along coast;
hot, dry interior; strong southwest summer monsoon
(May to September) in far south |
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Terrain:
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central desert plain, rugged
mountains in north and south |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Arabian Sea 0 m
highest point: Jabal Shams 2,980 m
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Nationality:
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noun:
Omani(s)
adjective: Omani |
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Ethnic groups:
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Arab, Baluchi, South Asian (Indian,
Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi), African
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Religions:
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Ibadhi Muslim 75%, Sunni Muslim,
Shi'a Muslim, Hindu |
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Languages:
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Arabic (official), English, Baluchi,
Urdu, Indian dialects |
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Currency:
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Omani rial (OMR) |
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Currency code:
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OMR |
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Exchange rates:
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Omani rials per US dollar - 0.3845
(fixed rate since 1986) |
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