Oman — map and facts

About Oman

Oman is an Arab country located on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The capital city is Muscat, which is also the country's largest urban centre. Oman has a population of approximately 4.5 million people, including a substantial expatriate workforce. The country is governed as an absolute monarchy under the Sultan; Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said assumed power in January 2020 following the death of Sultan Qaboos bin Said, who had ruled since 1970. Petroleum and natural gas are the primary drivers of the economy, although Oman has been actively pursuing economic diversification through its Vision 2040 programme, investing in tourism, manufacturing, and logistics. Oman's foreign policy is characterised by notable neutrality and mediation; the country has historically maintained diplomatic channels with a wide range of regional and international actors, including Iran and Israel, which is distinctive in the Arab world.

Geography and Landscape

Oman covers approximately 309,000 square kilometres and has a coastline stretching over 3,000 kilometres along the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. The country's geography is remarkably varied for the Arabian Peninsula. The Al Hajar Mountains run parallel to the northeastern coast, with Jebel Shams reaching 3,009 metres as the highest peak in Oman and the Arabian Peninsula outside Yemen. The central and southern interior consists of vast gravel plains and sand deserts, including the Empty Quarter (Rub' al Khali), which Oman shares with Saudi Arabia. The Musandam Peninsula in the far north, an exclave separated from the rest of Oman by the UAE, features dramatic fjord-like inlets called khors. The Dhofar region in the southwest is unique in Arabia for its monsoon-fed greenery during the khareef season from June to September, when the Indian Ocean monsoon transforms the landscape. The Wahiba Sands (Sharqiyah Sands) comprise a major inland dune sea in the east.

History

Oman has one of the oldest continuously documented histories in the Arabian Peninsula, with evidence of settled communities dating to around 5,000 BCE. The region was known in antiquity as Magan and was an important source of copper traded across the ancient Middle East. Islam reached Oman during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad in the seventh century, and Oman adopted Ibadi Islam, a distinct branch that remains predominant today. The Omani maritime empire expanded significantly from the seventeenth century onward, at its height controlling the East African coast, Zanzibar, and parts of the Indian subcontinent. The Al Said dynasty was founded in 1749 by Ahmad ibn Said. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Oman was a major power in the Indian Ocean trade network. The country fell into fragmentation and economic decline in the early twentieth century. In 1970, Sultan Qaboos bin Said deposed his father in a palace coup and began a comprehensive modernisation programme, transforming Oman into a modern state with dramatically improved infrastructure, education, and healthcare over the following decades.