n.
officially Sultanate of Oman formerly Muscat and Oman
Country, southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula .
Area: 119,500 sq mi (309,500 sq km). Population (2002 est.): 2,522,00. Capital: Muscat . The Omanis are predominantly Arab and tribal in organization. There are also many migrant workers from South Asia and eastern Africa who reside there. Language: Arabic (official), Balochi. Religions: Islam (official), Hinduism. Currency: Omani rial. Oman is a hot, arid country with high humidity along the coasts. The 1E24; ajar Mountains parallel the coast of the Gulf of Oman, reaching an elevation of more than 10,000 ft (3,000 m). A broad expanse of gravel desert that covers three-fourths of the country extends to the southwest. Oman has a developing mixed economy, and the production and export of petroleum is its largest sector. It is a hereditary monarchy, with an advisory council; its head of state and government is the sultan. The land has been inhabited for at least 10,000 years. The Arab migration to Oman began in the 9th century BC. It was ruled by imams (Muslim religious leaders) of the Ib 0101; d 012B; sect from the early Islamic period ( 0441; 7th century AD) until 1154, when a royal dynasty was established. The Portuguese controlled the coastal areas 0441; 15071650, when they were expelled. The 0100; l B 016B; Sa 02BD; 012B; d, a dynasty founded in the mid-18th century, still rules Oman. The kingdom expanded into eastern Africa in the 18th19th centuries, where its capital was at Zanzibar . Oil was discovered in 1964. In 1970 the sultan was deposed by his son, who began a policy of modernization, and under him Oman joined the Arab League and the United Nations . In the Persian Gulf War , Oman cooperated with the forces allied against Iraq. It subsequently continued to expand its foreign relations.