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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 Ḥajar 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 Ibādī sect from the early Islamic period (с 7th century AD) until 1154, when a royal dynasty was established. The Portuguese controlled the coastal areas с 1507–1650, when they were expelled. The Āl Bū Saʽīd, a dynasty founded in the mid-18th century, still rules Oman. The kingdom expanded into eastern Africa in the 18th–19th 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.
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[c mediumvioletred] (as used in expressions)
Muscat and Oman
Sultanate of Oman
Oman Gulf of
Popular Front for the Liberation of Oman