OMAN

LOCATION
Oman is a 1,000-milelong (1,700 km) coastal
plain at the southeast tip
of the Arabian Peninsula
lying on the Arabian Sea
and the Gulf of Oman. It
is bordered by the United
Arab Emirates, Saudi
Arabia, and Yemen. The
country is the size of
Kansas.
Total area:82,031 sq mi
(212,460 sq km)1

BASIC INFORMATION
Population (2014 est.):3,219,775
(growth rate: 2.06%); birth rate:
24.47/1000; infant mortality rate: 14/1000;
life expectancy: 74.97
Capital (2011 est.):Muscat
Monetary unit:Omani Rial
Major language:Arabic
Major religion:Islam
Life expectancy:71 years (men), 76
years (women)

CLIMATE
The Climate ofOmancan be described as
subtropical dry, hot desert climate with
low annual rainfall, very high temperatures
in summer and a big difference between
maximum and minimum temperatures,
especially in the inland areas.

CLOTHING

Almost all Omani men wear

adishdasha, a floor length robe
which appears dazzlingly white,
even on a herdsman who has been
out all day on a dusty hillside. With
it goes gorgeously ornate headgear.
The younger men wear
embroidered pillbox hats. Older
men wear head cloths wound into
turbans: embroidered woollen ones
from Kashmir in amber or
turquoise, cotton plaid ones in
purples and greens, beautifully
tasselled ones in elaborate multicoloured weaves, and white cotton
ones embroidered with pastel
flowers.

 Omani women wear black

outside their homes, but
their veils are sequined and
diaphanous. The floor-length
abayasaremade of thin
slinky material: the sleeves
are embroidered with gold
thread, or heavily beaded.
She wears a mask, but a
Bedu woman's mask is gold,
and a city-woman's eye-slit
reveals flamboyant,
glittering eye shadow in
turquoise and violet and
emerald green.

BRIEF HISTORY
Arabs migrated to Oman from the 9th
centuryBConward, and conversion to
Islam occurred in the 7th
centuryADMuscat, the capital of the
geographical area known as Oman, was
occupied by the Portuguese from 1508 to
1648. Then it fell to Ottoman Turks, but in
1741, Ahmad ibn Sa'id forced them out,
and the descendants of Sultan Ahmad rule
Oman today.

 Ahmad expanded his empire to East Africa,

and for a time the Omani capital was in
Zanzibar. After 1861, however, Zanzibar
fell from Omani control.

 The sultans and imams of Oman clashed

continuously throughout the 20th century
until 1959, when the last Ibadi imam was
evicted from the country. In a palace coup
on July 23, 1970, the sultan, Sa'id bin
Taimur, who had ruled since 1932, was
overthrown by his son, Qabus ibn Sa'id,
who promised to establish a modern
government and use newfound oil wealth
to aid the people of this very isolated
state. Oman joined the Arab League and
the United Nations in 1971.

 A long border dispute with Yemen was

resolved in Oct. 1992; in 1997, the
countries agreed to new maps defining the
border.

 In 1997, Sultan Qabus granted women the

right to be elected to the country's
consultative body, the Shura Council
(Majlis al-Shura). In 2003, the sultan
extended voting rights to everyone over
21; previously, voters were selected from
among the elite, and only about a quarter
of the population was allowed to vote.

GOVERNMENT OF YOUR COUNTRY

Absolute Monarchy.
Head of state:
Qaboos Bin Said Al
Said

 Qaboos Bin Said Al

Said has been Oman's
sultan, prime minister
and foreign minister
since he seized power
from his father, Said
Bin Taimur, in 1970.
He also serves as the
head of the defence
and finance
ministries.

 His policies have proved

popular in spite of the lack of
a democratic government.
Under his rule, oil revenues
have been used to develop
the country's infrastructure.
Sultan Qaboos responded to
a rare outbreak of discontent
in 2011, following a wave of
pro-democracy protests
across the Arab world, by
promising more jobs and
benefits.

RELATIONSHIPS
When SultanQaboos bin Said Al
Saidassumed power in 1970,Omanhad
limited contacts with the outside world,
including neighbouring Arab states. A
special treaty relationship permitted the
United Kingdom close involvement in
Oman's civil and military affairs. Ties with
the United Kingdom have remained very
close under Sultan Qaboos along with
strong ties to the United States.

OTHERS
"The Omani Khanjar"
isthetraditional, curved,
defensivedagger worn
centre belt by Omani men as
a badge of office andas
head of the family. Omani
Khanjars arestatus symbols
also worn by civic
dignatories, heads of
government, scholars of
religion,VIPs and Omani
ministersincluding the
leader of the country.The
Khanjar is trulyan "Iconic "
Omani emblem.

FLAG

Colors of theflagare symbolic, with green representing

fertility; white represents peace, and this shade of red is
common on many regionalflags. The national emblem, a
(Khanjar Dagger), is displayed upper-left. The dagger and
its sheath are superimposed on two crossed swords in
scabbards.

 Oman Air is the

national airline of
Oman. Based on the
grounds of Muscat
International Airport in
Seeb, Muscat, it
operates scheduled
domestic and
international
passenger services, as
well as regional air taxi
and charter flights