Portal:Oman

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Oman

Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is a country in West Asia. It is located on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and overlooks the mouth of the Persian Gulf. It shares land borders with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen, while sharing maritime borders with Iran and Pakistan. The capital and largest city is Muscat. Oman has a population of nearly 4.7 million and is the 124th most-populous country. The coast faces the Arabian Sea on the southeast, and the Gulf of Oman on the northeast. The Madha and Musandam exclaves are surrounded by United Arab Emirates on their land borders, with the Strait of Hormuz (which it shares with Iran) and the Gulf of Oman forming Musandam's coastal boundaries.

From the 17th century, the Omani Sultanate was an empire, vying with the Portuguese and British empires for influence in the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean. At its peak in the 19th century, Omani influence and control extended across the Strait of Hormuz to Iran and Pakistan, and as far south as Zanzibar. In the 20th century, the sultanate came under the influence of the United Kingdom. For over 300 years, the relations built between the two empires were based on mutual benefit. The UK recognized Oman's geographical importance as a trading hub that secured British trading-lanes in the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean and protected London's interests in the Indian sub-continent. Oman is an absolute monarchy led by a sultan, with power passed down through the male line. Qaboos bin Said was the Sultan from 1970 until his death on 10 January 2020. Qaboos, who died childless, had named his cousin, Haitham bin Tariq, as his successor in a letter, and the ruling family confirmed him as the new Sultan of Oman.

Formerly a maritime empire, Oman is the oldest continuously independent state in the Arab world. It is a member of the United Nations, the Arab League, the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Non-Aligned Movement and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. It has oil reserves ranked 22nd globally. In 2010, the United Nations Development Programme ranked Oman as the most-improved country in the world in terms of development during the preceding 40 years. A portion of its economy involves tourism and trading fish, dates and other agricultural produce. The World Bank categorizes Oman as a high-income economy and Oman ranks as the 48th most peaceful country in the world according to the Global Peace Index. (Full article...)

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Telegraph Island (also known as Arabic: جزيرة تليغراف, Jazīrat al Maqlab, and Şaghīr) is located in the Elphinstone Inlet or Khor Ash Sham, the inner inlet of Khasab Bay, less than 400 meters off the shore of the Musandam Peninsula, and less than 500 meters south of much larger but also much lesser known Sham Island, both of which are parts of the Sultanate of Oman. It is 160 meters long, and up to 90 meters wide, yielding an area of 1.1 hectares. The name as "Telegraph" comes from the telegraph-cable repeater station built on the island in 1864. The inlet at the island is a fjord surrounded by high mountains, with notable geology in the rock strata which dip downwards under the immense pressures caused by the Arabian tectonic plate meeting (and subducting beneath) the Eurasian plate. In the 19th century, it was the location of a British repeater station used to boost telegraphic messages along the Persian Gulf submarine cable (see below), which was part of the London to Karachi telegraphic cable. It was not an easy posting for the operators, with the severe summer heat and hostility of local tribes making life extremely uncomfortable. Because of this, the island is, according to some travel agents and journalists, where the expression "go round the bend" comes from, a reference to the heat making British officers desperate to return to civilisation, which meant a voyage around the bend in the Strait of Hormuz back to India. (Full article...)

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... that although feuds still persist between the centuries-old Omani tribes, Ghafiri and Hinawi, present-day outbursts are generally limited to football rivalry between opposing teams?

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General images

The following are images from various Oman-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Al-Alam Palace is one of the most famous landmarks in Oman (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 2Nakhal Fort (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 3Muttrah Souq (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 4Seeb Beach (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 5Qurum Beach - Crowne Plaza Muscat can be seen in the distance (on the cliff-top) (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 6The Mutrah Corniche was renovated to undo the destruction done by Cyclone Gonu (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 7Muscat Harbor - A traditional Omani Dhow lies anchored in the Muscat Harbor (World's largest natural harbor) (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 8Frankincense trees in Dhofar in southern Oman (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 9Mutrah Corniche (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 10Al Alam Palace, Muscat (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 11Muscat Boat Club (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 12Tourists riding camels in the Wahiba Sands (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 13Wadi Tiwi (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 14Ruwi - The Commercial hub of Muscat includes a massive marketplace - The Ruwi High Street (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 15Beaches of Oman along with its cliffs attracts tourists from all over the world (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 16Mutrah Corniche (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 17Muscat Municipality works continuously to beautify the city. Such gates dot roads around Muscat and showcase the traditional roots of the Sultanate (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 18The graves at Al-Ayn in Oman (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 19Qantab Beach (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 20Watching spinner dolphins in the Gulf of Oman (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 21Al Khuwair - The two Khanjar's (left of image) mark the entrance to the Ministries Street which houses all the Ministries of Oman (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 22The Muscat Fort (Built by the Portuguese in the 16th century) overlooks the Muscat harbor, Mutrah and the Al Alam Palace (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 23Visa policy of Oman
  Oman

  Visa-free
  Visa required
(from Tourism in Oman)
Image 24Riyam Park - as seen in Amazing Race 9 - is very near to the Muscat Harbor (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 25Muscat Clock Tower, MBD, Ruwi - It’s the oldest Monument in Modern Oman and showcases the Sultanate’s commitment to modernization (from Tourism in Oman)
Image 26Muscat Port - The Sultan's Yacht can be seen anchored at the Port. (from Tourism in Oman)

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Credit: Andries Oudshoorn

A view of Sur, Oman

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Religions in Oman

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