OMAN

Officialname:SalṭanatʿUmān(SultanateofOman) Formofgov’t:monarchywithtwoadvisorybodies(StateCouncil[831];ConsultativeCouncil[85])Headofstateandgov’t:SultanQaboosbinSaid Capital:Muscat Officiallanguage:Arabic Officialreligion:Islam Monetaryunit:rialOmani(RO)

Population:4,496,000 Totalarea:(sqmi)119,500 Urban-ruralpopulation:Urban:77.2%Rural:22.8% Lifeexpectancy:Male:74.2yearsFemale:78.8yearsLiteracy:Male:90%Female:(2008)80.9%GNIpercapita:(U.S.$)16,870

IntroductionOmanisanArabmonarchy,orsultanate,onthesoutheasterncoastoftheArabianPeninsula.Knowninancienttimesforitsfrankincenseand

metalworking,Omanestablishedtradinglinkswithotherculturesoverthecenturiesandwassometimesruledbyforeignpowers,butitkeptmostofitstraditionalwaysintact.Onlyafter1970didthecountryembraceamodernizationprogramthatbroughtgreatchangestoitseconomyandsociety.LandandClimateMostofOmanisrockyandsandy.Thecoastalplains—Al-BatinahinthenortheastandtheDhofarregioninthesouthwest—areOman’sonlyfertileandpopulousregions.TheHajarMountains,reachingaheightof9,777feet(2,980meters)atMountShams,separateAl-BatinahfromthevastdesertcalledtheRubʿal-Khali(“EmptyQuarter”)desert.Therearenolakesorpermanentrivers,onlystreamsthatflowforatimeafterseasonalstorms.Oman’sclimateishotanddryintheinteriorandhotandhumidalongthecoast.Annualrainfall,rangingfrom2to4inches(5to10centimeters),isconcentratedbetweenthemonthsofJuneandSeptember.Thetemperaturecanreach120°Fduringthesummermonths,makingOmanoneofthehottestcountriesintheworld.Becauseofthedryclimate,naturalplantlifeislimitedmostlytoacaciatrees.TropicalvegetationgrowsintheDhofarregion,whichiswellknownforthefrankincensethatisextractedfromitstrees.RareanimalsinOmanincludetheArabianoryx,Arabianleopard,mountaingoat,andloggerheadturtle.

PeopleandCultureMorethanhalfofOman’spopulationisArab.ThelargestminoritygroupconsistsofethnicBaloch,whomigratedtoOmanfromIranandPakistanoverthepastseveralcenturies.TheylivemainlynearthecoastinAl-Batinah.ThetwincitiesofMuscatandMatrahhavelongbeenhometomanyethnicPersiansandSouthAsians.ThegreatmajorityofOmanispracticeIslam,theofficialreligion.MostbelongtotheIbadibranchofIslam,whichisdistinctfromtheSunniandShiʿitebranches.TherearesmallcommunitiesofChristiansandHindus.Oman’spopulationismainlyurban.LessthanaquarterofOmanisliveintraditionalruralvillages,whicharetypicallylocatednearthefoothillsoftheHajarMountains.Thecountry’smostdenselypopulatedareaisAl-Batinah.WhereMuscatandMatrahmergedtobecomeanimportantmetropolitancenter.Asmallnumberofnomads,calledBedouin,liveintheRubʿal-Khali.EducationandhealthcareimprovedsignificantlyinOmanbeginninginthelate20thcentury.Before1970thecountryhadonlythreeprimaryschools,andfewgirlsreceivedanyschooling.Today,althougheducationisstillnotmandatory,almostallchildrenattendprimaryschoolandmostcontinuetosecondaryschool.

Economy

Oman’seconomydependsheavilyonpetroleum.Theoilindustryaccountsforroughlyfour-fifthsofthecountry’sgrossdomesticproduct(GDP)andaboutthree-quartersofthegovernment’sincome.Oman’soilreservesaredwindling,

however,andthegovernmenthastakenstepstoreducethecountry’sdependenceonoil.Aspartofthiseffort,Omanhasdevelopeditsnaturalgasresourcestofueldomesticindustryandforexportintheformofliquefiednaturalgas.Theservicesector—includingfinance,realestate,tourism,government,wholesaleandretailtrade,andforeigntrade—makesupaboutone-thirdofOman’sGDPandemployssomethree-fifthsofitsworkers.Althoughtourismisnotyetalargeindustry,thegovernmenthasencourageditsgrowthinanattempttofurtherdiversifytheeconomy.HistoryArchaeologicalevidenceofcivilizationinOmandatestoaboutthe3rdmillenniumBC,makingitoneofthefirstinhabitedplaceonearth.Beforethe1stcenturyAD,Persiancolonizationestablishedthefalajirrigationsystem,whichhassincesustainedOmaniagricultureandcivilization.Arabstribesenteredthecountryinthe2ndcenturyAD.ThesegroupslatermovednorthwardintothePersian-controlledareaofOman.ArabdominanceoverthecountrybeganwiththeintroductionofIslaminthe7thcentury.Fromthemid-8thcenturyOmanwasruledbyimams,orMuslimleaders,oftheIbadisect.Theimamatelasteduntil1154,whentheNabhanidynastyofkingswasestablished.

Duringthisperiod,seatradegrewincreasinglyimportanttoOman’seconomy.VirtuallycutofffromtherestoftheArabianPeninsulabyvastdeserts,OmanisailorstraveledtheIndianOceanandrangedasfarasChinabythe15thcentury.Oman’sstrategiclocationalongtraderoutesbetweenEuropeandEastAsiadrewtheattentionofthePortuguese,whoseizedcontrolofMuscatandtherestofthecoastin1507.Theyruleduntil1650,whentheyweredrivenoutbytheYaʿrubiddynasty.TheYaʿrubidsalsooccupiedPortuguesesettlementsinthePersianGulfandEastAfrica,notablyZanzibar.TheYaʿrubidempireeventuallycrumbledinacivilwarintheearly18thcentury,enablingthePersianstoinvadethecountryin1737.In1749thePersianswereforcedoutandtheAlBuSaʿiddynastycametopower.ThisdynastystillrulesOmantoday.ThefortunesoftheAlBuSaʿidstateinOmandeclinedthroughoutthesecondhalfofthe19thcentury.Theimamatelaunchedanotherrebellionin1954inanattempttocreateanindependentstate.Clashesbetweenthesultan’sforcesandthoseoftheimamcontinuedthroughoutthe1950s.By1959SultanSaʿidibnTaymur,withBritishbacking,wasabletoreunitethewholecountryunderhisrule.

Inthemid-1960saMarxist-ledrebellionbrokeoutintheDhofarregion.TheDhofarrebellionledtoacoupin1970inwhichSultanSaʿidwasoverthrownbyhisson,QaboosbinSaid,whoisstillinpowertodayandisoneofthelongestservingworldleaders.

Intheearly21stcenturyOmancontinueditspolicyof“Omanization,”

whichthegovernmenthadintroducedinthe1980storeducethecountry’sdependenceonforeignlaborandincreasejobopportunitiesforOmanicitizens.In2003therighttovote,previouslylimitedtointellectualsandotherpeoplechosenbythegovernment,wasextendedtoallOmanisovertheageof21.In2011,asawaveofpro-democracyprotestsknownastheArabSpringswepttheMiddleEastandNorthAfrica,protestersinOmancalledforeconomicimprovementsandgreaterpoliticalfreedom.Unlikemanysimilarprotestsintheregionthatsoughttheremovalofpoliticalleaders,protestersinOmandidnotchallengetheruleofSultanQaboos.RANDOMFACT

• Omanhasalwaysbeenfamousforitsfrankincensetrees,whichstillonlygrowinthewild

• Oneneedsaliquorlicenseissuedbythepolicetobeabletobuy

alcoholinOman.Thepermit’svalueisdeterminedbyone’searnings.Itisusually10%ofthebasicsalary.

• MountainDewisthetop-sellingbeverageinOman,and

consequently,barelyanyCoca-Colacanbefoundinthecountry

• Upuntil1970,therewerenohotelsinthecountry.Buttodaytherearehundredsofhotels.TourismisamajorindustryinOman.

• Thecountryisfamousforitsornamenteddoors.DoorsinOmanare

unique,colorfulandembroidered.Andnomatterwhatthewholehouselookslike,evenasimplehousehastrulystunningdoors