c


c
 (pronounced P



Ê V
; Arabic: ϥΎϤϋ 

), officially the
¦


c
 (Arabic: ϥΎϤϋ ΔϨτϠγ ¦


), is an Arab country in
southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It borders the United
Arab Emirates on the northwest, Saudi Arabia on the west and Yemen on the
southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the southeast and the Gulf of
Oman on the northeast. The Madha and Musandam enclaves are surrounded by the
UAE on their land borders, with the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman forming
Mussandams coastal boundaries.

In November 2010, The United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) listed

c

 
 




 


worldwide. Oman is located between the latitudes of 23 to 37 north and 58 to 36
east.
¦


ϥΎϤϋ ΔϨτϠγ
¦
  

Flag NatioÊal Emblem

è
è 

Coast of Sur OmaÊ

A vast gravel desert plain covers most of central Oman, with mountain ranges along
the north (Al Hajar Mountains) and southeast coast, where the country's main cities
are al l ated: t e capital cit M cat Sohar and Sur in the north, and Salalah in the
south. The peninsula of Musandam (Musandem) exclave, which has a strategic
location on the Strait of Hormuz, is separated from the rest of Oman by the United
Arab Emirates.

Oman's other exclave, inside UAE territory, known as Madha, located halfway
between the Musandam Peninsula and the main body of Oman. Within the Madha
exclave is a UAE enclave called Nahwa, belonging to the Emirate of Sharjah.

Climate

Annual rainfall in Muscat averages 100 mm (3.9 in), falling mostly in January. Dhofar
is subject to the southwest monsoon, and rainfall up to 640 mm(25.2  in) has been
[„
 

   ]
recorded in the rainy season from late June to October. While the
mountain areas receive more plentiful rainfall, some parts of the coast, particularly
near the island of Masirah, sometimes receive no rain at all within the course of a
year. The climate generally is very hot, with temperatures reaching 54 °C (129.2 °F)
in the hot season, from May to September.

Õ
e]†
   

        
      
    81 79 84 93 102 104 100 97 97 95 86 81 91.6
†
(27) (26) (29) (34) (39) (40) (38) (36) (36) (35) (30) (27) (33.1)
 



63 63 70 75 84 88 86 82 81 75 70 64 75.1
†
(17) (17) (21) (24) (29) (31) (30) (28) (27) (24) (21) (18) (23.9)
 
0.5 1 0.598 0.701 0.299 0 0 0 0 0 0.299 0.5 3.898


(12.7) (25.4) (15.2) (17.8) (7.6) (0) (0) (0) (0) (0) (7.6) (12.7) (99)

CULTURE

LANGUAGE
Although Arabic is Oman's official language, there are native speakers of different
dialects, as well as Balochi (the language of the Baloch from western-Pakistan,
eastern Iran), and southern Afghanistan or offshoots of Southern Arabian, and some
descendants of Sindhi sailors. Also spoken in Oman are Semitic languages only
distantly related to Arabic. The dominant indigenous language is a dialect of Arabic
and the country has also adopted English as a second language. Almost all signs and
writings appear in both Arabic and English. A significant number also speak Urdu,
due to the influx of Indian migrants during the late 1980s and the 1990s.

KhaÊ
ar kÊife, traditioÊal dagger of OmaÊ, circa 1924

Oman is famous for its khanjar knives, which are curved daggers worn during
holidays as part of ceremonial dress, during the Medieval Era the Khanjar became
highly popular it symbolized Muslim Sailors.

CLOTHING

Today traditioÊal clothiÊg is worÊ by most OmaÊi meÊ They wear aÊ aÊkle-leÊgth, collarless
robe called a dishdasha that buttoÊs at the Êeck with a tassel haÊgiÊg dowÊ TraditioÊally
this tassel would be dipped iÊ perfume Today the tassel is merely a traditioÊal part of the
dishdasha WomeÊ wear hi
abs aÊd abayas Some womeÊ cover their faces aÊd haÊds, but
most do ÊotՄ

] The abaya is a traditioÊal dress aÊd curreÊtly comes iÊ differeÊt
styles The SultaÊ has forbiddeÊ the coveriÊg of faces iÊ public office OÊ holidays, such as
Eid, the womeÊ wear traditioÊal dress, which is ofteÊ very brightly colored aÊd coÊsists of a
mid-calf leÊgth tuÊic over paÊts OmaÊi Dishdasha
m


The main daily meal is usually eaten at midday, while the evening meal is lighter.
Ú
  is a rice dish, tinged yellow with saffron and cooked over spicy red or
white meat.  is a festival meal, served during celebrations, which consists of
mashed rice flavoured with spices. Another popular festival meal is  , which is
meat cooked very slowly (sometimes for up to two days) in an underground clay
oven. The meat becomes extremely tender and it is infused with spices and herbs
before cooking to give it a very distinct taste. Fish is often used in main dishes too,
 
and the kingfish is a popular ingredient. Oman
c

s
ne
s als  
s
nc from t e
n
enous
foos of ot er Arab states of t e Pers
an Gulf an even var
es w
t
n t e Sultanate's

fferent re
ons.Մ

   ] T ere are also s
n
f
cant 
fferences
n cu
s
ne between

fferent re
ons of Oman.

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Ú  
„
  

¦ 





Football,
¦ 
volleyball,
bas etball an
oc ey.



5


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48
†


†
 
Re, W
te,

Green

The government aims to give young people a fully rounded education by providing
activities and experience in the sporting, cultural, intellectual, social and scientific
spheres, and to excel internationally in these areas and for this reason, in October
2004, the government created a Ministry of Sports Affairs to replace the General
Organisation for Youth, Sports and Cultural Affairs.

The 2009 Gulf Cup of Nations, the 19th edition, took place in Muscat, Oman, from 4
January to 17 January 2009 and was won by Oman.

The International Olympic Committee awarded the former GOYSCA its prestigious
prize for sporting excellence in recognition of its contributions to youth and sports
and its efforts to promote the Olympic spirit and goals.

Religion

Around 75% of the population consists of Ibadhi, a form of Islam distinct from the
Sunni and Shia denominations, 17% constitute Sunni Muslims, with Imami Shia
Muslims and the Zikri forming the remaining 8% of the indiginous population,[17]
originating from Bahrain, Iran and the Ahsa province of Saudi Arabia, integrating
well with the community, concentrated in the capital area and along the northern
coast.

The Oman government does not keep statistics on religious affiliation, but most
citizens are Muslims.
Economy

Omani citizens enjoy good living standards, but the future is uncertain with Oman's
limited oil reserves.[17] Other sources of income, agriculture and industry, are small in
comparison and count for less than 1% of the country's exports, but diversification is
seen as a priority in the government of Oman. Agriculture, often subsistence in its
character, produces dates, limes, grains and vegetables.

Since the slump in oil prices in 1998, Oman has made active plans to diversify its
economy and is placing a greater emphasis on other areas of industry, such astourism.

Foreign Relations

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.

Since 1970, Oman has pursued a moderate foreign policy and expanded its diplomatic
relations dramatically. It supported the 1979 Camp David accords and was one of
three Arab League states, along with Somalia and Sudan, which did not break
relations with Egypt after the signing of the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty in 1979.
During the Persian Gulf crisis, Oman assisted the United Nations coalition effort.
Oman has developed close ties to its neighbors; it joined the six-member Gulf
Cooperation Council when it was established in 1980.

Œn recent years, Oman as unertaken 
lomat
c
n
t
at
ves
n t e Central As
an reubl
cs,

art
cularly
n Kazak stan, w ere
t
s
nvolve
n a
o
nt o
l 
el
ne ro
ect. Œn a
t
on,
Oman ma
nta
ns oo relat
ons w
t Œran,
ts nort ern ne
 bor, an t e two countr
es
reularly exc ane eleat
ons. Oman
s an act
ve member
n
nternat
onal an re
onal
oran
zat
ons, notably t e Arab Leaue an t e GCC.

T ere are few  


, establ
s e follow
n a 2006 Decree by t e Sultan of
Oman erm
tt
n t e
r oran
zat
on. Some of t ese, ave one comlete elect
ons, t ey
are members of t e General Founat
on of Oman Trae Un
on (GFOTU).Õ1] Oman as
become t e secon Gulf Arab state, after Ba ra
n, to ave a eneral feerat
on of trae
un
ons.


 ¦

 
 
 
s a trae act between Oman an t e Un
te
States. On November 15, 2004, t e Geore W. Bus am
n
strat
on not
f
e t e U.S.
Conress of
ts
ntent to s
n a trae areement w
t t e M
le Eastern Sultanate of Oman.

Oman as a m
l
tary
story w
c ates back to t e 7t century.

The ¦

   
m  (SAF) are the Royal Army of Oman, Royal
Navy of Oman, Royal Air Force of Oman and other defence forces of the Sultanate of
Oman. Since their formal establishment in the early 1950s, with British assistance
they have twice overcome insurgencies which have threatened the integrity or social
structure of the state, and more recently have contributed contingents or facilities to
coalitions formed to protect the Persian Gulf states.


 


 
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U  ¦ 

¦ 
(Arabic: ϦΑ αϮΑΎϗ Ϊϴόγ ϝ΁ Ϊϴόγ ; U
 i
 Sa¶īd Āl Sa¶īd ;
born 18 November 1940 in Salalah[1] ) is the Sultan of Oman, the first since the
country gained independence. He rose to power after overthrowing his father, Saµid
ibn Taymur, in a palace coup in 1970. He is the 14th descendant of the Al Bu Sa'idi
dynasty.

 

SultaÊ Qaboos meets with UÊited States Vice PresideÊt Dick CheÊey duriÊg his visit to the
Middle East iÊ 2002

The political system which Qaboos established is that of an absolute monarchy.

Unlike the situation in neighboring Saudi Arabia, Qaboos' decisions are not subject to
modification by other members of Oman's sultanic family.

More recently, Qaboos has allowed parliamentary elections (in which women have
voted and stood as candidates) and pledged greater openness and participationin
government. As yet, however, this parliament lacks substantial political power.

Qaboos' supporters point to his relative success in governing the country.Since he

acceded to the throne, Oman has broadened international relations, allowed
newspapers, established high schools, built highways, opened hotels and shopping
malls and spends a substantial portion of its dwindling oil revenues on health care and
education.

In October 1998, Qaboos bin Said was presented with the International Peace Award
by the National Council on US-Arab Relations.[13] He also forges and maintains good
relations with other Arab states and partners in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC].

Cont«

The National Day of Oman is celebrated on 18 th November. Oman has no National

bird and flower . The National animal of Oman is the Arabian Oryx and the National
Dress is the Dishdasha.

Politics

The Constitution of Oman was adopted on 6 November 1996 by Qaboos Bin Said ,
Sultan of Oman.

Chief of state and government is the hereditary sultān, Qaboos bin Said Al Said, who
appoints a cabinet called the "Diwans" to assist him. There are no legal political
parties nor, at present, any active opposition movement. As more and more young
Omanis return from education abroad, it seems likely that the traditional, tribal-based
political system will have to be adjusted.[11] A State Consultative Council, established
in 1981, consisted of 55 appointed representatives of government, the private sector,
and regional interests.

Capital Of Oman , Muscat

Ú
(Arabic: ςϘδϣ, Úaa ) is the capital and largest city of Oman. It is also the
seat of government and largest city in the Governorate of Muscat. Muscat was ruled
by various indigenous tribes as well as foreign powers such as the Persians and the
Portuguese Empire at various points in its history. Since the ascension of Qaboos bin
Said as Sultan of Oman in 1970, Muscat has experienced rapid infrastructural
development that has led to the growth of a vibrant economy and a multi-ethnic
society. The rocky Western Al Hajar Mountains dominate the landscape of Muscat.
The city lies on the Arabian Sea along the Gulf of Oman and is in the proximity of the
strategic Straits of Hormuz.

Important Cities in Oman

x Aam
x As S
b
x Al Bura
m

x Al Hamra
x Al Jazer
x AL Suwa

x Ba la
x Barka
x B
b

x B

ya
x D
bba Al-Baya
x Dum
x Ha
ma
x Ma oot
x Mu ayb

x Mu a
reb
x Sa


T ese are some of t e
mortant c
t
es of Oman.


  
  

 


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