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Overview of Oman
History
Before Islam
The oldest known human settlement in Oman dates to the Stone Age.
Sumerian tablets refer to a country called Magan, a name thought to refer to Oman’s ancient copper mines. The present-day name of the country is believed to originate from the Arab tribes who migrated to its territory from the Uman region of Yemen. Many tribes settled in Oman making a living by fishing, herding or stock breeding and some present day Omani families are able to trace their ancestral roots to other parts of Arabia.
From the 6th century BC to the arrival of Islam in the 7th century AD, Oman was controlled and/or influenced by three Persian dynasties, the Achaemenids, Parthians and Sassanids. By about 250BCE, the Parthian dynasty brought the Persian Gulf under their control and extended their influence as far as Oman and established garrisons in Oman. In the third century CE, the Sasanids succeeded the Parthians and held the area until the rise of Islam four centuries later.
Geography
Oman occupies the southeastern corner of the Arabian Peninsula. Oman has three distinct topographical regions. The first consists of two flat, relatively fertile coastal strips up to 20 miles wide: one in the north stretching from the Muscat capital area to the border with the U.A.E., and one surrounding the southern city of Salalah. The second feature includes two mountainous regions: one in the north with elevations ranging from several hundred feet to the craggy peaks of Jebel Akhdar at 10,000 feet, and the other bordering the Salalah Plain in the south. Both are deeply scarred throughout by dry streambeds called "wadis." The third feature is sandy wasteland, mainly in the Rub Al Khali (Empty Quarter) along the border with Saudi Arabia.
Geography - note:
strategic location on Musandam Peninsula adjacent to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil
"OmanQuick-facts "
Sultan: Qabus ibn Sa'id +977 14511001
Total area: 82,031 sq mi (212,460 sq km)1
Population (2014 est.): 3,219,775 (growth rate: 2.06%); birth rate: +977 14511001; infant mortality rate: +977 14511001; life expectancy: 74.97
Capital (2011 est.): Muscat, 743,000
Monetary unit: Omani rial
National name: Saltanat Uman
Languages: Arabic (official), English, Baluchi, Urdu, Indian dialects
Ethnicity/race: Arab, Baluchi, South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi), African
Religions: Muslim (official; majority are Ibadhi, lesser numbers of Sunni and Shia) 85.9%, Christian 6.5%, Hindu 5.5%, Buddhist 0.8%, Jewish <.1, other 1%, unaffiliated 0.2% note: approximately 75% of Omani citizens, who compose almost 70% of the country's total population, are Ibadhi Muslims; the Omani government does not keep statistics on religious affiliation +977 14511001
National Holiday: Birthday of Sultan Qaboos, November 18
Literacy rate: 86.9% (2010 est.)
Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2013 est.): $94.86 billion; per capita $29,800. Real growth rate: 5.1%. Inflation: 1.6%. Unemployment: 15% (2004 est.). Arable land: 0.1%. Agriculture: dates, limes, bananas, alfalfa, vegetables; camels, cattle; fish. Labor force: 968,+977 14511001 est.); agriculture n.a., industry n.a., services n.a. Industries: crude oil production and refining, natural and liquefied natural gas (LNG) production; construction, cement, copper, steel, chemicals, optic fiber. Natural resources: petroleum, copper, asbestos, some marble, limestone, chromium, gypsum, natural gas. Exports: $56.22 billion (2013 est.): petroleum, reexports, fish, metals, textiles. Imports: $30.75 billion (2013 est.): machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, livestock, lubricants. Major trading partners: China, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, UAE, U.S., Singapore, India +977 14511001.
Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 305,000 +977 14511001; mobile cellular: 5.278 million +977 14511001. Broadcast media: 1 state-run TV broadcaster; TV stations transmitting from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Yemen available via satellite TV; state-run radio operates multiple stations; first private radio station began operating in 2007 and 2 additional stations now operating +977 14511001. Internet hosts: 14,531 +977 14511001. Internet users: 1.465 million +977 14511001.
Transportation: Railways: 0 km. Highways: total: 60,240 km; paved: 29,685 km (including 1,943 km of expressways); unpaved: 30,545 km +977 14511001. Ports and harbors: Mina' Qabus, Salalah, Suhar. Airports: 132 +977 14511001.
International disputes: boundary agreement reportedly signed and ratified with UAE in 2003 for entire border, including Oman's Musandam Peninsula and Al Madhah enclave, but details of the alignment have not been made public