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Overview:
Occupying the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, the
Sultanate of Oman covers an area of about 212,457 square
kilometres (82,030 square miles); however, estimates do vary
considerably. Oman proper is bordered by Yemen to the southwest,
Saudi Arabia to the west, the United Arab Emirates to the
northwest, the Gulf of Oman to the north, and by the Arabian Sea
to the east and south. Included in its territory is Ruus al
Jibal ("The Mountaintops"), which is located on the northern tip
of the Musandam Peninsula (Ras Musandam). It borders the Strait
of Hormuz, which is a waterway linking the Gulf of Oman with the
Arabian Gulf, and separated from the rest of Oman by a strip of
territory belonging to the United Arab Emirates. Thanks to its
location at the mouth of the Gulf, Oman has long been seen as
strategically important. At one time, its territory stretched
down the East African coast and it competed against Portugal and
Britain for influence in the Gulf. Muscat, the capital of Oman
since 1741, is located on the Gulf of Oman coast. The country
was known as Muscat and Oman until 1970.
Oman is a monarchy. The ruling family, the Al Said, first came
to rule in 1744 after the expulsion of the Iranians from Muscat.
Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said has ruled since 1970. The sultan
also holds the posts of prime minister, minister of defence,
minister of foreign affairs, and minister of finance. There is a
Council of State for consultation purposes.
Oman's principal natural resources are petroleum and natural
gas. The proved petroleum reserves (4 billion barrels) are not
substantial, and the government is aiming to transform Oman into
a major natural gas exporter. Manufacturing is growing in
importance. Major products include textiles, cement blocks,
furniture, fertilizers, and fibreglass products
Population:
2,325,438 (1999)
Capital:
Muscat City.
Major Cities: Nizwa, Salalah, Kasab
Language:
Arabic is the official language.
English is widely spoken. Swahili is also spoken by the population
from East Africa. German and French are spoken by hotel staff.
Religion:
Predominantly Ibadi Muslim, with
Shi’ite Muslim, Sunni Muslim and Other minorities.
Time:
GMT + 4.
Electricity:
220 volts AC, 50Hz; single phase.
UK-type flat three-pin plugs are used.
Communications:
Telephone:
Full IDD is available. Country
code: 968. Outgoing international code: 00.
Mobile telephone:
GSM 900 network. The
Oman Telecommunications Company (Omantel) is the local
operator (website:
www.gto.net.om).
Fax:
Most hotels have facilities.
Internet:
There are Internet cafes in the cities
of Nizwa and Muscat. ISPs include Omantel (website:
www.gto.net.om)
and Oman Online (website:
www.omanonline.com).
Telegram:
Telegram services are available
24-hours at OmanTel. Offices.
Post:
Airmail to Western Europe takes about
4 days.
Press:
English-language newspapers include
The Times of Oman and The Oman Daily Observer.
Radio:
BBC World Service (website:
www.bbc.co.uk) and Voice of America (website:
www.voa.gov) can be
received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most
up-to-date can be found online. |
