Persian Gulf States Table of Contents
Geography
Oman is located in the southeastern quarter of the Arabian Peninsula
and, according to official estimates, covers a total land area of
approximately 300,000 square kilometers; foreign observer estimates,
however, are about 212,000 square kilometers, roughly the size of the
state of Kansas. The land area is composed of varying topographic
features: valleys and desert account for 82 percent of the land mass;
mountain ranges, 15 percent; and the coastal plain, 3 percent.
The sultanate is flanked by the Gulf of Oman, the Arabian Sea, and
the Rub al Khali (Empty Quarter) of Saudi Arabia, all of which
contributed to Oman's isolation. Historically, the country's contacts
with the rest of the world were by sea, which not only provided access
to foreign lands but also linked the coastal towns of Oman. The Rub al
Khali, difficult to cross even with modern desert transport, formed a
barrier between the sultanate and the Arabian interior. The Al Hajar
Mountains, which form a belt between the coast and the desert from the
Musandam Peninsula (Ras Musandam) to the city of Sur at Oman's
easternmost point, formed another barrier. These geographic barriers
kept the interior of Oman free from foreign military encroachments.
Natural features divide the country into seven distinct areas: Ruus
al Jibal, including the northern Musandam Peninsula; the Al Batinah
coastal plain; the Muscat-Matrah coastal area; the Oman interior,
comprising Al Jabal al Akhdar (Green Mountain), its foothills, and
desert fringes; the barren coastline south to Dhofar; Dhofar region in
the south; and the offshore island of Masirah.
The northernmost area, Ruus al Jibal, extends from the Musandam
Peninsula to the boundary with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at Hisn al
Diba. It borders the Strait of Hormuz, which links the Persian Gulf with
the Gulf of Oman, and is separated from the rest of the sultanate by a
strip of territory belonging to the UAE. This area consists of low
mountains forming the northernmost extremity of the Al Hajar al Gharbi
(Western Al Hajar) Mountains. Two inlets, Elphinstone (Khawr ash Shamm)
and Malcom (Ghubbat al Ghazirah), cleave the coastline about onethird
the distance from the Strait of Hormuz and at one point are separated by
only a few hundred meters of land. The coastline is extremely rugged,
and the Elphinstone Inlet, sixteen kilometers long and surrounded by
cliffs 1,000 to 1,250 meters high, has frequently been compared with
fjords in Norway.
The UAE territory separating Ruus al Jibal from the rest of Oman
extends almost as far south as the coastal town of Shinas. A narrow,
well-populated coastal plain known as Al Batinah runs from the point at
which the sultanate is reentered to the town of As Sib, about 140
kilometers to the southeast. Across the plains, a number of wadis,
heavily populated in their upper courses, descend from the Al Hajar al
Gharbi Mountains to the south. A ribbon of oases, watered by wells and
underground channels (falaj), extends the length of the plain,
about ten kilometers inland.
South of As Sib, the coast changes character. For about 175
kilometers, from As Sib to Ras al Hadd, it is barren and bounded by
cliffs almost its entire length; there is no cultivation and little
habitation. Although the deep water off this coast renders navigation
relatively easy, there are few natural harbors or safe anchorages. The
two best are at Muscat and Matrah, where natural harbors facilitated the
growth of cities centuries ago.
West of the coastal areas lies the tableland of central Oman. The Al
Hajar Mountains form two ranges: the Al Hajar al Gharbi Mountains and
the Al Hajar ash Sharqi (Eastern Al Hajar) Mountains. They are divided
by the Wadi Samail (the largest wadi in the mountain zone), a valley
that forms the traditional route between Muscat and the interior. The
general elevation is about 1,200 meters, but the peaks of the high ridge
known as Al Jabal al Akhdar (Green Mountain)--which is considered a
separate area but is actually part of the Al Hajar al Gharbi
Mountains--rise to more than 3,000 meters in some places. Al Jabal al
Akhdar is the only home of the Arabian tahr, a unique species
of wild goat. In the hope of saving this rare animal, Sultan Qabus ibn
Said has declared part of Al Jabal al Akhdar a national park. Behind the
Al Hajar al Gharbi Mountains are two inland regions, Az Zahirah and
inner Oman, separated by the lateral range of the Rub al Khali.
Adjoining the Al Hajar ash Sharqi Mountains are the sandy regions of Ash
Sharqiyah and Jalan, which also border the desert.
The desolate coastal tract from Jalan to Ras Naws has no specific
name. Low hills and wastelands meet the sea for long distances. Midway
along this coast and about fifteen kilometers offshore is the barren
island of Masirah. Stretching about seventy kilometers, the island
occupies a strategic location near the entry point to the Gulf of Oman
from the Arabian Sea. Because of its location, it became the site of
military facilities used first by the British and then by the United
States, following an access agreement signed in 1980 by the United
States and Oman.
Dhofar region extends from Ras ash Sharbatat to the border of Yemen.
Its exact northern limit has never been defined, but the territory
claimed by the sultan includes the Wadi Mughshin, about 240 kilometers
inland. The southwestern portion of the coastal plain of Dhofar is
regarded as one of the most beautiful in Arabia, and its capital,
Salalah, was the permanent residence of Sultan Said ibn Taimur Al Said
and the birthplace of the present sultan, Qabus ibn Said. The highest
peaks are about 1,000 meters. At their base lies a narrow, pebbly desert
adjoining the Rub al Khali to the north.
Climate
With the exception of Dhofar region, which has a light monsoon
climate and receives cool winds from the Indian Ocean, the climate of
Oman is extremely hot and dry most of the year. Summer begins in
mid-April and lasts until October. The highest temperatures are
registered in the interior, where readings of more than 50° C in the
shade are common. On the Al Batinah plain, summer temperatures seldom
exceed 46° C, but, because of the low elevation, the humidity may be as
high as 90 percent. The mean summer temperature in Muscat is 33° C, but
the gharbi (literally, western), a strong wind that blows from
the Rub al Khali, can raise temperatures from the towns on the Gulf of
Oman by 6° C to 10° C. Winter temperatures are mild and pleasant,
ranging between 15° C and 23° C.
Precipitation on the coasts and on the interior plains ranges from
twenty to 100 millimeters a year and falls during mid- and late winter.
Rainfall in the mountains, particularly over Al Jabal al Akhdar, is much
higher and may reach 700 millimeters. Because the plateau of Al Jabal al
Akhdar is porous limestone, rainfall seeps quickly through it, and the
vegetation, which might be expected to be more lush, is meager. However,
a huge reservoir under the plateau provides springs for low-lying areas.
In addition, an enormous wadi channels water to these valleys, making
the area agriculturally productive in years of good rainfall. Dhofar,
benefiting from a southwest monsoon between June and September, receives
heavier rainfall and has constantly running streams, which make the
region Oman's most fertile area.
Population
A comprehensive population census has never been conducted, but in
1992 the sultanate solicited help from the United Nations (UN) Fund for
Technical and Financial Assistance in taking a full census. For planning
purposes, the government in 1992 estimated the population at 2 million,
but the actual figure may be closer to 1.5 million, growing at a rate of
3.5 percent per annum. The population is unevenly distributed; the
coastal regions, the Al Batinah plain, and the Muscat metropolitan area
contain the largest concentration.
The population is heterogeneous, consisting of an ethnic and
religious mix derived in large part from a history of maritime trade,
tribal migrations, and contacts with the outside world. Although Arabs
constitute the majority, non-Arab communities include Baluchis--from the
Makran coast of Iran and Pakistan--who are concentrated in Muscat and
the Al Batinah coast and play a significant role in the armed forces;
ex-slaves (a legacy of Oman's slave trade and East African colonies);
and Zanzibari Omanis, who are well represented in the police force and
the professions. The integration of Omanis of African descent is often
circumscribed by a language barrier (they often speak Swahili and
English but not always Arabic). The presence of Omanis of Indian descent
in Muscat reflects the historical commercial ties between the sultanate
and the Indian subcontinent. The Khoja community in Matrah, of Indian
origin, is perhaps the richest private group in Oman, and its members
are among the best educated. The Shihuh of the northern Musandam
Peninsula numbered about 20,000 in the early 1990s. They speak Arabic
and a dialect of Farsi and engage primarily in fishing and herding.
Because of the small indigenous population, the government has been
obliged to use foreign labor. In 1992 about 60 percent of the labor
force was foreign. Some 350,000 foreign workers and their families
(primarily Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Filipinos, and Sri
Lankans) live in Oman. The high percentage of foreigners in the work
force, combined with improvements in the country's education system, has
prompted the government to institute a program of indigenization whereby
Omani nationals gradually replace foreigners.
For more recent population estimates, see Facts
about Oman.
Source: U.S. Library of Congress
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