Oman Country Profile

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Country Profile: Oman Introduction Oman, even though had established long ties with Britain, unlike many Middle Eastern nations, was never colonized by the British. They however forged political and military protection from the British. Before the 1970s, the ruler of Oman was restrictive and controlling. His son Qaboos overthrew him and began to transform the country into what is known today. He seeks to establish foreign ties while maintaining the already established friendship with the UK. Because of its moderate and independent foreign policy, Oman has managed to have good relations with countries in the Gulf region. In 2011, due to the wave that swept through the Middle East, Omanis called for reforms and the leader, Qaboos responded by promising political and economic reform. The Omani people were among the first to adopt Islam, and as a result became the first Ibadh state under the leadership of the Imam. Oman played an important role in the propagation of Islamic religion to other trading regions such as Far East and East Africa in the 19th century. After the Portuguese arrived in Oman, they occupied the present day Muscat for 140 years and build forts around the city to protect their sea lanes. Some defiant tribes that form the current ruling Omani clan drove away the Portuguese. Oman was never colonized. Geography Oman is in the Middle East. It borders Arabian Sea, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia to the south east; and The Gulf of Oman to the north east. Oman covers an area of about 309, 5000 square kilometers. There had been border disputes with the neighboring territories such as the UAE which are still ongoing, Yemen and Saudi Arabia which have been solved. The country has a coastline of 2,092 km and shares 676km and 410 km borders with Saudi Arabia and Yemen respectively. Oman is a hot dry dessert land, prone to frequent winds and
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