Oman
Oman (/oʊˈmɑːn/ (About this soundlisten) oh-MAHN; Arabic:
عمان ʻumān [ʕʊˈmaːn]), officially the Sultanate of Oman
(Arabic: سلْطنةُ عُمان Salṭanat(u) ʻUmān), is a country on
the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western
Asia. Located in a strategically important position at the
mouth of the Persian Gulf, the country shares land borders
with the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia
to the west, and Yemen to the southwest, and shares marine
borders with Iran and Pakistan. The coast is formed by the
Arabian Sea on the southeast and the Gulf of Oman on the
northeast. The Madha and Musandam exclaves are surrounded by
the UAE on their land borders, with the Strait of Hormuz
(which it shares with Iran) and the Gulf of Oman forming
Musandam's coastal boundaries.
From the late 17th century, the Omani Sultanate was a
powerful empire, vying with the Portuguese Empire and the
British Empire for influence in the Persian Gulf and Indian
Ocean. At its peak in the 19th century, Omani influence or
control extended across the Strait of Hormuz to modern-day
Iran and Pakistan, and as far south as Zanzibar. When its
power declined in the 20th century, the sultanate came under
the influence of the United Kingdom. For over 300 years, the
relations built between the two empires were based on mutual
benefits. The UK recognized Oman's geographical importance
as a trading hub that secured their trading lanes in the
Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean and protected their empire in
the Indian sub-continent. Historically, Muscat was the
principal trading port of the Persian Gulf region. Muscat
was also among the most important trading ports of the
Indian Ocean.
Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said was the hereditary leader of
the country, which is an absolute monarchy, from 1970 until
his death on 10 January 2020.[9] His cousin, Haitham bin
Tariq, was named as the country's new ruler following his
death.
Oman is a member of the United Nations, the Arab League, the
Gulf Cooperation Council, the Non-Aligned Movement and the
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. It has sizeable oil
reserves, ranking 25th globally.[11][12] In 2010, the United
Nations Development Programme ranked Oman as the most
improved nation in the world in terms of development during
the preceding 40 years. A significant portion of its economy
involves tourism and trading fish, dates and other
agricultural produce. Oman is categorized as a high-income
economy and ranks as the 69th most peaceful country in the
world according to the Global Peace Index.
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