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OMAN with its unique and strategic location on the southern
tip of the Arabian peninsula, Oman is one of the most
attractive travel destinations in the Middle East, a
country that combines luxurious comfort and safety a
midst rugged mountains, panoramic beaches, and striking
desert escapes.
The topography is varied, with rugged mountains and
rocky deepwater fjords to the north, the mountains and
green hills of Dhofar region to the south, and the spectacular
dunes of the Wahiba sands in the center, Oman is a marvelous
symphony, harmonizing a great civilization and modern
development. Oman is an attractive concept of tourism
presenting culture, arts, heritage, nature, sports,
adventure, entertainment and knowledge.
Location
(Ref: The Ministry of Oman)
The Sultanate
of Oman is situated on the southeast corner of the Arabian
Peninsula and is located between Latitudes 16° 40' and
26° 20' North and Longitudes 51° 50' and 59° 40' East.
The coastline extends 1,700 Km from the Strait of Hormuz
in the north, to the borders of the Republic of Yemen
in the south and overlooks three seas: the Arabian Gulf,
Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
The Sultanate borders Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the
West; the United Arab Emirates in the Northeast, the
Republic of Yemen in the South; the Strait of Hormuz
in the North and the Arabian Sea in the East.
The Musandam Peninsula forms the country's northern
tip, and is separated from the rest of the Sultanate
by United Arab Emirates' eastern coast and includes
the only coast the Sultanate has on the Arabian Gulf.
Musandam is just over 50 Km (30 miles) south of the
Islamic Republic of Iran across the Strait of Hormuz.
The total land area is around 309,500 Km2 and it is
the third largest country in the Arabian Peninsula.
Topography
(Ref: The Ministry of Oman)
Oman possesses
a rich diverse topography ranging from rugged mountains
and rocky deepwater fjords in the North, to the spectacular
dunes of Sharqiyah (Wahiba) Sands and two large salt
flats in the centre, to the lush green hills of Dhofar
region in the South, with rugged coasts and placid beaches
stretching along the 1,700 Km coastline.
The northern coastal strip along the Gulf of Oman is
known as the Batinah Coast; a narrow fertile plain separated
from the rest of the country by the Hajar Mountains.
The highest peak is Jabal Shams (Sun Mountain) at 3,075
m. The southern slopes of the range are notable for
their oasis towns where date groves flourish in the
dry desert air.
In the south lies the second mountain range in Oman;
the Qara Mountains, which attracts the light monsoon
rains during the mid-summer months, turning them green
with vegetation whose roots help delay the effects of
erosion resulting in a soft rolling landscape more akin
to central Africa.
As in the north, a narrow fertile coast plain lies between
the mountains and the sea at whose centre Salalah lies,
surrounded by lush vegetable farms and coconut groves.
Climate
(Ref: The Ministry of Oman)
The varied geography of the Sultanate resulted in a
wide variety of climatic conditions. Although lying
in the tropics, th Sultanate is subject to seasonal
changes like the more temperate regions of the world.
The hottest months are June through August. The summer
monsoon just touches the southern coast of Dhofar during
these months bringing regular light rain to Salalah
and reducing the average daytime highs to 30° C.
The most pleasant months to visit Oman are mid October
through March when daytime temperatures fall into the
lower 30s and below.
Rainfall varies but in general remains sparse and irregular.
In the south most of the year's rainfall occurs during
the summer monsoon months. In the north the opposite
occurs. Here most rain comes from occasional winter
storms which descend out of the eastern Mediterranean
during the months of January through March, depositing
an annual average of 10 cm of rain on the capital area.
Administrative
Regions
(Ref: The Ministry of Oman)
The Sultanate
is divided into eight administrative regions:
3 Governorates:
Muscat
Dhofar
Musandam
5 Regions:
Al-Batinah
Al-Dhahirah
Al-Dakhliyah
Al-Sharqiyah
Al-Wusta
Each of these is subdivided into smaller districts called
Wilayats, which are governed by the Wali, the person
responsible for administrating the area and reports
to the Minister of the Interior.
Muscat is the capital of Oman; a cosmopolitan, but relaxed
city, free from the hustle and bustle found in many
of Arabia's other capital cities. In the south of the
Sultanate, is Salalah; the administrative capital of
the Dhofar region.
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