OMAN

THE OLDEST INDEPENDENT

STATE IN THE ARAB WORLD

BERTILLO VILLAFUERTE
RIMONTE
 CONTENTS

1 2 3 4
HISTORY AND ECONOMY GOVERNMENT TRAVEL
GEOGRAPHY RELIGION AND AND FOOD
EDUCATION POLITICS
CULTURE
HEALTH
 ONE
O
HISTORY
AND

N
GEOGRAPHY

E
 Color’s of the flag are
symbolic, with green

F LAG representing fertility;

white represents peace,
and this shade of red is
common on many
regional flags. The
national emblem, a
Khanjar Dagger, is
displayed upper-left.
The dagger and its
sheath are
The flag of Oman was officially superimposed on two
adopted on April 25, 1995 crossed swords in
scabbards.
LANGUAGE

Arabic is the
official language.
GEOGRAPHY
Oman is a country
occupying the south-
eastern coast of the
Arabian Peninsula at
the confluence of the
Persian Gulf and Arabian
Sea.
CLIMATE
Like the rest of the
Persian Gulf, Oman
generally has one of the
hottest climates in the
world—with summer
temperatures in Muscat
and northern Oman
averaging 30 °C (86.0 °F)
to 40 °C
(104.0 °F). Oman
receives little rainfall,
with annual rainfall in
THE EARLY PERIOD
Archaeological evidence of
civilization in Oman dates to
about the 3rd
millennium BCE, but Persian
colonization prior to the 1st
century CE established
the falaj  irrigation system,
which has since sustained
Omani agriculture and
civilization.
THE OMAN
TRIBAL SYSTEM

The origins of the Omani tribal system can be

traced to the immigration of Arab groups from
South Arabia into the Jaʿlān region during the
2nd century CE.
THE IBADI IMAMATE
The Ibāḍī imamate, which
arrived in the mid-8th
century, unified Oman
politically. The country’s
mountains and geographic
isolation provided a refuge
for the Ibāḍīs (Ibāḍiyyah),
who proceeded to convert
the leading tribal clans to
their sect. The new Ibāḍī
state was headed by an
elected imam who served as
both temporal and religious
 PORTUGUESE AND
PERSIAN INVASIONS
On their way to India,
the Portuguese sacked Muscat in
1507 and soon controlled the entire
coast. More than a century later
the Yaʿrubid dynasty drove the
Portuguese from the Omani coast,
recapturing Muscat in 1650 and
then occupying Portuguese
settlements in the Persian Gulf  and
East African coastal regions. Their
empire eventually crumbled in a OLD PORTUGUESE PORT IN MUSCAT
HARBOUR, OMAN
civil war over the succession of the
imam in the early 18th century,
enabling the Persian ruler Nādir
 RESTORATION OF
OMANI RULE
Aḥmad ibn Saʿīd, the governor of Ṣuḥār,
drove out the Persian invaders and was
elected imam in 1749, thus establishing
the Āl Bū Saʿīd dynasty that still rules
Oman today. Under the rule of his
grandson, Saʿīd ibn Sulṭān , Oman
reasserted control over Zanzibar, but
upon his death the Āl Bū Saʿīd empire
was split between two sons: one
received Zanzibar, which remained
under Āl Bū Saʿīd rule until 1964, and
the other ruled Oman.
 T
ECONOMY

W
RELIGION
EDUCATION
CULTURE

O
AGRICULTURE ECONOMY
The falaj  irrigation Oman is a rural, agricultural
system has long country, and fishing and
supported a three-tiered overseas trading are important
crop approach with to the coastal populations.
date palms above; lime,
banana, or mango trees
in the middle level;
and), wheat,
and sorghum at ground
level. Vegetables,
melons, bananas, and
 OIL
The production and
export of petroleum
rapidly came to
dominate
]. the
country’s economy.
Oil revenues have Oil in commercial
grown to represent quantities was
roughly two-fifths discovered in Oman in
of gross domestic 1964 and was first
exported in 1967.
RELIGION
.  The
overwhelming
majority of
Omanis are
Most of whom follow
Muslims.of
the Ibadi School
Islam, followed by
the Shafi`i school
of Sunni Islam.
 EDUCATION
Before 1970, only three formal
schools existed in the entire
country, with fewer than 1,000
students. Since Sultan Qaboos'
ascension to power in 1970, the
government has given high
priority to education in order to
develop a domestic work force,
which the government considers
a vital factor in the country's
economic and social progress.
Today, there are over 1,000 state
schools and about 650,000
 CULTURE
Oman shares many of the
cultural characteristics of its
Arab neighbours.
Oman has a long tradition
of shipbuilding, as
maritime travel played a
major role in the Omanis'
ability to stay in contact
with the civilisations of
the ancient world.
 DISHDASHA
KANDOORAH
 E
T H
GOVERNMENT
AND

R
POLITICS

E
GOVERNMENT

.
SULTAN OF OMAN
Qaboos Bin Said Al Said
Prime minister
 Defense minister
Finance minister
Foreign affairs
minister
Chair of the central
bank
 The Sultan is a direct descendant of Usman Sa'id
bin Sultan, who first opened relations with the United
States in 1833. The Sultanate has neither political
parties nor legislature, although the bicameral
representative bodies provide the government with
advice.
The present Sultan has no direct heir, and has not
publicly designated a successor. Instead, the ruling
family should unanimously designate a new Sultan
after his death. If they do not designate a new ruler
after three days, then they open a letter left to them by
the deceased Sultan, containing a recommendation for
 Administrative Divisions
Administratively, the populated regions are
divided into 59 districts (wilayats), presided
over by governors (walis) responsible for
settling local disputes, collecting taxes, and
maintaining peace. Most wilayats are small;
an exception is the wilayat of Dhofar, which
comprises the whole province. The wali of
Dhofar is an important government figure,
holding cabinet rank, while other walis
operate under the guidance of the Ministry
of Interior.
 LEGISLATIVE
The Consultative Assembly (Majlis al-Shura) systematize and
broaden public participation in government
 Consultative Assembly
The Consultative Assembly serves as a conduit
of information between the people and the
government ministries. It is empowered to
review drafts of economic and social legislation
prepared by service ministries, such as
communications and housing, and to provide
recommendations. Service ministers also may
be summoned before the Majlis to respond to
representatives' questions. It has no authority in
the areas of foreign affairs, defense, security,
and finances. 
JUDICIAL SYSTEM
The court system in Oman is
regulated by Royal Decree 90/99.
There are three court levels in
Oman, the Elementary Court is the
lowest court, followed by the Court
of Appeal, and then the Supreme
Court as the highest court in the
country.
Political Parties and Elections
Oman does not allow political
parties and only
holds elections with expanding
suffrage for a consultative
assembly. The previously
influential opposition movement,
the Popular Front for the
Liberation of Oman, is dormant
today. The last elections were
MEDIA
•The government operates the main broadcasters and censorship is
widespread.
•Oman has two state-owned TV stations, and one privately-owned
channel.
•The use of satellite receivers is permitted, and stations from Saudi
Arabia, the UAE and Yemen may be picked up.
•The first private radio station launched in 2007. The BBC
broadcasts on FM in Salalah, in the south.
•There are more than 20 publications, including dailies and
weeklies. Private newspapers largely sustain themselves through
advertising revenues rather than sales.
 R
FON
TRAVEL

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AND
FOOD

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E
MUSCAT
NIZWA
MUSANDAM FJORDS
BAHLA
MAJBOOS
SHUWA
KAHWA
MESHKAK
HALWA
MASHUAI