Oman at a glance
| Population
: |
2,325,438 [1999] |
|
Omanis :1,729,312(74.36%)
Expatraites:596,126(25.64%) |
| Land Area: |
309,500
Sq Kms |
| Temperature: |
21
degree - 25 degree C in winter |
|
31
degree - 48 degree C in summer |
| Birth Rate Increase |
2.5% |
| Density: |
6.5 inhabitants per square km |
| Currency: |
Omani Rial |
| Capital |
Muscat |
| Literacy |
Circa 565,856 boys and girls
age 6-18 in school |
| Time: |
4 hours ahead of GMT |
| Religion: |
Islam |
| Official Language : |
Arabic (English Widely Used) |
| The Sultan: |
His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said |
History of the Sultanate of Oman
Oman Today
There are many different opinions as to how Oman gained its name. Various sources link it to the Qahtani tribe of Oman, others to the Arabic adjective, 'aamen', which means 'a settled man'. The early Roman historian, Yalainous (23 - 79AD) was one of the first to acknowledge a city named Omana, which is also mentioned in the writings of Ptolemy.
Oman has also been referred to as Mazoun and Magan, perhaps a direct reference to Oman's history of shipbuilding (a magan is a type of ship's chassis). Indeed, Oman was renowned for its role in ocean navigation by the magnitude of its ships and also by its prolific trade in copper, stone and timber to the Mesopotamian cities. Due to its strategic position lying on some of the world's most important trade routes, the ports of Sohar and Muttrah have held great prominence among spice, edible oil and textile trading merchants. By around 300AD, Oman was considered one of the world's wealthiest countries due to its abundance of frankincense, which, at one time, was more valuable than gold.
Al-Qurum in Muscat is thought to be one of the oldest inhabited regions in the Arabian Peninsula. Archaeological digs have found evidence of villages which have been dated at around 6000BC, indicating the existence of communities since the Stone Age. Other excavations have unearthed dwelling sites, tombs and kilns for firing pottery, the remains of which date back to 3400-3000BC.
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