Oman:
Geography

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Other pages in this profile of Oman:
People, Government, Economy, Communications & Transportation, Military & Transnational Issues.


Background	The inhabitants of the area of Oman have long prospered on Indian Ocean trade. In the late 18th century, a newly established sultanate in Muscat signed the first in a series of friendship treaties with Britain. Over time, Oman's dependence on British political and military advisors increased, but it never became a British colony. In 1970, QABOOS bin Said al-Said overthrew the restrictive rule of his father; he has ruled as sultan ever since. His extensive modernization program has opened the country to the outside world while preserving the longstanding close ties with the UK. Oman's moderate, independent foreign policy has sought to maintain good relations with all Middle Eastern countries.

Location	Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and Persian Gulf, between Yemen and UAE
Geographic coordinates	21 00 N, 57 00 E
Map references	Middle East
Area	total: 212,460 sq km land: 212,460 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Kansas
Land boundaries	total: 1,374 km border countries: Saudi Arabia 676 km, UAE 410 km, Yemen 288 km
Coastline	2,092 km
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate	dry desert; hot, humid along coast; hot, dry interior; strong southwest summer monsoon (May to September) in far south
Terrain	central desert plain, rugged mountains in north and south
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Arabian Sea 0 m highest point: Jabal Shams 2,980 m
Natural resources	petroleum, copper, asbestos, some marble, limestone, chromium, gypsum, natural gas
Land use	arable land: 0.12% permanent crops: 0.14% other: 99.74% (2005)
Irrigated land	720 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards	summer winds often raise large sandstorms and dust storms in interior; periodic droughts
Environment - current issues	rising soil salinity; beach pollution from oil spills; very limited natural fresh water resources
Environment - international agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note	strategic location on Musandam Peninsula adjacent to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil