Geography

Oman is a country located in the southeastern quarter of the Arabian Peninsula, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman and Persian Gulf, between Yemen and United Arab Emirates (UAE). It is considered one of the fifteen states that comprise the so-called "Cradle of Humanity".

According to official estimates, Oman covers a total land area of approximately 300,000 square kilometres, approximately the same size as Italy. The land area is composed of varying topographic features: valleys and desert account for 82% of the land mass; mountain ranges, 15%; and the coastal plain, 3%.

Historically, the country's contacts with the rest of the world were by sea, which not only provided access to foreign lands but also linked the coastal towns of Oman. The Rub al Khali (Empty Quarter) of Saudi Arabia, difficult to cross even with modern desert transport, formed a barrier between the sultanate and the Arabian interior. The Al Hajar Mountains, which form a belt between the coast and the desert from the Musandam Peninsula (Ras Musandam) to the city of Sur at Oman's easternmost point, formed another barrier. These geographic barriers kept the interior of Oman free from foreign military encroachments.

Geographical Regions

Natural features divide the country into seven distinct areas: Ruus al Jibal, including the northern Musandam Peninsula; the Al Batinah coastal plain; the Muscat-Matrah coastal area; the Oman interior, comprising Jabal al Akhdar (Green Mountain), its foothills and desert fringes; the barren coastline south to Dhofar; Dhofar region in the south; and the offshore island of Masirah.

Ruus al Jibal

The northernmost area, Ruus al Jibal, extends from the Musandam Peninsula to the boundary with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at Hisn al Diba. It borders the Strait of Hormuz, which links the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman, and is separated from the rest of the sultanate by a strip of territory belonging to the UAE. This area consists of low mountains forming the northernmost extremity of the Al Hajar al Gharbi (Western Al Hajar) Mountains.

Two inlets, Elphinstone (Khawr ash Shamm) and Malcom (Ghubbat al Ghazirah), cleave the coastline about one third of the distance from the Strait of Hormuz and at one point are separated by only a few hundred metres of land. The coastline is extremely rugged, and the Elphinstone Inlet, 16 km long and surrounded by cliffs 1,000 to 1,250 metres high, has frequently been compared with fjords in Norway.

Al Batinah

The UAE territory separating Ruus al Jibal from the rest of Oman extends almost as far south as the coastal town of Shinas. A narrow, well-populated coastal plain known as Al Batinah runs from the point at which the sultanate is re-entered to the town of As Sib, about 140 km to the southeast. Across the plains, a number of wadis, heavily populated in their upper courses, descend from the Al Hajar al Gharbi Mountains to the south. A ribbon of oases, watered by wells and underground channels (falaj), extends the length of the plain, about 10 km inland.

Muscat-Matrah Coastal Area

South of As Sib, the coast changes character. For about 175 km, from As Sib to Ras al Hadd, it is barren and bounded by cliffs almost its entire length; there is no cultivation and little habitation. Although the deep water off this coast renders navigation relatively easy, there are few natural harbours or safe anchorages. The two best are at Muscat and Matrah, where natural harbours facilitated the growth of cities centuries ago.

Oman Interior

West of the coastal areas lies the tableland of central Oman. The Al Hajar Mountains form two ranges: the Al Hajar al Gharbi Mountains and the Al Hajar ash Sharqi (Eastern Al Hajar) Mountains. They are divided by the Wadi Samail (the largest wadi in the mountain zone), a valley that forms the traditional route between Muscat and the interior. The general elevation is about 1,200 m, but the peaks of the high ridge known as Al Jabal al Akhdar (Green Mountain) - which is considered a separate area but is actually part of the Al Hajar al Gharbi Mountains - rise to more than 3,000 m in some places.

Al Jabal al Akhdar is the only home of the Arabian tahr, a unique species of wild goat. In the hope of saving this rare animal, Sultan Qabus ibn Said has declared part of Al Jabal al Akhdar a national park. Behind the Al Hajar al Gharbi Mountains are two inland regions, Az Zahirah and inner Oman, separated by the lateral range of the Rub al Khali. Adjoining the Al Hajar ash Sharqi Mountains are the sandy regions of Ash Sharqiyah and Jalan, which also border the desert.

Dhofar Region

Dhofar region extends from Ras ash Sharbatat to the border of Yemen. Its exact northern limit has never been defined, but the territory claimed by the sultan includes the Wadi Mughshin, about 240 km inland. Its capital, Salalah, was the permanent residence of Sultan Said ibn Taimur Al Said and the birthplace of the present sultan, Qabus ibn Said. The highest peaks are about 1,000 m. At their base lies a narrow, pebbly desert adjoining the Rub al Khali to the north.

Coastal Tract and Island of Masirah

The desolate coastal tract from Jalan to Ras Naws has no specific name. Low hills and wastelands meet the sea for long distances. Midway along this coast and about 15 km offshore is the barren Masirah island. Stretching about 70 km, the island occupies a strategic location near the entry point to the Gulf of Oman from the Arabian Sea. Because of its location, it became the site of military facilities used first by the British and then by the United States, following an access agreement signed in 1980 by the United States and Oman.

Exclaves and Enclaves

The peninsula of Musandam (Musandem), which has a strategic location on the Strait of Hormuz, is separated from the rest of Oman by the United Arab Emirates and is thus an exclave.

Oman has one other exclave, this time inside UAE territory, known as Wadi-e-Madhah. It is located halfway between the Musandam Peninsula and the rest of Oman. The exclave is on the Dubai-Hatta road in the Emirate of Sharjah. Belonging to Musandam governorate, it covers approximately 75 sq km (29 sq mi). The boundary was settled in 1969. The north-east corner of Madha is closest to the Khorfakkan-Fujairah road, barely 10 m (30 ft) away. Within the exclave is an UAE enclave called Nahwa, belonging to the Emirate of Sharjah. It is about 8 km (5 mi) on a dirt track west of the town of New Madha. It consists of about forty houses with its own clinic and telephone exchange.