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Sultanate of Oman | |
|---|---|
| Motto: ٱللَّهُ، ٱلْوَطَنُ، ٱلسُّلْطَانُ Allāh, al-waṭan, as-sulṭān "God, the Homeland, the Sultan" | |
| Anthem: نشيد السلام السلطاني "as-Salām as-Sultānī" "Sultanic Salutation" | |
_(orthographic_projection).svg) Location of Oman (dark green) | |
| Capital and largest city | Muscat 23°35′20″N 58°24′30″E / 23.58889°N 58.40833°E |
| Official languages | Arabic[1] |
| Religion (2023) | |
| Demonym(s) | Omani |
| Government | Unitary Islamic absolute monarchy |
• Sultan | Haitham bin Tariq |
| Theyazin bin Haitham | |
| Legislature | Council of Oman |
| Council of State (Majlis al-Dawla) | |
| Consultative Assembly (Majlis al-Shura) | |
| Establishment | |
• Azd tribe migration | 130 |
• Al-Julandie | 629 |
| 751 | |
| 1154 | |
| 1507–1656 | |
| 1624 | |
| 1696 | |
| 20 November 1744 | |
| 8 January 1856 | |
• Sultanate of Oman | 9 August 1970 |
| 6 November 1996 (established); 2011 (amended); 2021 (amended)[4] | |
| Area | |
• Total | 309,500 km2 (119,500 sq mi) (70th) |
• Water (%) | negligible |
| Population | |
• 2025 estimate | 5,494,691[5] (122th) |
• 2010 census | 2,773,479[6] |
• Density | 15/km2 (38.8/sq mi) (177th) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2025 estimate |
• Total |  $231.16 billion[7] (76th) |
• Per capita | $42,010[8] (53rd) |
| GDP (nominal) | 2025 estimate |
• Total | $104.35 billion[9] (70th) |
• Per capita | $18,097[10] (55th) |
| Gini (2018) | 30.75[11] medium inequality |
| HDI (2023) | 0.858[12] very high (50th) |
| Currency | Omani rial (OMR) |
| Time zone | UTC+4 (GST) |
| DST is not observed. | |
| Date format | dd.mm.yyyy |
| Calling code | +968 |
| ISO 3166 code | OM |
| Internet TLD | .om, عمان. |
Website oman.om | |
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Oman,[b] officially the Sultanate of Oman,[c] is a country located on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in West Asia and the Middle East. It shares land borders with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Oman’s coastline faces the Arabian Sea to the southeast and the Gulf of Oman on the northeast. The exclaves of Madha and Musandam are surrounded by the United Arab Emirates on their land borders, while Musandam’s coastal boundaries are formed by the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman. The capital and largest city is Muscat. With a population of approximately 5.46 million and an area of 309,500 km2 (119,500 sq mi), Oman is the 123rd most-populous country.[13]
From the 18th century, the Omani Sultanate was an empire, competing with the Portuguese and British empires for influence in the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean. At its peak in the 19th century, Omani influence and control extended across the Strait of Hormuz to Iran and Pakistan, and as far south as Zanzibar.[14] In the 20th century, the sultanate came under British influence. For over 300 years, the relations built between the two empires were based on mutual benefit. The UK recognized Oman's geographical importance as a trading hub that secured British trading lanes in the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean and protected London's interests in the Indian sub-continent. Oman is the oldest continuously independent state in the Arab world.[15][16]
Oman’s oil reserves are ranked as the 22nd largest, globally.[15][17] In 2010, the United Nations Development Programme recognized Oman as the most improved country in the world in terms of development during the preceding 40 years.[18] A portion of its economy involves tourism, as well as the trade of fish, dates and other agricultural produce. The World Bank classifies Oman as a high-income economy, and as of 2024[update], Oman ranks as the 37th most peaceful country in the world according to the Global Peace Index.[19]
Oman is an absolute monarchy ruled by a sultan, with power passed down through the male line. Qaboos bin Said served as Sultan from 1970 until his death on January 10, 2020.[20] Since he died childless, he had named his cousin, Haitham bin Tariq, as his successor in a letter, and the ruling family confirmed him as the new Sultan of Oman.[21] Oman is a member of the United Nations, the Arab League, the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Non-Aligned Movement, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
- ^ "Basic Statute of the State promulgated by Royal Decree 101/96". MINISTRY OF JUSTICE AND LEGAL AFFAIRS. Archived from the original on 7 July 2020. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
- ^ "OMAN 2023 INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM REPORT" (PDF).
- ^ Oman. MSN Encarta. Archived from the original on 28 October 2009. Retrieved 20 November 2008.
In 751 Ibadi Muslims, established an imamate in Oman. Despite interruptions, the Ibadi imamate survived until the mid-20th century.
- ^ "Oman". Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. 15 July 2010. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
- ^ "Oman Population (2025) - Worldometer".
- ^ "Final Results of Census 2010" (PDF). National Center for Statistics & Information. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 May 2013. Retrieved 7 January 2012.
- ^ "World Economic Outlook Database, April 2025".
- ^ "World Economic Outlook Database, April 2025".
- ^ "World Economic Outlook Database, April 2025".
- ^ "World Economic Outlook Database, April 2025".
- ^ "Urban – Gini index – Omani – Total". Knoema. The National Centre for Statistics and Information, Sultanate of Oman. Archived from the original on 21 May 2018. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
- ^ "Human Development Report 2025" (PDF). United Nations Development Programme. 6 May 2025. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 May 2025. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
- ^ "Oman Population (2025)". Worldometer. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
- ^ Kharusi, N. S. (2012). "The ethnic label Zinjibari: Politics and language choice implications among Swahili speakers in Oman". Ethnicities. 12 (3): 335–353. doi:10.1177/1468796811432681. ISSN 1468-7968. S2CID 145808915.
- ^ a b "Oman profile – Overview". BBC News. 11 September 2012. Archived from the original on 12 March 2020. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
- ^ Royal Air Force Museum, A History of Oman. Retrieved 19 November 2020
- ^ "Private sector gets Omanisation targets". Gulf News. 13 February 2011. Archived from the original on 9 October 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
- ^ "Five Arab states among top leaders in long-term development gains". Hdr.undp.org. 4 November 2010. Archived from the original on 9 November 2013. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
- ^ "Global Peace Index: 2021" (PDF). visionofhumanity.org. Global Peace Index and Institute for Economics and Peace. p. 9. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 March 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
rulewas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Haitham bin Tariq sworn in as Oman's new sultan". Al Jazeera. 12 January 2020. Archived from the original on 11 January 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
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