Oman

Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is a country in the southeastern Arabian Peninsula in West Asia. It shares land borders with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen, while also sharing maritime borders with Iran and Pakistan. 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 strategic Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman. It has a population of approximately 5.46 million and an area of 315,331 km2 (121,750 sq mi), making it the third-largest country on the Arabian Peninsula. Muscat is the capital and largest city, Islam is the state religion, and Arabic is the official language. Oman is the oldest independent state in the Arab world, and has been continuously ruled by the Al Bu Said dynasty since 1744. Beginning in the 17th century, Oman emerged as a major regional power, expelling the Portuguese from its coastal possessions and establishing an empire that competed with the British and Portuguese 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 what later became Iran and Pakistan, and as far south as Zanzibar. In the 20th century, Oman came under the influence of the British Empire while de jure remaining sovereign. Oman's oil reserves are ranked as the 22nd largest globally. In 2010, the United Nations Development Programme recognised Oman as the most improved country in the world in terms of development during the preceding 40 years. A portion of Oman's economy involves tourism, and trade of fish, dates and other agricultural produce. The World Bank classifies Oman as a high-income economy. As of 2024, Oman ranks as the 42nd most peaceful country in the world in the Global Peace Index and the third-most peaceful country in the Middle East and North Africa. Oman is an absolute monarchy ruled by a sultan, who serves as both head of state and head of government, with power passed down through the male line. Executive authority is exercised through the Council of Ministers, while the bicameral Council of Oman comprises the appointed Council of State and the elected Consultative (Shura) Council serves as the country's legislative and advisory body. Qaboos bin Said served as sultan from 1970 until his death in 2020. His nearly five-decade reign marked the beginning of a period of rapid modernization now known as the Omani Renaissance, which saw a rise in the country's living standards, the abolition of slavery, the end of the Dhofar Rebellion, and the promulgation of Oman's constitution. In 2020, Haitham bin Tariq succeeded Qaboos as the Sultan of Oman. 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.