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Basic Facts About
Oman
Official name: The Sultanate of Oman
Arabic name: Sultanat -e-Uman
Capital: Muscat
Dominated by an interior of jagged mountains simply called
al-Hajr, 'the Rock', the country is a magic tapestry of different terrains. The mountains whose king at soaring 3,000 meters is the terraced Jabal
al-Akhdhar (the Green Mountain), rise straight out of the coastal plains or the sea, or soar out of the gravel plateaus and the shifting dunes in the Interior.
The country ranges from the fjord-like barren majesty of the Musandam Peninsula that plunges into the strait of Hormuz in the north, to the fertile Batinah plain that inclines south-east towards Muscat, from the vast, sandy edge of the Empty Quarter through the mountains to the lush, monsoon based near-topical Salalah plain in the south.
Topography Beaches and Islands Oman has a coast line of around
1,700 kilometers long stretching from the Hormuz strait on the north to the Yemen border in the south. These coastal areas are rich in fish and some areas are breeding grounds of the green turtle, besides, many migratory birds nest on the Omani beaches. Oman's pristine and unpolluted beaches gifted by God, are the connoisseurs of the beach goers. There are several islands along the Omani coast, the largest among them being the Massirah islands lying in the Arabian Sea, the Hallaniyat archipelago in the south and the Salama islets in the north of the country.
The Climate Oman's climate varies from region to region. In the coastal areas it is hot and humid in summer. In the Interior, it is hot and dry with the exception of some higher locations where it is temperate all year round. In the southern region, the climate is more benign. The country's rainfall is generally low and irregular, although heavy local rains are sometimes experienced, with the exception of the southern region where heavy monsoon rains regularly occur between June and September.
Administrative Regions
The Muscat Governorate:
It includes the wilayats of Muscat,
Muttrah, Bousher, Seeb, al Amirat and Qurayyat
Batinah Region:
It includes the wilayats of
Sohar, Rustaq, Shinas, Liwa, Khaboura, Suwaiq, Nakhl, Wadi
Maawil, Awabi, Musanna, Barka and Saham.
The Musandam Governorate:
it includes the wilayats of
Khasab, Bukha, Diba and Madha.
Dhahira Region:
It includes the wilayats of
Ibri, Buraimi, Yanqul, Dhank and Mahdha.
Dakhiliya Region:
It includes the wilayats of
Nizwa, Bahla, Sumail, Adam, Manah, Al Hamra, Izki and
Bidbid.
Sharqiya Region:
It includes the wilayats of
Sur, Ibra, Mudhaibi, Al Kamil Wal Wafi, Jalan Bani Bu
Hassan, Jalan Bani Bu Ali, Wadi Bani Khaled, Dema Wa
Thaieen, Bidiya, Al Qabil and Massirah)
Wusta Region:
It includes the wilayats of Haima, Duqm, Mahout and Al
Jazer.
The Governorate of Dhofar: it includes the wilayats of Salalah, Taqa,
Mirbat, Thumrait, Sadah, Rakhyut, Dhalkut, Muqshin, Shlaim and the Hallaniyat islands.
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