Oman

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Country Name

Oman, or officially the Sultanate of Oman.

Location

Oman is a country on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. Located in a strategically important position at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, the country shares land borders with the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest, and shares marine borders with Iran and Pakistan. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea in the southeast and The Gulf of Oman in the northeast.

Capital

Muscat.

Reason for Naming

The origin of Oman's name is uncertain. It seems to be related to Pliny the Elder's Omana and Ptolemy's Omanon, both probably the ancient Sohar. The city or region is typically etymologized in Arabic from aamen or amoun ("settled" people, as opposed to the Bedouin), although several eponymous founders have been proposed (Oman bin Ibrahim al-Khalil, Oman bin Siba' bin Yaghthan bin Ibrahim, Oman bin Qahtan and the Biblical Lot) and others derive it from the name of a valley in Yemen at Ma'rib presumed to have been the origin of the city's founders, the Azd, a tribe migrating from Yemen.

Flag

The current flag was adopted on 25 April 1995 (a slight adaptation from 1970).

The flag consists of three horizontal stripes of white, red, and green, with a red bar on the left that contains the national emblem of Oman (Dagger and two swords).

The green represents fertility, the white color represents peace, and this shade of red is common on many regional flags.

Language

Arabic is recognized as Oman's national and official language. The Baluchi language is also widely spoken in Oman. English, Urdu, and several indigenous languages as the other primary languages used in Oman. The presence of Indian languages in Oman can be explained by the influx of immigrants from India. The Arabic used in Oman features several dialects which represent the nation's diversity.

Religion

Islam is the dominant religion of Oman and practically all citizens of Oman are Muslims. People of other religions are mainly foreign nationals who have migrated to Oman for work. Muslims account for 85.9% of the population of the country.

Nearly three-quarters of Oman’s Muslims adhere to the Ibadi school of Islam. Sunnis and Shia Muslims account for a significant part of the population of Oman. The Shia community is mainly found along the coasts of Al Batinah and Muscat.

Other minorities are Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, and others.

2% of the population is not affiliated with any particular religion

Christianity is the largest minority religion in Oman. Most of the Christians living in the country are migrant workers who have arrived from South Asia or Southeast Asia. Oman’s Christians are affiliated with various Christian denominations like Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism.