Oman

Oman has been settled and trading for thousands of years, known in antiquity for its copper and its frankincense, the precious aromatic resin carried across the ancient world. It was among the early lands to adopt Islam, in a distinctive form. From its harbours Omani sailors built a maritime power that, at its height, controlled Zanzibar and stretches of the East African coast, dominating Indian Ocean trade. The Al Said dynasty has ruled since the eighteenth century, steering the country into the modern age.

Oman is mostly desert, including a share of the vast Empty Quarter, but it is far from featureless. The dramatic Hajar Mountains rise in the north near the capital, while in the far south the region of Dhofar catches a gentle monsoon that turns its hills green each summer, a rarity in Arabia and the historic source of its frankincense trees. A long, rugged coastline, with the strategic Strait of Hormuz at its tip, has always tied Oman to the sea.

The flag of Oman has horizontal bands of white, red, and green, with a broad red band down the hoist bearing the national emblem in white: a curved dagger, the khanjar, crossed with two swords. The khanjar is the traditional Omani dagger, a powerful national symbol. White is associated with peace and the religious leadership of the sultan, red with battles fought in the country's history, and green with fertility and the mountains.

Oman is distinctive in the Islamic world as the main home of the Ibadi school of Islam, an early branch separate from both the Sunni and Shia majorities, known for its emphasis on tolerance and moderation. Most Omanis are Ibadi Muslims, with Sunni and Shia minorities. This tradition has helped give the country a reputation for religious tolerance and political moderation, and large communities of Hindu and Christian foreign workers worship freely.

Omani cuisine reflects the country's position at a crossroads of Arabia, Persia, India, and East Africa. A celebrated dish is shuwa, meat marinated in spices, wrapped, and slow-cooked for many hours in an underground pit oven for festive occasions. Rice flavoured with spices and served with fish or meat is everyday fare, dates are eaten daily and offered to guests, and a fragrant sweet called halwa, along with cardamom-scented coffee, is central to Omani hospitality.

Agriculture in Oman is limited by the dry climate and confined to the coastal plains, mountain valleys, and oases, watered in places by an ancient system of irrigation channels called aflaj that tap mountain water. Dates are the most important crop and a national staple, and the country also grows limes, other fruits, and vegetables. Frankincense, harvested from trees in the south, remains a historic product, while fishing along the long coast is an important livelihood.

The frankincense trade and Oman's rise as an Indian Ocean maritime power, ruling Zanzibar and reaching the African coast, mark the heights of its history. In the modern era, the long reign of Sultan Qaboos, who came to power in 1970, transformed Oman from an isolated and undeveloped country into a modern state with schools, hospitals, and infrastructure, while maintaining a careful neutrality that has made the sultanate a respected mediator in a turbulent region.

Oman has a population of around five million people, of whom a substantial share are foreign workers drawn by the oil-based economy from South Asia and beyond. Omani citizens are predominantly Arab and Ibadi Muslim, though the country's seafaring history has given it links to Persia, India, and East Africa, and Swahili is still spoken by some families with Zanzibari roots. The capital and largest city is Muscat, a historic port set between mountains and the sea.