Geography
The Sultanate of Oman strategically
occupies the south eastern tip of the
Arabian Peninsula and lies between Latitudes
16° 40' and 26° 20' North, and Longitudes
51° 50' and 59° 40' East.
The coastline extends 3,165 Km from
the Strait of Hormuz in the north, to
the borders of the Republic of Yemen
in the south and overlooks three seas:
the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman and the
Arabian Sea.
The Sultanate borders Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia in the West; the United Arab
Emirates in the Northeast, the Republic
of Yemen in the Southwest; the Strait
of Hormuz in the North and the Arabian
Sea in the East. It has several islands
such as Salama Island, Halanyat and
Masirah Islands in the Arabian Sea.
The total land area is approximately
309,500 Km2 and it is the third largest
country in the Arabian Peninsula.
The Musandam Peninsula forms the country's
northern tip, and includes the only
coast the Sultanate has on the Arabian
Gulf. Musandam is just over 50 Km south
of the Islamic Republic of Iran across
the Strait of Hormuz.
Oman possesses a rich diverse topography that divides the country naturally into three distinct regions, each with its own identity. These regions range from rugged mountains and rocky deep water fjords in the North, to the spectacular dunes of Sharqiyah (Wahiba) Sands and two large salt flats in the Centre, to the lush green hills of Dhofar region in the South, with rugged coasts and placid beaches stretching along the 3,165 Km coastline.
The northern coastal strip along the Gulf of Oman is known as the Batinah Coast; a narrow fertile plain separated from the rest of the country by the Hajar Mountains. The highest peak is Jabal Shams (Sun Mountain) at 3,009 m. The southern slopes of the range are notable for their oasis towns where date groves flourish in the dry desert air.
In the south lies the second mountain range in Oman; the Qara mountains, which attracts the light monsoon rains during the mid-summer months, turning them green with vegetation whose roots help delay the effects of erosion, resulting in a soft rolling landscape more akin to Central Africa. As in the north, a narrow fertile coast plain lies between the mountains and the sea at whose centre Salalah lies, surrounded by lush vegetable farms and coconut groves.
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