Oman: landmarks, animals & facts for kids

Oman is a country on the south-eastern corner of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It has a long coastline on the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman, and it shares land borders with the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. A small separate piece of Oman, the Musandam Peninsula, sits on the Strait of Hormuz. The capital is Muscat.

Oman is known for its rugged mountains, golden deserts, old mud-brick forts and the sweet-smelling resin called frankincense. On the globe you can find the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat, a huge mosque of pale stone famous for its giant hand-woven prayer carpet and sparkling chandelier.

Geography and nature

Most of Oman is hot, dry desert, but it is far from flat. The Al Hajar Mountains curve along the north, and Jebel Shams, the highest peak, rises about 3,000 metres. Deep canyons and green valleys called wadis cut through the rock. Inland lie the rolling dunes of the Wahiba Sands. In the far south, around Salalah, summer monsoon rains turn the hills green each year. Green sea turtles nest on Oman's beaches, and the rare Arabian oryx has been brought back to the wild here.

People, languages and culture

Arabic is the official language, and English is widely used in business and schools. Most Omanis are Muslim, and Oman is the only country where most Muslims follow the Ibadi branch of Islam. Many men wear a long white robe called a dishdasha, and on special days some carry a curved dagger called a khanjar, which also appears on the national emblem. Guests are often welcomed with Omani coffee flavoured with cardamom, served with dates.

History in a nutshell

People have lived and traded here for thousands of years; ancient texts mention a copper-rich land called Magan, which many historians link to Oman. Frankincense from the south was carried by camel caravans and ships to faraway markets. Portugal held Muscat in the 1500s and 1600s until Omani rulers drove them out. Oman then built a sea empire that stretched to Zanzibar and the East African coast. In 1970 Sultan Qaboos bin Said came to power and began building modern roads, schools and hospitals.