Oman
The Country of the Week
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Muscat
- Population
- 3,969,824 (2025 est.)
- Area
- 309,500 sq km
- Government
- absolute monarchy
- Religions
- Muslim 85.9%, Christian 6.4%, Hindu 5.7%, other and unaffiliated 2% (2020 est.)
- Ethnic Groups
- Arab, Baluchi, South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi), African
- Currency
- Omani rials (OMR)
- Life Expectancy
- 77.4 years (2024 est.)
- Internet Domain
- .om
- Climate
- dry desert; hot, humid along coast; hot, dry interior; strong southwest summer monsoon (May to September) in far south
- Terrain
- central desert plain, rugged mountains in north and south
- Natural Resources
- petroleum, copper, asbestos, some marble, limestone, chromium, gypsum, natural gas
- Major Exports
- crude petroleum, refined petroleum, natural gas, semi-finished iron, fertilizers (2023)
Source: CIA World Factbook (public domain)
Overview
The inhabitants of the area of present-day Oman have long prospered from Indian Ocean trade. In the late 18th century, the nascent sultanate in Muscat signed the first in a series of friendship treaties with Britain.