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SHOPPING:
Geography The Sultanate of Oman occupies the southeastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. Oman is bounded by sea on two sides, the Gulf of Oman to the northeast and the Indian Ocean to the southeast, resulting in a coastline of 1062 miles. The Sultanate's land ward borders are with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the west and the Republic of Yemen to the south, while the United Arab Emirates border Oman to the north. The country is predominantly open desert consisting of gravel plains and areas of sand dunes. The largest of these dune fields comprise the Ramlat al Wahibah (Wahiba Sands) in the east and Ar Rub al Khali (the Empty Quarter) in the west. There are also two large mountain ranges. The northern coastline is dominated by the Al Hajar range whose highest mountains (the Jebel Akhdar or Green Mountains) top 10,000 feet. This upland region is heavily dissected by deep wadis (dry river valleys) which remain dry through out most of the year but can flood after winter storms. On the northern side of the Hajar range lies a narrow fertile strip of coastal land called the Batinah where the majority of the nation's population live. The southern slopes of the mountains are notable for their oasis towns where date groves flourish in the dry desert air. The southern province of Dhofar is also dominated by a range of coastal mountains known as the Jebel Dhofar. The Jebel Dhofar reaches 5500 feet and helps to capture valuable moisture during the summer monsoon season, which impacts only the southern region. The shape of the mountains in the south is quite different to those in the north. During the summer monsoon the southern mountains turn green with vegetation whose roots help delay the effects of erosion resulting in a soft rolling landscape more akin to central Africa than the Middle East. As in the north, a narrow fertile coast plain lies between the jebel and the sea at whose center the southern capital of Salalah lies, surrounded by lush vegetable farms and coconut groves. Go To Page: 1 2
The copyright of the article Oman at Glance II in Middle East Travel is owned by . Permission to republish Oman at Glance II in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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