Things to Know in Oman

Oman is a country in southwest Asia located on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Oman is a country where natural beauty and the modern metropolis life co-exist. It is this fine blend which results in travelers visiting the country in large numbers throughout the year. If you are planning to visit Oman and want to have some tit-bits about Oman, then you just at the right place.

There is wide range of information on Things to know in Oman which can be incorporated in Oman tourist information . The first and the foremost of the things to know about Oman is that the full name of the country is Sultanate of Oman. The capital of Oman is Muscat. The Head of the State is Sultan Qaboos bin Said, Sultan and Prime Minister. The administrative information on Oman things to know consists of the 5 regions and 4 governorates. The regions are sub divided into provinces. The governorates are Masqat, Musandam, Dhofar and Al Buraymi. The regions are Ad Dakhiliyah, Al Batinah, Al Wusta, Ash Sharqiyah and Az Zahirah (Ad Dhahirah). The official language of the country is Arabic though English and Persian are also widely used. The minorities speak their own languages. The currency is Omani Rial(OMR).

The majority of Omanis are Arabs, although there are sizable Baloch and Swahili minorities. Like most of the smaller, oil-rich Persian Gulf Arab countries, a large number of foreign workers live here coming mostly from India and Pakistan. Islam is the predominant religion, mostly Ib?diyya which accounts for 75% of the population. There is also Sunni and Shiite Muslim population. The largest religious minority are the Hindus, who account for only 13% of the entire population.

Demographics is an important part of Things to know in Oman . The total area of Oman is 309,500 sq.km and ranks 70 th area wise. The population of Oman is 2.6 million and is the 140 th country population wise. The population density per km is 8.3. The life expectancy for male population is 70.92 and for the female counterparts it is 75.46. The average life expectancy is 72.2 years. The infant mortality rate is 40 per1000 live births.

Of the wide gamut of Things to know in Oman , the significant improvement of Oman's economic performance due to the upturn of oil prices is an important one. Oman continues to liberalize its markets and joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in November 2000. The GDP is US$18.6 billion and the GDP per Capita is US$7,900. The annual growth rate of the country is 1%. The major industries of Oman constitute Crude oil production and refining, natural gas production, construction, cement and copper. The agricultural products include Dates, bananas, limes, alfalfa and vegetables. The major exporting commodities are petroleum, fish, metals and textiles and the main trading partners are Japan, Thailand, China, UAE and South Korea. All the major cards are widely accepted in Oman and traveler's cheques can be easily exchanged.

These things to know on Oman along with the things to do in Oman and when to visit Oman will make for a fantastic tourist information guide.