Oman

Oman - Is officially known as the Sultanate of Oman. Oman is an Asian Country and shares borders with Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and the Arabian Sea. In 1970, QABOOS bin Said al-Said overthrew the restrictive rule of his father and has ruled as sultan ever since. His extensive modernization program has opened the country to the outside world while preserving the longstanding close ties with the UK. Oman's moderate, independent foreign policy has sought to maintain good relations with all Middle Eastern countries. Oman has a rich history and from the 6th century BC to the arrival of Islam in the 7th century AD, Oman was controlled and/or influenced by Achaemenids, Parthians and Sassanids. Oman is a middle-income economy that is heavily dependent on dwindling oil resources, but sustained high oil prices in recent years have helped build Oman's budget and trade surpluses and foreign reserves. A vast gravel desert plain covers most of central Oman, with mountain ranges along the north and southeast coast, where the country's main cities are also located.