Geography

Oman strategically occupies the south eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, covering 300,000 square km of varied terrain with a coastline of 1,700 km. It overlooks the three seas of the Arabian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. To the west, Oman borders Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, to the south the Republic of Yemen, and to the north the Straits of Hormuz.

The geographical contrast between wadis and stark mountains, desert sands and coastal beaches is most evident and contribites to Oman's striking beauty. Long stretches of beach and the wadis that cut deep into the mountains, as well as picturesque towns and villages, are emphasised by the solitude of vast desert areas and spectacular shifting sand dunes.