The Sultanate of Oman is located in southwest Asia on the southern coast of the Arabian Peninshula. Comprising approximately 310,000 square kilometers of varied, striking terrain, it is the third largest country in the Arabian Peninsula.
The country ranges from the fjord-like majesty of the Musandam Peninsula, to the fertile Batinah plain that inclines southwest towards Muscat, from the vast sandy edge of the Rub al-Khali (The Empty Quarter) through the mountains to the lush, monsoon-heavy Salalah plain in the south.
The inhabitants of Oman have long prospered on Indian Ocean trade. Sending dhows from its port at Sohar to trade with merchants in far flung destinations, this former ancient capital of Oman was at the time, one of the largest and most important cities in the Arab world. Historical documents have reinforced this notion, revealing extensive trading ties with China, India, and Mesopotamia, as well as the Eastern Mediterranean, the Nile Valley, and North Africa.