history
Sultanate of Oman, referred to as Oman for short, is one of the oldest countries in Arabian Peninsula. In 2000 BC, extensive maritime and land trade activities were carried out and it became the shipbuilding center of Arabian Peninsula. It became part of the Arab Empire in the 7th century. 1507 Portuguese invasion. 1649, the local people overthrew the Portuguese rule and established the Ayaba dynasty. 1742 Persian invasion. /kloc-In the middle of the 0/8th century, the Arabs drove out the Persians and established the above dynasty, making it one of the most powerful countries in the Indian Ocean. 187 1 year, Britain invaded Oman and forced Oman to accept the slavery treaty. /kloc-In the middle of 0/9th century, Zanzibar and other islands established another country. At the beginning of the 20th century, the tribes in mountainous areas revolted, established the Sultanate of Oman and attacked Muscat. 1920, Britain signed the Sibu Treaty with the Imam of Oman in Muscat, recognizing the independence of the Imam, and Oman was divided into two parts: the Sultanate of Muscat and the Imam of Oman. 1In July, 957, the anti-British uprising led by Imam Galeb failed. 1967 years ago, the Sultanate of temur unified the whole territory of Oman and established Muscat and Sultanate of Oman. 1On July 23, 970, the Sultan of temur was overthrown by a group of people led by the Governor of Zofar Province, and his son, 29-year-old legal heir Qaboos, took over the political power. On August 9 of the same year, the country was declared Sultanate of Oman. Great changes have taken place in Oman since then. 1973 British troops leave Oman.
politics
Oman is a monarchy, without a constitution and parliament, and political parties are prohibited from activities. Sultan (King) qabus bin said promulgated laws and decrees and approved the conclusion of international treaties or agreements. The national management organization consists of the Cabinet, the Cabinet Secretariat, various special committees, the capital provincial government and the National Consultative Committee, with Sudan as the head. The Cabinet is the highest executive body of the country authorized by Sudan, and its members are appointed by Sudan and collectively responsible for Sudan. Sultan Qaboos is also the Prime Minister of the Cabinet. The National Consultative Committee was established in June of 198 1, 10. It is an advisory body and has no legislative power. Kabus appoints 55 members, including 1 chairman, 18 representatives of government departments, 1 1 representatives of private enterprises and 25 representatives of various regions. The term of office is 2 years. Its task is to provide advice and suggestions on current economic policies and social decrees, government policies, private enterprise issues and matters assigned by Kabus. 1990 the first meeting of the fifth consultative Committee elected five committees, namely, economy, law, public service, culture and education, and social health. 199 1 The reorganized government was led by Sultan Qaboos.
Human population
The population is 2.33 million 139 1 (according to the 2003 Oman census), with a growth rate of 2%. Among them, Omani citizens 1.77 million, foreign population 93 18 (76.3%) and foreign population 552,073 (23.7%). The proportion of migrants in the total population decreased from 26% in 1993 to 23.7% after 10. The ratio of male citizens to female citizens in Oman is 65,438+000: 65,438+002, and female citizens are only 65,438+07,000 more than male citizens. Batina District has a population of 650,000, accounting for 28% of the national population, which is the most populous area. Muscat province ranks second with a population of 630,000, accounting for 27% of the country's total population.
geography
North, east and south are surrounded by the sea, namely the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, with a coastline of 1600 km. It borders the United Arab Emirates in the northwest, Saudi Arabia in the west, Yemen in the southwest, and a part of its territory in the north is separated by the United Arab Emirates, facing Iran across the the Strait of Hormuz. It is the main road from the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean. The northeastern part of the territory is the Hajar Mountain Range, and the coastal area extends from northwest to southeast, accounting for about 1/3 of the land area. Its main peak, Sham Mountain, is 3352 meters above sea level, which is the highest peak in Oman. The central part is plain and desert, below 200 meters above sea level. The southwest is the Zufar Plateau. Except for the mountainous areas in the northeast, most of them have a tropical desert climate. May ~ 10 is a hot season, and the temperature is above 40℃. 11~ April is the cool season, and the temperature is about 10℃. The annual average precipitation is130mm. The whole country is divided into 12 regions.
other
The capital Muscat
Land area: 309,500 square kilometers
Water area ratio: 2.8%
Time zone +4
The official language is Arabic.
Total population: 2622 198.
Population density: 12.3/km2
Head of State: Sudan: qabus bin said
Head of Government: Prime Minister: qabus bin said.
Monetary unit Oman riyal
International telephone area code 968
International domain abbreviation. Medal of merit
(The above is taken from Wikipedia)
Statutory holidays (from the Embassy of Sultanate of Oman in China)
According to Royal Decree 2006/27, the legal holidays in Oman are adjusted as follows:
January New Year: January 65438+ 10/.
Prophet's birthday: 12 yuan month.
Lantern Festival: July 27th, Ramadan.
Renaissance Festival: July 23rd in Gregorian calendar.
National Day: Gregorian calendar 165438+ 10/8, 19.
Economy (from Oman Observer, June 5438+ 10, 2006)
The real estate market has a great influence on Oman's economy. It is reported that Oman's good macroeconomic environment is having a positive impact on the real estate market, which has become an opportunity for the development of Oman's real estate market in the past few years. In 2004, the amount of land allocated by Oman increased from 1 1925 in 2003 to 35,359, of which the share of residential land was the highest, accounting for 85.7% of the total land allocated in 2004. Most real estate activities are concentrated in the capital Muscat, accounting for 38% of the total land allocated in 2004. The main factors driving the development of Oman's real estate market include: population growth. Sultan Qaboos 12/2006 royal decree expanded the right of foreign ownership, which used to be strictly limited to GCC countries, and now it is also extended to non-GCC countries. The Ministry of Housing, Water Resources and Electric Power will promulgate the implementing regulations of the new law in the near future. Some large-scale projects, such as Inspur Project, Blue City Project and Golf Course Project, will benefit from it. In the past few years, land prices in Albania have skyrocketed, especially in neighboring large-scale tourism projects and surrounding areas, which is mainly driven by speculative purchases by investors from Gulf countries. The wave project caused the surrounding land price to skyrocket from 100 rials/square meter to more than 220 rials/square meter in less than one year, and the upward trend will continue. In 2005, the price of houses rose sharply, and the rent of houses also climbed by 25%. The rental and sale of office buildings has also changed from the past recession, weak demand and lack of foreign capital to the current shortage. Recently, the demand for high-quality business districts has increased, resulting in the shortage of office buildings, which has led to the increase in rents of commercial buildings. The monthly rent per square meter increased from 2.5 rials in 2004 to 6-7 rials in 2005, and this year it increased by 9- 10%. Although compared with the Gulf countries, the price is still very low. Stimulated by a healthy macroeconomic environment, the demand and return of commercial buildings will further increase.
This industry is facing great changes. The manufacturing industry is an important cornerstone of Oman's economic diversification, and the Afghan government has been striving to turn port of sohar into an industrial center. The contract value of pipeline projects currently being implemented in Sougar is as high as 654.38+0.2 billion US dollars. The Afghan government is also very supportive of new land development, handing over land to large developers in the form of long-term lease, and the annual rent is as low as 0.75 rials/square meter. These projects include Sujar Refinery, Sujar Methanol Plant, Oman India Fertilizer Plant, Iron Chromium Plant and Sujar Fertilizer Plant. With the continuous opening of foreign investment by Oman government, the demand for industrial land will further increase, and the demand for civil housing will also increase with the influx of foreign workers.
Tourism is also one of the focuses of Oman's diversified economic development. The new law allows foreigners to own tourism real estate, and the government also gives subsidized land to tourism project developers, such as Wave project, Blue City project, Muscat Golf and Country Club and Yidi project.
The engineering market in the Gulf region is booming.
According to Meed, the total amount of projects planned and under construction in Oman reached 33 billion US dollars. Meed's research report also pointed out that the amount of projects in the Gulf region in the first three months of this year was as high as $250 billion, which exceeded the 1 trillion dollars in early April. Per capita, this area is the largest engineering market in the world. The prosperity of the Gulf economy will last for at least five years, and Dubai's prosperity in the past five years is now reappearing in Abu Dhabi and the whole Gulf countries. These projects involve infrastructure, energy, government and the private sector, and at the same time bring about an increase in the price of building materials. The UAE is still the largest construction market in the Gulf countries. At the beginning of April, the total amount of projects reached 300 billion US dollars, mostly in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. In the past year, the amount of projects in Saudi Arabia has also doubled, reaching $200 billion, which will be the same as that in the United Arab Emirates in the next five years. At present, the project amount of the whole Gulf countries is 88 1 billion dollars. The rest is Iran, with a project amount of 97 billion US dollars and Iraq with 27 billion US dollars. Most of the projects in the Bay Area are ordinary buildings. In addition, there are $228 billion oil and gas projects, $70 billion hydropower projects, $44 billion industrial projects and 150 wastewater treatment projects. MEED has tracked more than 1400 projects in the Gulf countries.
Impression of Oman (from Asia Travel Network)
Oman has become a rich country because it is rich in oil, but its light industrial products are very scarce, and it basically depends on imports. In large shopping centers, there are various world-famous brands. However, in the lives of ordinary people, traditional trading and buying and selling methods are still retained. In the inland city of Nizwa, we caught up with the local weekend market, just like the market in China. Omani people in robes are jostling and bustling, carrying out various transactions. give us
What impressed me the most was the cattle and sheep market there. People drag cattle and sheep there, then form a big circle and start buying and selling. The whole cattle and sheep market, hawking, cattle and sheep shuttle back and forth, very lively.
The handicraft market is even more dazzling. Most of them are silver ornaments, wood carvings and pottery from neighboring countries in the Middle East. Only the machete really belongs to Oman. The traditional Omani machete, also known as Hanjar, has evolved from the earliest weapon into an ornament. A machete can show the identity of the wearer. There is a bend near the right angle on the scabbard, and there is a gorgeous dress with extremely rich styles. The most luxurious symbol is seven silver rings, which are worn by the king.
Other handicrafts come from China, Indian and other different countries. I don't know whether things are scarce or Omani people have too much money. Anyway, everything on the market is more expensive. However, here, as in China, everything is negotiable. The owners of large and small shops are very kind and can bargain in English. While shopping, they can also add a different life experience.
In the coastal city of Sougar, we also went to the fish market. Fishermen put the fish just caught from the sea on the shore, some were surrounded by buyers before they could be shipped out, and some even stood in the water and began to talk about the price. After the transaction is completed, we will immediately load the prepared refrigerated truck and transport it to the market for sale. The fish market is really busy. Before the ship returned, people came from all directions and waited on the beach early. As soon as the fishing boats arrived, they swarmed, some were busy transporting fish to the shore, some were talking about prices with each other, and some were using mobile phones to contact business! There are rows of huge tuna on the beach, and each fish weighing dozens of pounds is only a dozen dollars. We thought these fish could only be caught in the deep sea, but the fishermen said there were a lot of fish in the nearby sea.
An earth-shaking life
Thirty years ago, Oman was very backward: the national asphalt road was only 16 km long, and the power supply was only enough for more than 500 people in Muscat, the capital. One hospital has only 12 beds, and there are only three schools in China. From Muscat to Sougar, 200 kilometers away, the speed by boat is faster than that by land!
Sultan Qaboos, the current king, studied in Britain and was influenced by western civilization. After he came to power, he completely changed all this. He opened the country and implemented various plans to revitalize the economy, let the whole world know about Oman and promote and develop tourism. At the same time, vigorously exploit underground oil. All these have helped Oman's economy take off rapidly. Today, 30 years later, relying on its unique geographical advantages and open policy, Oman has developed into a moderately rich country in the world.
At present, Oman's per capita GDP is about 1 10,000 USD. All citizens enjoy free medical care and children enjoy free education. Every household has a car, and many families even have one. Perhaps because of the hot climate, Omani people like to drive when traveling. So there are few pedestrians on the street, let alone Omani women. Even in hotels and schools, most women wear scarves and black robes. However, compared with women in other Arab Gulf countries, Omani women are still much more open. In daily life, clothes are very bright, and there is almost no veil in the city. In the busy business district, you can see many couples shopping in pairs. As more and more women go to work and participate in social activities, their sense of individuality and self-liberation is getting stronger and stronger. No matter the female students, museum lecturers or women's Federation volunteers, they are all eloquent and have their own ideals.
Frankincense country
The smell of women doesn't seem to work in Oman. Because no matter where you go, you will smell a tangy fragrance, which is the famous perfume in Oman-frankincense. However, it should be noted that frankincense is not a woman's patent. Spices are as indispensable to Omani men as three meals a day. The obvious difference between men's white robes in Oman and other Arabs is that a fringe 15 cm long hangs from the neckline, which is specially used for dipping perfume. So in Oman, exquisite perfume shops can be seen everywhere, not only the perfume is good, but also the bottles filled with perfume have different shapes and are particularly exquisite.
The best quality frankincense in the world is produced in the province of Zofar, Oman, and is called "impression". It is said that the "impression" was scraped from an ugly tree. April-June is the harvest season every year, and a tree can scrape off 10-20 kilograms of frankincense every year.
Long ago, people in Zuffar used frankincense to purify drinking water. Frankincense can also be used as medicine. Locals also like to chew frankincense in their mouths as chewing gum to refresh their minds. In history, the price of frankincense was equal to that of gold, which was a symbol of the power and wealth of rulers. For a long time, the frankincense trade has been the economic pillar of Oman. Therefore, Oman also enjoys the reputation of "land of frankincense".