Location:
Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and Persian Gulf, between Yemen and the UAE

Geographic coordinates:
21 00 N, 57 00 E

Map references:
Middle East

Area:
total: 309,500 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land: 309,500 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 0 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 72

Area - comparative:
twice the size of Georgia; slightly smaller than Kansas
Area comparison map: twice the size of Georgia; slightly smaller than Kansas

Land boundaries:
total: 1,561 km
[see also: Land boundaries - total country ranks ]
border countries (3): Saudi Arabia 658 km, UAE 609 km, Yemen 294 km

Coastline:
2,092 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - territorial sea country ranks ]
contiguous zone: 24 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - contiguous zone country ranks ]
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - exclusive economic zone country ranks ]

Climate:
dry desert; hot, humid along coast; hot, dry interior; strong southwest summer monsoon (May to September) in far south
More Climate Details

Terrain:
central desert plain, rugged mountains in north and south

Elevation:
mean elevation: 310 m
[see also: Elevation - mean elevation country ranks ]
elevation extremes: lowest point: Arabian Sea 0 m highest point: Jabal Shams 3,004 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, copper, asbestos, some marble, limestone, chromium, gypsum, natural gas

Land use:
agricultural land: 4.7% arable land 0.1%; permanent crops 0.1%; permanent pasture 4.5%
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
forest: 0%
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 95.3% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
590 sq km (2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Population - distribution:
the vast majority of the population is located in and around the Al Hagar Mountains in the north of the country; another smaller cluster is found around the city of Salalah in the far south; most of the country remains sparsely populated

Natural hazards:
summer winds often raise large sandstorms and dust storms in interior; periodic droughts

Environment - current issues:
rising soil salinity; beach pollution from oil spills; limited natural freshwater resources

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
consists of Oman proper and two northern exclaves, Musandam and Al Madhah; the former is a peninsula that occupies a strategic location adjacent to the Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil