The document provides background information on Oman, including its history, politics, culture, and economy. It discusses how Oman was once one of the most isolated countries in the Gulf region until 1970, when Sultan Qaboos bin Said overthrew his father in a bloodless coup and began a program of liberalization and modernization. It also summarizes key events in Oman's history, details about its political system and branches of government headed by the Sultan, cultural aspects like demographics and women's rights, and economic information about its reliance on oil exports.

1. Oman Presented By: Jessica Martin Kyle Gruskowski Stuart Smith Ken Starks

2. Oman is the oldest independent state in the Arab world. It is one of the more traditional countries in the Gulf region but until 1970 it was one of the most isolated.

3. Timeline of Oman 1507 - Portuguese sack Muscat and capture the Omani coast; they are driven out in 1650.

4. 1800s-1900s - Omani empire expands to include Zanzibar and Mombasa on Africa's east coast and parts of the Indian subcontinent, reflecting Oman's strong maritime heritage.

5. 1737 - Persians invade.

6. 1749 - Persians are driven out. The Al Bu Said dynasty comes to power, and continues to rule to this day.

7. 1913 - Control of the country splits. The interior is ruled by Ibadite imams and the coastal areas by the sultan. Under a British-brokered agreement in 1920 the sultan recognises the autonomy of the interior.

8. 1959 - Sultan Said bin Taimur regains control of the interior. His rule is characterised by a fuedal and isolationist approach.

9. 1964 - Oil reserves are discovered; extraction begins in 1967.

10. 1965-75 - Rebellion in the southern region of Dhofar in which leftist forces are pitted against government troops. The uprising is finally put down with the help of soldiers from Jordan and Iran.

11. Post-Coup Timeline 1970 - The sultan is overthrown by his son in a bloodless coup. Sultan Qaboos bin Said begins a liberalization and modernization program.

12. 1981 - Oman is a founding member of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council.

13. 1997 - Sultan Qaboos decrees that women can stand for election to - and vote for - the Consultative Council. Two women are duly elected to the body.

14. 1999 - Oman and neighboring United Arab Emirates (UAE) sign a border agreement defining most of their disputed common frontier.

15. Dhofar Rebellion 1964-1975

16. Sultan Said bin Taimur was ultraconservative and opposed to change of any kind

17. Its original aim was the overthrow of Said ibn Taimur, but, by 1967, under the name of the Popular Front for the Liberation of the Occupied Arabian Gulf--which in 1974 was changed to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Oman (PFLO)

18. British Propaganda - " The Hand of God Destroys Communism " PFLOAG Logo Popular Front for the Liberation of the Occupied Arabian Gulf Dhofar Sultan Said bin Taimur

19. Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Came to power in 1970 after overthrowing his father

21. Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Came to power in 1970 after overthrowing his father

22. Opened up the entire country of Oman

23. Created economic reforms and boosted spending on health, education and welfare

24. By reorganizing and modernizing the military he was able to defeat the Dhofar crisis and begin concentrating on other issues.

25. Neighborly Relations Northern tip 35 miles directly opposite with Iran.

26. Concerned with regional stability and security, given tensions in the region, the proximity of Iran and Iraq, and the potential threat of political Islam Not Good!

27. Neighborly Relations Oman maintained its diplomatic relations with Iraq throughout the 1990-91 Gulf war

28. Since 1980 Oman and the U.S. have been parties to a military cooperation agreement

29. Oman also has long been an active participant in efforts to achieve Middle East peace.

30. Jessica’s Sources http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/country_profiles/2448259.stm

31. http://encyclopedia.jrank.org/articles/pages/5492/Al-Bu-Sa-id-Qaboos-1940.html

32. http://www.onwar.com/aced/nation/oat/oman/foman1964.htm

33. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/35834.htm

34. Omani Culture

35. Demographics Population 3,418,085 Birth Rate (2009) 34.79/1000 population Death Rate (2009) 3.65/1000 population Gender ratio (2009) 1.22 male/female Life Expectancy 74.16 years

36. Demographics Cont. Nationality Omani Spoken Languages Arabic (official)

37. English

38. Baluchi

39. Urdu Ethnic Groups Arab

40. Baluchi

41. South Asian

42. African Literacy rate 81.4%, (male – 86.8%, female – 73.5%)

43. Religion 75% Ibadhi Muslim

44. 25% other including large minorities Sunni and Shia Muslim, and also Hindu.

45. Areas along the Omani coast, influenced by international trade and tourism, are more open to non-Islamic religions and ways of life.

46. Women’s Inequality The government instigated an important change by introducing a law in 2008 stipulating that men and women's legal testimonies are now considered equal, although it is unclear to what extent this will apply to personal status law cases.

47. Oman's patriarchal culture, in combination with conservative religious norms, continues to have a profound impact on women.

48. Despite progress, women face discrimination in almost all areas of life, and men are traditionally and legally seen as heads of household.

49. Women remain underrepresented in the judiciary and government structures, and do not have full freedom to make decisions about their health and reproductive rights.

50. They are afforded unequal rights under the personal status law, which governs inheritance, marriage, divorce, and child custody