Tag: Oman

According to thereligionfaqs, Oman is a predominantly Muslim country, with approximately 85% of the population belonging to the Ibadhi branch of Islam. The Ibadhi branch is unique to Oman and is considered to be one of the oldest branches of Islam. There are over 600 mosques located throughout the country, with the largest being located in Muscat. The second largest religious group in Oman are Christians, who account for around 6 percent of the population. Most Christians are immigrants from countries such as India, Pakistan and Ethiopia. There are several churches located throughout Oman, with the largest being located in Muscat. Judaism is also present in Oman, with an estimated 500 Jews living in the country today. The majority of Jews live in Muscat and practice Orthodox Judaism. In addition to these major religions, there are some minority religions present in Oman such as Hinduism and Buddhism. These religions are mostly practiced by immigrants from India and Nepal respectively; however there is no accurate data on their numbers due to low levels of visibility among these communities. Oman also has a small number of irreligious people; however they remain largely invisible due to social pressure to adhere to one of the major religions present in the country. Oman in 2011 was a country located in the Middle East which had a population of approximately 3.2 million people and an area of 309,500 square kilometers. It was bordered by the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, and its capital city was Muscat. The official language of Oman was Arabic while English was also widely spoken. In terms of government, Oman had a monarchy system with Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said as its ruler since 1970. The Sultan held executive authority and appointed a cabinet which oversaw the daily affairs of the country. Additionally, there was an elected Consultative Council which provided advice to the government on various matters including economic development and social issues. The economy of Oman in 2011 relied heavily on oil production as well as fishing and tourism. Oil revenue accounted for around 75% of government revenue while fishing made up about 10%. Tourism also played an important role, particularly in terms of foreign investment, but its share in GDP remained small when compared to other sectors such as oil or fishing. In terms of infrastructure, Oman had developed significantly over the past few decades with large investments being made into roads, ports and airports throughout the country in order to facilitate trade with other nations as well as ease travel within Oman itself. Additionally, it had invested heavily into education with free primary education being provided for all citizens from age 6-15 while higher education opportunities were also available at universities throughout the country for those who wished to pursue further studies. Oman’s culture is heavily influenced by Islam with most citizens following Sunni Islam as their religion while other religions such as Hinduism are also present in small numbers throughout the country. Traditional music is popular amongst many people while art forms such as calligraphy are highly respected within society due to their close ties to Islamic culture and values. Popular sports include soccer, cricket, volleyball and basketball while traditional activities such as falconry are still practiced by some people throughout Oman at this time period. Overall, Oman in 2011 was an affluent nation that enjoyed great wealth from its abundant natural resources but also maintained strong traditional values which provided citizens with respite from everyday life including music festivals or outdoor activities like camping or dune bashing which remained popular amongst many people throughout Oman at this time period. Check politicsezine for Oman Political System.