A view of deep canyon with steep rocky cliffs and sparse vegetation in a desert landscape.

Geography

Geography

Written by: Nils Lindhorst Last updated at: May 21, 2025

The Sultanate of Oman is located in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula. To the northwest, the country borders the United Arab Emirates, to the west Saudi Arabia, and to the southwest Yemen. The 1,700-kilometer-long coast in the east forms a natural border. There, Oman borders the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Oman, and the Persian Gulf. The total area of the country is 309,000 square kilometers. Thus, the state is just slightly smaller than Germany. The territory includes the exclave Musandam at the Strait of Hormuz. The United Arab Emirates separate Musandam from the rest of the country.

The relief in Oman is clearly recognizable. Both the north and the south are traversed by mountain ranges, in front of which lies a narrow coastal strip. In the middle is a large plain that borders the Indian Ocean to the east and the sand desert Rub al-Khali to the west.

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