The Revolution In Oman CSC 1985 SUBJECT AREA General THE REVOLUTION IN OMAN The Revolution in Oman was started in 1962 by a group of youth outside of Oman. The reason why they were noticed is that the government had not done anything for the people. At that time there were no schools, no hospital roads, and nothing. So in everybody's eyes they were right in the year mentioned above. They shot the first bullet in the south of Oman but the question is why they choose that area. The south of Oman geographically is a mountainous and a thick wooded area and it has five months of rain. The fighting is very difficult for anyone who is not familiar with the area. Actually it was difficult for both the army and the revolutionary people. Why? They have to bring their ammunition and kit by camel through the Democratic People of South Yaman which was a British colony. After the independence it was changed to a communist government. So by their way they were able to convince the Revolutionaries to be on their side which they did. Why? They did that because south Yaman was going to supply them with the equipment which they got from the USSR and China. So they Click here to view image opened their offices, training camps, schools and full administration. They started to be stronger and stronger against the government until 1970 when His Majesty Sultan Qaboos took over from his father. Sultan Qaboos promised his people that he was going to do whatever he could to help the country and her people to have a bright future which he did. He continued the fight against the Revolution. But in his time the Revolution already was very strong and they were able to get through enough equipment to fight with for a long time. They were able to fight with that equipment for five years. In 1975 the army was able to defeat them badly. Many of them surrendered to the army and many were captured by the army. It was very rough but we destroyed the communist idea before it came to us, even though it took us quite a long time. Thank God. Oman today enjoys stability, a healthy economy and a rising standard of living in a country which not so long ago was the most backward in the Arab world. OMAN GEOGRAPHY Oman is located in the extreme southeast corner of the Arabian Peninsula with a total land area of 300,000 sq kms of mountainous terrain interspersed with wads wadis and green valleys where the efforts of man have both created and cultivated arable land. To the north it borders on the Strait of Hormuz, to the east the Arabian Sea, to the west Saudi Arabia and the United Arab emirates and to the south, South Yemen. In land area Oman is the second largest country in Arabia. A number of islands in the Arabian Sea form part of Oman, the most important being the island of Mas, Rah and Kuria Muria Islands. The Omani coastline on the Arabian Sea is about 1,700 kms and that is why it is so important in the area. HISTORY OF OMAN Oman was one of the first countries to embrace Islam and the Muslim religion has through the centuries acted as a strongly unifying force within the country and is today the Click here to view image foundation of the political and legal systems, of course, whole national life. The commercial Golden Age of Oman between the Seventh and Fifteenth Centuries Omani ships spread the message of Islam as far as Africa and China. The Portuguese came to Oman in 1507 and they stayed until 1646. The Portuguese were pursued out of the Gulf to East Africa where Oman became non-European power. ECONOMY OF OMAN 1. Depend on oil and gas. 2. Mining. 3. Agriculture and fisheries. Farming continue to provide the main source of income for about half of Omanis whose families have been traditionally farmers. The government provides loans at a very low interest rate. Oman is the second country after Saudi Arabia agriculture, but the question is how they get the water. Oman generally gets little rain but has enough water supplies for its needs. More water has to be found and discovered through drilling systems, and there is another system which is a very remarkble system of underground flows waters. It is very difficult system to explain. Click here to view image
