Officially name: Sultanate of Oman
Capital: Muscat
Largest city: Muscat
Official language: Arabic
Government: Islamic absolute monarchy
Salalah is the capital of the southern region. It is a city set amongst coconut groves and banana plantations, sprawled along sandy beaches that run the length of its plain. The lush vegetation makes Salalah seem almost tropical.
The total population of Oman is estimated to be 2,845,000 (2009 est.) The overall population density was only about 9 persons per sq km (about 20 per sq mi).