Countries That Start With O

Surprisingly perhaps, there is only one country that starts with O and that is Oman.

Although what is quite intriguing is that Oman’s neighbor Yemen is the only country starting with Y!

Oman

Oman is located on the southeastern portion of the Arabian peninsula neighboring both Yemen and the United Arab Emirates. Like Yemen, it holds a strategically important location in the region at the entrance of the Persian Gulf.

Owing to this reason, the Portuguese occupied Muscat, the Omani capital, in the 16th century, leaving various fortifications behind. There are a variety of other influences on the architecture of the region from Indian and Persian, to Arabic. Not surprising given the location of the country during a time of significant regional trade. It has certainly lead to some tasty food in the country!

Much of Oman is a relatively uninhabitable desert occupied only by the local Bedouin people and an obnoxious slew of pipes from oil production. There are however some rather lush areas along the coast of Oman, as well as the Al-Ḥajar mountains in the southeast, and the fertile Dhofar region in the south.

Oman has recently become more of a tourist destination compared to many of its neighbors like Yemen and Saudi Arabia. And since the Arab Spring they have also made an effort to bring more equality to the people.