Facts and Brief History of Oman

Facts and Brief History of Oman The Sultanate of Oman long served as a hub on the Indian Ocean trade routes, and it has ancient ties that reach from Pakistan to the island of Zanzibar. Today, Oman is one of the wealthiest nations on Earth, despite not having extensive oil reserves. Capital and Major Cities Capital: Muscat, population 735,000 Major Cities: Seeb, pop. 238,000 Salalah, 163,000 Bawshar, 159.000 Sohar, 108,000 Suwayq, 107,000 Government Oman is an absolute monarchy ruled by Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said. The Sultan rules by decree. Oman has a bicameral legislature, the Council of Oman, which serves an advisory role to the Sultan. The upper house, the Majlis ad-Dawlah, has 71 members from prominent Omani families, who are appointed by the Sultan. The lower chamber, the Majlis ash-Shoura, has 84 members who are elected by the people, but the Sultan can negate their elections.   Population of Oman Oman has about 3.2 million residents, only 2.1 million of whom are Omanis. The rest are foreign guest workers, mainly from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Egypt, Morocco, and the Philippines.  Within the Omani population, ethnolinguistic minorities include Zanzibaris, Alajamis, and Jibbalis.   Languages Standard Arabic is the official language of Oman. However, some Omanis also speak several different dialects of Arabic and even entirely distinct Semitic languages. Small minority languages related to Arabic and Hebrew include Bathari, Harsusi, Mehri, Hobyot (also spoken in a small area of Yemen), and Jibbali. About 2,300 people speak Kumzari, which is an Indo-European language from the Iranian branch, the only Iranian language spoken on the Arabian Peninsula. English and Swahili are commonly spoken as second languages in Oman, due to the countrys historical ties with Britain and Zanzibar. Balochi, another Iranian language that is one of the official languages of Pakistan, is also widely spoken by Omanis. Guest workers speak Arabic, Urdu, Tagalog, and English, among other languages. Religion The official religion of Oman is Ibadi Islam, which is a branch distinct from both Sunni and Shia beliefs, that originated just about 60 years after the Prophet Mohammeds death. Approximately 25% of the population is non-Muslim. Religions represented include Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Sikhism, Bahai, and Christianity. This rich diversity reflects Omans centuries-long position as a major trade depot within the Indian Ocean system. Geography Oman covers an area of 309,500 square kilometers (119,500 square miles) on the southeast end of the Arabian Peninsula. Much of the land is a gravel desert, although some sand dunes also exist. Most of Omans population lives in the mountainous areas in the north and the southeast coast. Oman also possesses a small piece of land on the tip of the Musandam Peninsula, cut off from the rest of the country by the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Oman borders on the UAE to the north, Saudi Arabia to the northwest, and Yemen to the west.  Iran sits across the Gulf of Oman to the north-north-east.   Climate Much of Oman is extremely hot and dry. The interior desert regularly sees summer temperatures in excess of 53 °C (127  °F), with annual precipitation of just 20 to 100 millimeters (0.8 to 3.9 inches). The coast is usually about twenty degrees Celsius or thirty degrees Fahrenheit cooler. In the Jebel Akhdar mountain region, rainfall can reach 900 millimeters in a year (35.4 inches). Economy Omans economy is perilously reliant on oil and gas extraction, even though its reserves are only the 24th largest in the world. Fossil fuels account for more than 95% of Omans exports. The country also produces small amounts of manufactured goods and agricultural products for export - primarily dates, limes, vegetables, and grain - but the desert country imports much more food than it exports. The Sultans government is focusing on diversifying the economy by encouraging manufacturing and service sector development. Omans per capita GDP is about $28,800 US (2012), with a 15% unemployment rate. History Humans have lived in what is now Oman since at least 106,000 years ago  when Late Pleistocene people left stone tools related to the Nubian Complex from the Horn of Africa in the Dhofar region. This indicates that humans moved from Africa into Arabia around that time, if not earlier, possibly across the Red Sea.   The earliest known city in Oman is Dereaze, which dates back at least 9,000 years. Archaeological finds include flint tools, hearths, and hand-formed pottery. A nearby mountainside also yields pictographs of animals and hunters. Early Sumerian tablets call Oman Magan, and note that it was a source of copper. From the 6th century BCE forward, Oman was usually controlled by the great Persian dynasties based just across the Gulf in what is now Iran. First it was the Achaemenids, who may have established a local capital at Sohar; next the Parthians; and finally the Sassanids, who ruled until the rise of Islam in the 7th century CE. Oman was among the first places to convert to Islam; the Prophet sent a missionary south around 630 CE, and the rulers of Oman submitted to the new faith. This was prior to the Sunni/Shia split, so Oman took up Ibadi Islam  and has continued to subscribe to this ancient sect within the faith. Omani traders and sailors were among the most important factors in propagating Islam around the rim of the India Ocean, carrying the new religion to India, Southeast Asia, and parts of the East African coast. After the Prophet Mohammeds death, Oman came under the rule of the Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphates, the Qarmatians (931-34), the Buyids (967-1053), and the Seljuks (1053-1154). When the Portuguese entered the Indian Ocean trade  and began to exert their power, they recognized Muscat as a prime port. They would occupy the city for almost 150 years, from 1507 to 1650. Their control was not uncontested, however; the Ottoman fleet captured the city from the Portuguese in 1552 and again from 1581 to 1588, only to lose it again each time. In 1650, local tribesmen managed to drive the Portuguese away for good; no other European country managed to colonize the area, although the British did exert some imperial influence in later centuries. In 1698, the Imam of Oman invaded Zanzibar and drove the Portuguese away from the island. He also occupied parts of coastal northern Mozambique. Oman used this toehold in East Africa as a slave market, supplying African forced labor to the Indian Ocean world.   The founder of Omans current ruling dynasty, the Al Said  took power in 1749. During a secession struggle about 50 years later, the British were able to extract concessions from an Al Said ruler in return for supporting his claim to the throne. In 1913, Oman split into two countries, with religious imams ruling the interior while the sultans continued to rule in Muscat and the coast.   This situation grew complicated in the 1950s  when likely-looking oil formations were discovered. The sultan in Muscat was responsible for all dealings with foreign powers, but the imams controlled the areas that appeared to have oil. As a result, the sultan and his allies captured the interior in 1959 after four years of fighting, once again uniting the coast and interior of Oman. In 1970, the current sultan overthrew his father, Sultan Said bin Taimur  and introduced economic and social reforms. He could not stem the uprisings around the country, however, until Iran, Jordan, Pakistan, and Britain intervened, bringing about a peace settlement in 1975. Sultan Qaboos continued to modernize the country. However, he faced protests in 2011 during the Arab Spring; after promising further reforms, he cracked down on activists, fining and jailing several of them.

The joy of specifics - Emphasis

The joy of specifics The joy of specifics Its always a great feeling of revelation (not to mention vindication) when something you have long suspected or known to be true suddenly pops up and proves itself out in the real world. I found this recently regarding the power of being precise. Now, naturally I have always known that smoking is not a wise habit in terms of ones health hence, I eventually managed to quit. Its effects are difficult to ignore: after all, they are printed on the packet. Difficult, but in some cases not impossible. For example: smoking causes aging of the skin. Hmm. A rather cursory, vague warning this it has the feeling of a meagre afterthought, and one that is quite easy to dismiss. But compare this, which I saw in a skincare clinic: Two cigarettes a day can destroy the entire RDA of vitamin C in your body. Crikey. The details in that are impossible to ignore. It manages to be succinct, specific and surprising in a very real, very vivid way. Id definitely be stubbing out now if I hadnt already.

Movie Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Movie Report - Essay Example Through the father’s emphasis on creationism, the boys learn to always be watchful of God’s divine beauty by connecting with the natural environment. There are powerful positive and negative implications of religious values in the film. A River Runs Through It illustrates the life span of Paul and Norman as they experience challenges and opportunities as they progress through adolescence and eventually adulthood. Both of these characters maintain a very distinct and diverse worldview, with Paul being more of a rebellious character interested in drinking and gambling while Norman is more level-headed and responsible with a sense of moral duty. According to contemporary theologians, modern worldviews are often conflicted (a type of imprisonment) where individuals in society have become completely detached from their religious roots. People in modern society tend to miss the mystical connections between spiritual realities and the nature of secular living in community and culture (Vujisic 321). This, according to the author, tends to separate the individual, a type of alienation, which ultimately leads to psychological and emotional problems. When a person removes God and the divine from their lifestyles, it fails to equip them with the healthy mental adjustment required to live a happy and full life holistically. Paul and Norman’s preacher father seems to understand this, trying consistently to reinforce the importance of recognizing creationism in daily life. Mostly, this is illustrated through fly-fishing and finding communality with the natural environment. Each time a fish is caught by any of the three men, the Presbyterian father reinforces that God has blessed them for their efforts, thus reinforcing that one must maintain a worldview that is consistent and relevant to the concepts of religion and God. The film does an excellent job of attempting to make the audience consider the role of religion in finding personal fulfillment and in e stablishing positive family values that can be applied to everyday lifestyle. A River Runs Through It, though occurring during the period between approximately 1919 to 1970, illustrates how this detachment from religion creates individuals in society that have no spirituality or self-control. When Paul becomes a young adult, he often frequents a local night club where he engages in heavy, debt-burdening poker playing and excessive drinking with others in the community. During one scene of the film, Norman’s girlfriend assigns Norman to take her brother fishing, who shows up exceedingly drunken and unable to fish. Alongside him is a young woman with a very bad reputation for being a deviant and a drinker, who is also unable to function and eventually passes out from her over-drinking. A River Runs Through It illustrates the type of character that is developed when they lose touch with religion. The drunken woman aforementioned has a very vulgar mouth and a very demeaning perso nality that is practically devoid of shame and self-control. This individual seems to have a worldview that is very disconnected with the divine. It should be recognized that a worldview is â€Å"a commitment, a fundamental orientation of the heart,

Manufacturing Technologies - Assignment 2 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Manufacturing Technologies - 2 - Assignment Example The late1980s was marked with intense marketing of a cast magnesium frame (Anon, 1987 and Anon, 1988). Despite the fact about the difficulties regarding the proof of the long term success as a product, this however had quite little to do with the functional design and method of manufacture of the frame (Anon, 1987: 235-236). Today, there is many more research being conducted in this production field which ultimately aims at improving the existing models and bring into market more sufficient models that are of high quality. Critical aspects in the processes of manufacturing sequence for a bicycle frame Bicycle manufacturing involves a series of process which can be classified in to primary stage and secondary stage. The primary stage safe ultimately involves the hardware part of manufacturing with the main aim being the creation of the structure of the bicycle while the secondary part can also be looked upon has the finishing stage of manufacturing a bicycle which involves the paintin g of the bicycle among other small things that are done to a bicycle before it is ready to be used (Springfield Bicycle Manufacturing Co. (Boston, Mass.), 1888). The process of manufacturing a bicycles frame involves a sequence of processes. There are two main sequence processes that are followed in the manufacturing of the frame namely, the casting technique and the forming-joining technique. The casting technique is an innovation of British bicycle and was designed by Frank Kirk. It is designed using computer. The casting technique used a magnesium alloy which was more efficient and advantageous as compares to steel-tubed diamond bicycle frame. Magnesium alloy casting proved to e twice as rigid as steel-tubed bicycle frame, it was more aerodynamic, cheaper to produce (Linda, C, and Ernest, 1996). It is also lighter and cheaper to produce in the long run. Another advantage of the casting technique was that it produce a bicycle frame which could not flex, it did not produce energy t hat was expended to produce propel the machine and it was made to be high stiff by running the down to tube along the axis from the head tube to the rear axle. Casting production method was an improvement seen it facilitated the production of identical frames with identical performance that were more durable (Springfield Bicycle Manufacturing Co. (Boston, Mass.), 1888). Casting production of the bicycle frame proved to be more sufficient in terms of its function despite its low cost. Another advantage of the casting of a bicycle frame was that the frame had special inserts which allowed the insertion of all components parts of a bicycle such as the brakes and it was also composed of a carbon fiber hanger which enabled the mechanism to be swurfg clear so that the wheel can removed and replaced more easily and fast (Yu-Shan, Ming-Ji, Lin, and Chang, 2009: 207-217) The production of bicycle frame was boosted by development of the a large pressure die-casting machine which produces larg e amount of bicycle frame over a short period of time with the production of one frame being estimated to take one minute and annual production being 200000 frames. The process of making a bicycle frame is very complex. It involves joining tubes together by brazed lugs where more lugs are built in order to

Out the Window :: Creative Writing Examples

Out the Window Albert watched through the window of his fourth floor apartment as she unloaded the groceries from the back of her Oldsmobile. He sighed, and walked away from the window to water the plant he had named after her. If he hurried, he could make his way down to the mailbox while she was on her way into the building, as he thought about doing every Wednesday when she did her grocery shopping, but the thought of speaking to her made him nauseous and his knees quivered uncontrollably. Tonight was going to be the night, he told himself. He was going to ask her to dinner. He would just walk up the stairs and ring her doorbell, and bring her daisies. Just before eight o’clock, because he knew she would be home. She was always home for the latest episode of Murder, She Wrote, as he knew because he could hear the theme song blaring through his paper-thin ceiling, every Wednesday at eight o’clock. He ironed his khakis in an attempt to look just perfect for the occasion, and ran a comb through the non-existing hair on his head. He could hear her walking up the stairs, and Albert imagined her popping popcorn for her favorite television show, and washing up from a long day at the coffee shop. He had never actually been inside the coffee shop, but instead watched her work from outside the large window. He watched all the other customers inside – construction workers on lunch breaks, businessmen sitting alone with the New York Times, and the ladies who play Bridge and flaunt their new manicures – all sipping cappuccinos that she had poured, and devouring French Toast that she had gracefully carried to the table. Tonight was his chance to speak to her like the men who drink her coffee, only this would be different. After all, he had even picked her daisies. He trembled just thinking about it, and thought diligently about how he should introduce himself. He walked into his bedroom to search through his closet for the perfect shirt to wear when eight o’clock approached. As the sun begin to set, Albert could hear Frank Sinatra playing from her apartment above and attempted to calm his nerves by staring out the window as the stars appeared in the sky.

Implementing SFA at Quantium Technology Essay

Quantium Technology (founded in 1989) was an innovative technology company that provided computer hardware and software for large enterprises. It had grown to become a leading provider of enterprise servers and specialized workstations which were known for their reliability and security. Quantium was an enormous beneficiary of the dot-com boom, but struggled after the bust and the recession. In 2004, Anne Rothman was the new Executive Vice President of Global Sales and she felt that sales force automation was one of Quantium’s biggest challenges. There were numerous problems with the existing SFA software solution Siebel Sales. Sales representatives were abandoning the system, sales managers were complaining that the sales pipeline data was not accurate. The system did not appear to be increasing win rates or shortening the sales cycle as expected. After the internet bust, competition had commoditized the server market by offering cheaper servers that were closing the performance gap. Quantium moved from being a product company to a solutions company. The sales reps had to adjust by focusing on business issues and business problems instead of technical features. Also the team selling approach was not quite successful. Sales managers and company executives complained that they did not have reliable information on the company sales pipeline. To rectify these problems, Rothman started interviewing the people associated with implementation of the SFA program. SFA was also the core of many CRM applications. The key SFA elements were opportunity management and sales forecasting. Siebel was selected as the SFA software to be implemented. This was implemented with the help of IT specialists and assistance from IT consultants and system integrators. The IT team was pressured to deliver the best possible solution as there were differences as to whether to implement the standard product or its customized version. A training program was rolled out to get the entire sales reps and managers up to speed on the new SFA tool. As the system was being rolled out and put into operation, performance problems emerged from the field and it was associated with Quantium’s existing outdated technology infrastructure. The sales reps especially faced a lot of problems and were hesitant to use the system with a steep learning curve. Rothman went over the history of SFA implementation as well as the current status. She has identified the implementation mistakes and has to find a solution to make SFA work at Quantium.

Program Planning in Early Childhood Education Essay

Programme planning is a vital sector in diverse early childhood education (ECE) service to provide quality education and care for young children. There are many ways we could plan things. The planning will link to the document of desirable of objectives (DOPs), Te Whariki and the licensing criteria which provide by the government. Planning in ECE cycle has no beginning and no end; it is a continued cycle day after day, week after week and year after year. Play is basic element to learn and develop in child’s life. The purpose of programme planning is to improve the ways that we work with children in the diverse early childhood areas. To plan is to set goals and provide quality programmes to help children to learn and to build up good†¦show more content†¦It gives us ideas of many more questions to answer. More parents and more teachers need to explore what programme planning is all about. The philosophy is that centre staffs are ensured to be using the value and beliefs as a basis for their programme. Philosophy ensures the accountability of the centre about the kind of programme they provide. The philosophy must reflect what the centre provides for children, families, parents and community. The components of DOPs 3 planning cycle system is important for the programme planning in ECE setting. The planning cycle is on-going; it can start on any stage in the process. Observation is a process when teachers watch, document down and record what the children’s interest, behaviour and actions. (Ministry of Education, 1998) These observations will help staffs know where the child’s strengths and weaknesses are. Interpreted and analysed to examine the observation carefully, in order to identify the child’s interest, ability and skill within them. This will help the educator and teacher to specify exactly what the children’s shortcoming needs and improvements are. 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