An independent Arab sultanate, Oman is located on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. A small part of the kingdom lies to the north of the United Arab Emirates. Most of Oman is rocky and sandy.
Oman has a hot and arid climate.
Tropical vegetation grows in the Dhofar region, which is well known for the frankincense that is extracted from its trees. Less than 1 percent of the country's land area is under cultivation, with another 5 percent of meadows and pastures. Restricted by intense heat and insufficient water, Omani farmers produce small amounts of alfalfa, bananas, limes, mangoes, melons, onions, pomegranates, tobacco, and wheat. Agriculture depends largely on the traditional irrigation system known as falaj, where water is carried in a network of canals that were built in ancient times. Date palm cultivation is concentrated on the northeastern coastal plains and cattle raising in the Dhofar region.