The Lehi sun. [volume] (Lehi, Utah) 1913-1949, 1921-08-04

Prepared by the National Geographic So
ciety, Washington, ID. CO
But a step from lands first and
longest known In the history Of the
w0rld-Egypt, Babylon. Palestine
Arabia remains one of the worlds
most unknown regions. And in one
Of Its least known corners is the in
dependent state of Oman Historically,
politically and geographically, Oman
has always been Isolated from the rest
Of Arabia. Ever since the days Of
the callphate, so far as communication
with other Arabs is concerned, Oman
was practically an island, with "a sea
Of water on two sides and sea of
sand-the great Arabian deSert-on
the other. AS result, the people are
even more primitive In their habits
than the Arabs generally; and only re-
Gently have other towns than Muscat,
the capital, opened their eyes to the
world.
Oman Is relatively narrow strip Of
coast. bowed around the irregular
eastern tip of Arabia. TO the north
west 1t extends half way along the
southern shore of the Persian gulf,
into the head of which empty the his
toric Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
From there It extends In crooked.
unbroken strip of varying width for
nearly 1000 miles, its sou hwesten
extremity reaching almost To- the mid
point Of the farlng south shore of
the Arabian peninsula.
The state has an area of 5000
square miles, almost twice that of
Pennsylvania. Although gene ally ac-
cpted statistics place the population
at 100000 Colonel MileI who has
seen more Of the Interior than any
other recent traveller, estimates 1t at
over 100000. The capital, Muscat,
and the adjoining town of Mutrah
have together about $4,000 lnhabit
ants. The ancient capital, Rostak
which is inland, declined in lmpor.
lance after the Portuguese. during the
remarkable growth of their colonial
power In the Sixteenth century, pushed
around the Cape of Good Hope and
northward and eastward, occupying
Muscat. The Portuguese remained IL
possession of this metropolis Of Omar
from 1908 until the middle Of the Sew
epteenth century.
Was Almost an Empire.
The conquerors of Oman who gave
1t its present ruling family came from
Yemen on the other side Of Arabia
Ahmed bin Sa'eed, the leader, cap
tured Muscat In l74i. The presen
sultan and imam, who came to tn,
throne In 1913, is a descendant Of thl
Eighteenth century conqueror.
AT the beginning OF the Nineteenth
century, before European powers ha,
determined upon the almost com2let
parceling out of Africa. Oman was al
most an empire. II extended over
large part Of Arabia, the Islands I
the north of Arabia In the Persia
gulf, a strip Of the southern coast O
Persia, and q strip OF the lndlal
ocean coast of Africa from the NORTH
eastern point near the entrance to tn
Red sea almost half way to the Cap
OF Good Hope. This African terrltor,
including Zanzibar. comprised larg
parts of what later became Italia
SOmallland, British East Africa an
German East Africa. II also include
the important island of Socotra at tn
mouth Of the Gulf Of Alden, now unde
British control.
At that time the slave trade wa
/ tiOurishing, and II was the Arabs O
Oman who explored the great lnterio
Of Africa long before the days O
Spoke and Livingstone. On the deaf
In 1856 of Oman's alexander" tn
Sultan Sa'eed, the empire began I
break up, one son becoming sultan a
Zanzibar and another sultan OF th
Arabian territory. Subsequently a
ASiatic possessions outside Arab
were lost, except a few islands In tn
Persian gulf. About this time Oma
came under the virtual protection Q
Grsat Britain through the Indian gov
ernment. and a British consul and pC
uhcal agent has since been MAX
i0lnOO nj MunrniA