the smallest and most northerly province of Oman, is separated from the rest of the country by a 70-kilornetre stretch of the UAE. lt covers the area where the Hajar mountain range plunges dramatically into the Arabian Gulf. Musandam has always been strategically very important since it controls the entrance to the Arabian Gulf through the Straits of Hormuz, one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.
The Musandam peninsula comprises a massive limestone plateau with an average
height of some 800 m, and has a coastline characterised by towering cliffs and numerous
deep rocky inlets, giving it a "fjord-like" appearance. Th main villages of this thinly
populated province, i.e., Khasab, Bukha and Kumzar, are ail located on the coast and are
built where a wadi opens up to the sea. With fresh water being very scarce and little land
being available for cultivation, the sea is strongly relied on for food, trade and
communications. Khasab is the capital of Musandam. |
