 Oman - national flag
The flag was officially hoisted in 1995 after minor changes to the original
flag from 1970. The state emblem of the ruling dynasty shows two crossed swords
on which a traditional ceremonial dagger is placed, a khanjar. The
white color stands for peace. The red is the area's traditional and symbolizes
the struggle for independence. The green color stands for Hajarbjergene,
De Grønne Bjerge, ie. the fertility of the country.
- Countryaah:
What does the flag of Oman look like? Follow this link, then you will see
the image in PNG format and flag meaning description about this country.
Oman - history
The Oman Peninsula, ancient Magan, was known in the Bronze Age for its
copper mines and trade with Mesopotamia and the Indus. The architecture was
characterized by stone-built towers as the center of buildings and by
tower-shaped communal tombs. Irrigation created early oasis use and improved in
the 1st millennium BC. with increased settlement as a result. A special coastal
culture with shell heaps dates back to the 6th millennium. Danish archaeologists
have made a pioneering effort in the discovery of the Bronze Age culture.
The people of Oman converted early to Islam, and the area's largest tribe,
the banu azd, played an important role in the early history of Islam,
in connection with the caliphate's conquest of Iraq in 600-t. I 700-t. an
Ibaditic imamate was established (see ibadites) who managed to preserve the
area independently. Until the Portuguese conquest in 1507, the port city
of Muscat was an important center of trade between Asia, Europe and East
Africa. In 1650 it was possible to expel the Portuguese first from Oman, then
also from Mogadishu, Mombasa and Zanzibar in East Africa. The latter
functioned for a period in the 1800's. as an Omani colony.
Ahmad ibn Said (d. 1783) was elected in 1749 as imam; The al-Bu Said family
still rules the country. In the 1780's, the Imam ceded the capital from Rustaq
inland to Muscatand established a sultanate, which, however, was not recognized
by the Ibadites inland. It led especially in the mid-1800's. to many conflicts
between the coastal towns on the one hand and the rural population and the Imam
on the other. In 1871, Britain intervened directly in an internal conflict,
securing control of the al-Bu Said family throughout the country. New
confrontations between the Sultan and the Imam's followers took place in 1913
and 1954. Oman formally became independent in 1951; however, the British
continued to have great influence, and in 1959 they helped the sultan regain
full control of the interior of the country. In 1970, Sultan Said ibn Taymur
(1910-72) was overthrown by his son Qabus ibn Said, which had the support of the
United Kingdom. With control over large oil revenues, the new sultan initiated a
modernization, building hospitals and health clinics and investing in road,
education and business development. Oman became a member of the Arab League and
the United Nations in 1971 and co-founded the Gulf Cooperation Council in 1981.
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In 1829, the southern part of Oman, the predominantly Sunni Muslim Dhofar,
became part of the sultan's area of power. In the 1960's and 1970's, an armed
opposition emerged in Dhofar facing the government in Muscat; in 1975, Qabus
finally managed to quell the uprising.
In 1980, Oman supported Iraq in the war against Iran, but from the mid-1980's
took a neutral stance. In 1990, the country joined the international alliance
under the UN, which was to ensure Kuwait's independence after the occupation of
Iraq in August 1990. Throughout the 1990's, Oman had had good relations with the
other Arab states on the Arabian Peninsula, as well as with Iran and the United
States. Diplomatic relations with Israel were periodically severed, but both in
1994 and in 1996, the Israeli Prime Minister paid an official visit to the
country; However, relations have been cut off since 2000. Oman entered into new
military security agreements with the United States and Britain during the 1990's
and, after 9/11, supported the US-led war on international terrorism.
In 2002, universal suffrage was introduced for all citizens over the age of
21, and the following year an election took place. In 2004, Oman got its first
female minister. There were protests in Oman in 2011 in connection with the Arab
Spring; Sultan Qubas responded by promising more jobs and then giving parliament
increased powers.
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