Musandam Governorate

Musandam مسندم
Governorate
The village Bukha on the Musandam peninsula
Musandam, Governorate of Oman
Country	Oman
Capital	Khasab
Area
• Total	1,800 km2 (700 sq mi)
Population  (2010 census)
• Total	31,425
• Density	17/km2 (45/sq mi)

The Musandam Peninsula as seen from space. Al Khasab to the north (top) shown in green, is contrasted between the more subtle rainbow tones of the surrounding rock in this false-color image. The term Khasab refers to the fertility of the soil.

The Musandam Governorate (Arabic: محافظة مسندم) is a governorate of Oman. It is located on the Musandam peninsula, which juts into the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow entry into the Persian Gulf, from the Arabian Peninsula. The Governorate is an exclave of Oman, separated from the rest of the country by the United Arab Emirates. Its location gives Oman partial control, shared with Iran, of the strategic strait. In the northern section of Musandam, around Kumzar, the language is Kumzari, which is a southwestern Iranian language closely related to Larestani and Luri. The Musandam Peninsula has an area of 1,800 square kilometers (695 sq mi) and a population of 31,425 people.

Access to the peninsula was formerly difficult, with the only options being limited flights or a ten-hour drive through four immigration posts. The Shinas fast ferry service between Muscat and Musandam was launched in August 2008 to alleviate this problem and make the region more accessible.

Provinces

Musandam Governorate consists of four provinces:

• Khasab
• Bukha
• Dibba Al-Baya
• Madha, itself an exclave, located half-way between the rest of Musandam and Oman proper

Khasab town is the regional center of the Governorate.

The area has great strategic importance owing to its proximity to the Strait of Hormuz.

The administrative head of Governorate is the Muhafiz (محافظ; Governor). The current Muhafiz is H.E. Al-Sayyid Khalifa Bin Murdas Bin Ahmad Al-Busaidi (السید خلیفہ بن مرداس بن احمد البوسیدی).

Geography

The rugged coastline resembles the glacier-carved coasts of polar regions, but in this case, the coast was shaped by the movement of Earth’s crust. The Arabian plate is slowly pushing under the Eurasian plate, creating the earthquake-prone mountains of Iran. On the leading edge of the Arabian plate, the Musandam Peninsula is sinking. The higher elevation mountains remain above the water, but the sea has rushed in to fill the valleys with fingers of water.

Sources

• [1]—Map showing the territory.
• Musandam Peninsula, Oman NASA Earth Observatory