The Sultanate of Oman lies on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula, facing the Arabian Sea. Living at this crossroads between Asia, Africa, and the Mediterranean, Omanis have developed a complex culture that draws on the country's Arab roots as well as its long-standing contacts with India, East Africa, and the Middle East. For 5,000 years Oman has traded throughout the region. Its ships have sailed to Asia and Africa, and its caravans have traveled overland to the shores of the Mediterranean, contributing to the country's surprisingly cosmopolitan history.

Western geographical regions often separate lands that share boundaries or whose histories are closely aligned. The Middle East and South Asia may seem worlds apart, but the flight from Muscat, the Omani capital, to Mumbai (Bombay), India, is just a little over two hours. Oman is not, as it sometimes appears, only a country on the edge of the Arabian Peninsula, but rather a land at the center of an ancient and modern cultural and economic exchange. Omanis are proud of but reserved about their important role in world history.