The total population of Oman is estimated to be 2,845,000 (2009 est.) The overall population density was only about 9 persons per sq km (about 20 per sq mi).
Oman’s festival calendar is somewhat undernourished, barring the large-scale annual Muscat festival and its smaller cousin in Salalah.
Salalah is the capital of the southern region. It is a city set amongst coconut groves and banana plantations, sprawled along sandy beaches that run the length of its plain. The lush vegetation makes Salalah seem almost tropical.