Muscat
Muscat is the capital of Oman
Inhabitants: 732,000  
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Flag Oman
Muscat (Arabic: مسقط, transliteration: masqaṭ) is the capital and largest city of the Sultanate of Oman. It is the largest city in the Governorate of Muscat (sometimes referred to as Masqat to differentiate it from the city). In 2005, the governorate of Muscat had an estimated population of 600,000. The greater metropolitan area of Muscat, also known locally as the "Capital Area", currently covers an area of approximately 1500 km². Since the ascension of Qaboos bin Said as Sultan of Oman, Muscat has seen a growth of infrastructural development and urbanization. Pockets of dense residents and commercial districts are interspersed with undeveloped land. The major centers of development can be split into three main groups:
West Muscat: Al-Seeb, Udhaybah, Bawsher, Al-Ghubbrah and Ghala
Central Muscat: Al-Khuwair, Madinat Al Sultan Qaboos, Shati-Al Qurm, Qurm and Ras Al Hamra
East Muscat: Wuttayah, Ruwi, Matrah, Kalbuh, Old Muscat, Sidab and Al-Bustan
In general, Muscat presents a relatively homogeneous appearance of low (rarely more than five story), generally white buildings, with residential, government, and commercial architecture frequently recalling, at least by allusion, historic regional styles. For a city at the edge of the Arabian peninsula and in Oman's sometimes fierce climate, Muscat is remarkably green, with tree-lined main streets linking the various districts, several sizable public parks, and grass, shrubs, and flowers decorating many traffic circles and other public areas.