Dhofar

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Dhofar

The Dhofar (Arabic

Arabic language

Arabic is a Central Semitic language, thus related to and classified alongside other Semitic languages languages such as Hebrew language and Aramaic language....
???? ?ufar) region lies in Southern Oman

Oman

Oman , officially the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab country in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It borders the United Arab Emirates on the northwest, Saudi Arabia on the west and Yemen on the southwest....
, on the eastern border of Yemen

Yemen

Yemen , officially the Republic of Yemen is an Arab country located on the Arabian Peninsula in Southwest Asia. Yemen has an estimated population of more than 23 million people and is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the North, the Red Sea to the West, the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden to the South, and Oman to the east....
. Its mountainous area covers and has the population of 215,960 as of census 2003. The largest town in the region is Salalah

Salalah

Salalah , is the Capital and Provincial seat of the governor or Wali of the southern Omani province of Dhofar. The population of Salalah is 178,469 as of 2005....
. Historically, it was the chief source of frankincense

Frankincense

Frankincense, also called olibanum , is an Aroma compound resin obtained from trees of the genus Boswellia, particularly Boswellia sacra ....
in the world.

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Encyclopedia

The Dhofar (Arabic

Arabic language

Oman

Yemen

Salalah

Frankincense

Frankincense, also called olibanum , is an Aroma compound resin obtained from trees of the genus Boswellia, particularly Boswellia sacra ....
in the world. However, its frankincense is now mostly used locally. (Somalia

Somalia

Somalia , officially the Republic of Somalia and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic, is a country located in the Horn of Africa....
is now the leading exporter.)

While Arabic

Arabic language

Arabic is a Central Semitic language, thus related to and classified alongside other Semitic languages languages such as Hebrew language and Aramaic language....
speakers from the dominant Omani

Omani

Omani may refer to:* Something of, from, or related to Oman, an Arab country in southwest Asia. Omani is also indicative and symbolizes the culture and traditions of that region....
culture have come to live in the province, especially the larger cities and towns, Dhofar has been the traditional homeland of many tribespeople speaking a variety of South Arabian Semitic

Semitic

In linguistics and ethnology, Semitic was first used to refer to a language family of largely Middle Eastern origin, now called the Semitic languages....
languages. One of the largest—spoken by the Qara

Qara

The Qara are a grouping of tribes currently resident in Oman. Members of this tribe Amr Hakli the grand grand father Hakli tribe of Oman who was the first immigrant from Yemen to Dhofar one thousand years ago and this tribe known in Dhofar as Qara tribes....
(Ehkelô), Shahra, Barahama, ?Al Mashaikh and Bathira mountain tribes—is called Shehri—popularly referred to as Shahri people or mountain talk. It is closely related to Mehri in Yemen

Yemen

Yemen , officially the Republic of Yemen is an Arab country located on the Arabian Peninsula in Southwest Asia. Yemen has an estimated population of more than 23 million people and is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the North, the Red Sea to the West, the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden to the South, and Oman to the east....
. Other indigenous groups speaking smaller languages such as Bathari live in the coastal towns of Shuwaymiya and Sharbithat

Sharbithat

Sharbithat is a coastal town in Dhofar, Oman. It is located at around , and is located in the wilayat of Sheleem. Sharbithat is situated around 430 km from Salalah, which is in the south of Sultanate of Oman....
. The Harasis, speaking Harsusi

Harsusi language

Harsusi is a Semitic languages language closely related to Mehri language. It is spoken by 1000 to 2000 Harasis in Jiddat al-Harasis, Dhofar, Oman....
, number 1,000–2,000 and live in Jiddat al-Harasis.

Al-Mahara in Yemen and Dhofar in Oman are the only parts of south Arabia directly exposed to the South East monsoon

Monsoon

A monsoon is a seasonal prevailing wind that lasts for several months. The term was first used in English in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and neighboring countries to refer to the big seasonal winds blowing from the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea in the southwest bringing heavy rainfall to the region....
from mid-August to late September or early October; this is known as the khareef

Khareef

Khareef is a colloquial Arabic language term used in southern Oman for the south east monsoon. The monsoon affects Dhofar province from about June to early September....
. As a result, it has a lush green climate during the monsoon season and for sometime after until the vegetation loses its moisture. Dhofar's temporarily wet climate contrasts sharply with the neighboring barren Empty Quarter Desert. The Salalah plain was once a well cultivated area with a sophisticated irrigation system. During World War I

World War I

World War I, or the First World War , was a global military conflict which involved the Great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War I and the Central Powers....
it was fertile enough to produce food and grain to supply a large proportion of the requirement of the British Army

British Army

The British Army is the Army branch of the British Armed Forces. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdoms of Kingdom of England and Kingdom of Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707....
fighting in Mesopotamia

Mesopotamia

Mesopotamia is the area of the Tigris-Euphrates river system, along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, largely corresponding to modern Iraq, as well as some parts of northeastern Syria, some parts of southeastern Turkey, and some parts of the Khuzestan Province of southwestern Iran....
.

A counter-insurgency campaign—the Dhofar Rebellion

Dhofar Rebellion

The Dhofar Rebellion was launched in the province of Dhofar against the Oman, which had UK support, from 1962 to 1975. It ended with the defeat of the rebels, but the state of Oman had to be radically reformed and modernized to cope with the campaign....
—was fought here by the Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces

Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces

The Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces are the Royal Army of Oman, Royal Navy of Oman, Royal Air Force of Oman and other defence forces of the Oman....
in 1965–1975 against guerrilla

Guerrilla warfare

Guerrilla warfare is the Irregular warfare warfare and combat with which a small group of combatants use mobile Military tactics to combat a larger and less mobile formal army....
fighters of the Marxist Popular Front for the Liberation of Oman and the Persian Gulf

Popular Front for the Liberation of Oman

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Oman a Marxist and Arab nationalism revolutionary organisation in the Sultanate of Oman. It fought against the Sultan in the Dhofar Rebellion from the PFLO's foundation until the suppression of the revolution in 1976....
(PFLOAG), supported by Communist

Communism

Communism is a socioeconomic structure and political ideology that promotes the establishment of an egalitarianism, classlessness, stateless society based on common ownership and control of the means of production and property in general....
South Yemen after that territory's independence. It aimed to depose the Sultan. The Sultan's forces, assisted by the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
, Iran

Iran

Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran and formerly known internationally as Persian Empire until 1935, is a country in Central Eurasia, located on the northeastern shore of the Persian Gulf and the southern shore of the Caspian Sea....
, Jordan

Jordan

Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern part of the Syrian Desert down to the Gulf of Aqaba....
and India

India

India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....
, prevailed, and once the campaign was declared over in December 1975, the active remainder of PFLOAG forces surrendered.

In Mormon

Mormon

Mormon is a term used to describe the adherents, practitioners, followers or constituents of Mormonism. The term most often refers to a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , which is commonly called the Mormon Church....
culture, Dhofar is the most popular traditional location of the Book of Mormon

Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the churches of the Latter Day Saint Movement. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr....
land of Bountiful

Bountiful (Book of Mormon)

There are two historical locations referred to as Bountiful that are related to the Book of Mormon. This name has influenced the naming of the present-day city of Bountiful, Utah, and the settlement Bountiful, British Columbia....
. This association is not an official LDS Church doctrine, however.

Dhofar is a tribal community, home to many ancient tribes. The Arab tribes include hekli (Qara), Al Kathiri, Al-Hashmeis, Al-Yafei, Al-Mashaikh, Al-Shahri, Al-Mahri, Al-batahri, and Al-Barami.

It has been recently discovered that the Dhofar region is rich in meteorites

Meteorite

A meteorite is a natural object originating in outer space that survives an impact with the Earth's surface. While in space it is called a meteoroid....
.

Districts

The Dhofar governorate consists of ten district

District

Districts are a type of administrative division, in some countries managed by a local government. They vary greatly in size, spanning entire regions or counties, several municipality, or subdivisions of municipalities....
s (wilayat):

Dhalkut
Mazyonah or al-Mazuna (new since October 2006)
Mirbat
Mirbat

Mirbat is a coastal town in the Dhofar governorate, in southwestern Oman. It is located at about .See also * Battle of Mirbat...
Muqshin
Rakhyut
Sadah
Salalah
Salalah

Salalah , is the Capital and Provincial seat of the governor or Wali of the southern Omani province of Dhofar. The population of Salalah is 178,469 as of 2005....
Shalim and the Hallaniyat Islands
Taqah
Taqah

Taqah is a coastal town in the Dhofar governorate, in southwestern Oman. It is located at about .See also*Dhofar Rebellion...
Thumrait
Thumrait

Thumrait is a small town in southern Oman, notable for its Royal Air Force of Oman station. Royal Air Force Jaguars were based in Thumrait during the Gulf War in 1991 and preceding it for reconnaissance purposes....