Oman's coastline is more than 2100km long (1300 mi) with a coastal plain up to 19km wide (12 mi).
The coastal plain blends into an area of hills which in turn gives way to a plateau with an average altitude of 305m (1000ft).
The hills are mostly barren and the plateau is arable only at oases.
The extreme southwestern province, Dhofar, is very fertile with a rainy season.