The sultanate of Oman is a country at the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. The central part of the country is covered by a vast desert plain, with the Al Hajar mountains (visible in the right part of the image) along the north and southeast coast. Oman has one of the hottest climates in the world, with temperatures reaching highs of 50 C or more regularly. Rain is scarce throughout most of the country, and only in the mountainous areas the yearly precipitation amounts to about 400 mm.