Sohar

The Crown Colony of Sohar is a colony of the Kingdom of Normandy. Up until the discovery of oil in the 1960's, the area consisted of a small port in the city of Sohar. Since the 60's the colony has grown rapidly.

History
In 1538, Norman merchants arrived in Oman and occupied Sohar, a small fishing village on the Northern coast of Oman. The Norman merchants, under the command of George de Faldenberg, built up and fortified Sohar, which became a Norman outpost used to protect Norman merchant ships.

By 1560, Sohar had become an important naval port, with a large Norman fleet based at the port. The governors of Sohar maintained good relations with the neighbouring Portuguese outposts, as well as the local Omani tribes and larger Persian neighbours.

In 1650 the colony of Sohar supported the Imam of Oman in an attack on the Portuguese outpost of Muscat, which led to the Portuguese surrender and departure from Oman.

The current borders of the Sohar region were confirmed in 1820 between Normandy, Britain and the Trucial States.

In 1934 Fort Arthur military base was founded in western Sohar, which is still operational today. The base was enlarged in the 1950's and a paved runway was added.

In 1960 oil companies began carrying out large scale commercial oil production after the discovery of the Dahirah oil field. Sohar International Airport was constructed in 1971.