Muscat is the capital city of the Sultanate of Oman and the political and economic center. Throughout the different historical eras and due to its strategic location in the Sea of Oman, Muscat has been a distinctive and active trade area in the Arabian Gulf and Indian Ocean regions. Muscat is connected from the east with the Eastern Hajar Mountains and Sharqiya North and South Governorates, while surrounded from the west by Batina South and from the south by Dakhliya. The strategic location of Muscat allowed it to become the political and economic hub of the country during the prosperous period under the leadership of the Late His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, the visionary behind Oman's modern renaissance. Muscat is one of the 11 Governorates in the Sultanate of Oman, is the governate with the highest population density. Throughout its glorious history, Muscat has been of strategic significance due to its location as a vibrant area with different political, economic, social, and cultural fields. Muscat consists of the following 6 Wilayats: Muscat, Mutrah, Boushar, Seeb, Amerat and Qurayyat. Muscat Governorate plays a vital role in the economy, tourism and trade flow locally and internationally through a variety of factories, banks, global hotels, malls, natural parks, scientific centers, historical museums and ecological landmarks.