20 Interesting Facts About the Gulf State of Oman April 10, 2017 by Justin Andress View All On 1 Page 3. The Country Has a Portuguese Influence In spite of the fact that the two nations are nearly 5,000 miles apart over land, at one point in the late fifteenth century, Portuguese sailors conquered the Omani people for more than a century. Pearl-Diver - Shutterstock 3 of 20PreviousNext