Geography of Oman around the Al Hajar mountains are part of the Gulf of Oman desert and semi-desert ecoregion, while the mountains themselves are a distinct habitat. The northernmost area, Musandam, extends from the tip of the Musandam Peninsula to the boundary with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at Hisn al Diba. It borders the Strait of Hormuz, which links the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman, and is separated from the rest of the sultanate by a strip of territory belonging to the UAE. This area consists of low mountains forming the northernmost extremity of the Al Hajar al Gharbi (Western
Piracy in the Persian Gulf bin Muhammad Al Qasimi argues in his book "The Myth of Piracy in the Gulf" that the allegations of piracy were simply excuses used by the British to impose imperialism. Piratical activities were common in the Persian Gulf from the late 18th century to the mid 19th century, particularly in the area known as the "Pirate Coast" which spanned from modern-day Qatar to Oman. Piracy was alleviated from 1820 with the signing of the General Maritime Treaty, cemented in 1853 by the Treaty of Maritime Peace in Perpetuity, after which the Pirate Coast began to be known by the British