Location:
Middle East, archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia
Geographic coordinates:
26 00 N, 50 33 E
Map references:
Middle East
Area:
Area - comparative: Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline: Maritime claims:
Climate: Terrain: Elevation extremes:
Natural resources: Land use:
Irrigated land: Total renewable water resources: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
Natural hazards: Environment - current issues: Environment - international agreements:
Geography - note:
total:
760 sq km
country comparison to the world: 188
land:
760 sq km
water:
0 sq km
3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]
161 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]
territorial sea:
12 nm
contiguous zone:
24 nm
continental shelf:
extending to boundaries to be determined
arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers
More Climate Details
mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment
lowest point:
Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point:
Jabal ad Dukhan 122 m
oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish, pearls
arable land:
1.79%
permanent crops:
3.95%
other:
94.26% (2011)
40.15 sq km (2003)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]
0.12 cu km (2011)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]
total:
0.36 cu km/yr (50%/6%/45%)
per capita:
386 cu m/yr (2003)
periodic droughts; dust storms
desertification resulting from the degradation of limited arable land, periods of drought, and dust storms; coastal degradation (damage to coastlines, coral reefs, and sea vegetation) resulting from oil spills and other discharges from large tankers, oil refineries, and distribution stations; lack of freshwater resources (groundwater and seawater are the only sources for all water needs)
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
close to primary Middle Eastern petroleum sources; strategic location in Persian Gulf, through which much of the Western world's petroleum must transit to reach open ocean