| 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 |
total : 620
sq km
land: 620 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
| Land
boundaries: |
0 km |
| Coastline |
161 km |
| Maritime
claims |
contiguous zone:
24 nm
continental shelf: extending to boundaries to be determined
territorial sea: 12 nm |
| Climate |
arid; mild,
pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers |
| Terrain |
mostly low desert
plain rising gently to low central escarpment |
| Elevation
extremes |
lowest point:
Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Jabal ad Dukhan 122 m |
| Natural
resources |
oil, associated
and nonassociated natural gas, fish |
| Land
use |
arable land:
1%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 6%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 92% (1993 est.) |
| Irrigated
land |
10 sq km (1993
est.) |
| Natural
hazards |
periodic droughts;
dust storms |
Environment
current issues |
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;
no natural fresh water resources so that groundwater and sea water
are the only sources for all water needs |
Environment
international agreements |
party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified : none of the selected agreements |
| note |
close to primary
Middle Eastern petroleum sources; strategic location in Persian Gulf
which much of Western world's petroleum must transit to reach open
ocean |