ng the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea,
north of Yemen

Geographic coordinates: 25 00 N, 45 00 E

Map references: Middle East

Area:
total area: 1,960,582 sq km
land area: 1,960,582 sq km
comparative area: slightly less than one-fourth the size of the US

Land boundaries:
total: 4,415 km
border countries: Iraq 814 km, Jordan 728 km, Kuwait 222 km, Oman
676 km, Qatar 60 km, UAE 457 km, Yemen 1,458 km

Coastline: 2,640 km

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 18 nm
continental shelf: not specified
territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: large section of boundary with Yemen not
defined; location and status of boundary with UAE is not final,
defacto boundary reflects 1974 agreement; Kuwaiti ownership of Qaruh
and Umm al Maradim islands is disputed by Saudi Arabia; 1965
boundary with Qatar, renegotiated and revised in 1992, but not
official depiction

Climate: harsh, dry desert with great extremes of temperature

Terrain: mostly uninhabited, sandy desert
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Jabal Sawda' 3,133 m

Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper

Land use:
arable land: 1%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 39%
forest and woodland: 1%
other: 59%

Irrigated land: 4,350 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment:
current issues: desertification; depletion of underground water
resources; the lack of perennial rivers or permanent water bodies
has prompted the development of extensive seawater desalination
facilities; coastal pollution from oil spills
natural hazards: frequent sand and dust storms
international agreements: party to - Climate Change, Hazardous
Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Law of
the Sea

Geographic note: extensive coastlines on Persian Gulf and Red Sea
provide great leverage on shipping (especially crude oil) through
Persian Gulf and Suez Canal

People
------

Population: 19,409,058 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 43% (male 4,228,660; female 4,103,622)
15-64 years: 55% (male 6,393,384; female 4,240,535)
65 years and over: 2% (male 227,789; female 215,068) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.45% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 38.32 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 5.36 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: 1.55 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 mal