Location: Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and Persian Gulf, between Yemen and UAE
Geographic coordinates: 21 00 N, 57 00 E
Map references: Middle East
Area:
- total:309,500 sq km
- country comparison to the world:71
- land:309,500 sq km
- water:0 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Kansas
Land boundaries:
- total:1,374 km
- border countries:Saudi Arabia 676 km, UAE 410 km, Yemen 288 km
Coastline: 2,092 km
Maritime claims:
- territorial sea:12 nm
- contiguous zone:24 nm
- exclusive economic zone:200 nm
Climate: dry desert; hot, humid along coast; hot, dry interior; strong southwest summer monsoon (May to September) in far south
Terrain: central desert plain, rugged mountains in north and south
Elevation extremes:
- lowest point:Arabian Sea 0 m
- highest point:Jabal Shams 2,980 m
Natural resources: petroleum, copper, asbestos, some marble, limestone, chromium, gypsum, natural gas
Land use:
- arable land:0.1%
- permanent crops:0.12%
- other:99.77% (2011)
Irrigated land:588.5 sq km (2004)
Total renewable water resources: 1.4 cu km (2011)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
- total:1.32 cu km/yr (10%/1%/88%)
- per capita:515.8 cu m/yr (2003)
Natural hazards: summer winds often raise large sandstorms and dust storms in interior; periodic droughts
Environment - current issues: rising soil salinity; beach pollution from oil spills; limited natural freshwater resources
Environment - international agreements:
- party to:Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
- signed, but not ratified:none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: strategic location on Musandam Peninsula adjacent to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil
