Page last updated on February 23,

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
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 71
land: 309,500 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 0 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Kansas

Land boundaries:
total: 1,374 km
border countries: Saudi Arabia 676 km, UAE 410 km, Yemen 288 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]

Coastline:
2,092 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

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
More Climate Details

Terrain:
central desert plain, rugged mountains in north and south

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Arabian Sea 0 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - lowest point country ranks ]
highest point: Jabal Shams 2,980 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - highest point country ranks ]

Natural resources:
petroleum, copper, asbestos, some marble, limestone, chromium, gypsum, natural gas

Land use:
arable land: 0.12%
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: 0.14%
[see also: Land use - permanent crops country ranks ]
other: 99.74% (2005)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
590 sq km (2008)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Total renewable water resources:
1 cu km (1997)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 1.36 cu km/yr (7%/2%/90%)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - total country ranks ]
per capita: 529 cu m/yr (2000)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - per capita country ranks ]

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