Saudi Arabia vs. Jordan
Geography
| Saudi Arabia | Jordan | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen | Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia, between Israel (to the west) and Iraq |
| Geographic coordinates | 25 00 N, 45 00 E | 31 00 N, 36 00 E |
| Map references | Middle East | Middle East |
| Area | total: 2,149,690 sq km land: 2,149,690 sq km water: 0 sq km | total: 89,342 sq km land: 88,802 sq km water: 540 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly more than one-fifth the size of the US | about three-quarters the size of Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than Indiana |
| Land boundaries | total: 4,272 km border countries (7): Iraq 811 km, Jordan 731 km, Kuwait 221 km, Oman 658 km, Qatar 87 km, UAE 457 km, Yemen 1307 km | total: 1,744 km border countries (5): Iraq 179 km, Israel 307 km, Saudi Arabia 731 km, Syria 379 km, West Bank 148 km |
| Coastline | 2,640 km | 26 km |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 18 nm continental shelf: not specified | territorial sea: 3 nm |
| Climate | harsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes | mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April) |
| Terrain | mostly sandy desert | mostly arid desert plateau; a great north-south geological rift along the west of the country is the dominant topographical feature and includes the Jordan River Valley, the Dead Sea, and the Jordanian Highlands |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: As Sarawat range, 3,000 m lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m mean elevation: 665 m | highest point: Jabal Umm ad Dami 1,854 m lowest point: Dead Sea -431 m mean elevation: 812 m |
| Natural resources | petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper | phosphates, potash, shale oil |
| Land use | agricultural land: 80.7% (2018 est.) arable land: 1.5% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.1% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 79.1% (2018 est.) forest: 0.5% (2018 est.) other: 18.8% (2018 est.) | agricultural land: 11.4% (2018 est.) arable land: 2% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 1% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 8.4% (2018 est.) forest: 1.1% (2018 est.) other: 87.5% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 16,200 sq km (2012) | 964 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | frequent sand and dust storms volcanism: despite many volcanic formations, there has been little activity in the past few centuries; volcanoes include Harrat Rahat, Harrat Khaybar, Harrat Lunayyir, and Jabal Yar | droughts; periodic earthquakes; flash floods |
| 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; air pollution; waste management | limited natural freshwater resources; declining water table; salinity; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; biodiversity and ecosystem damage/loss |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography - note | Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the world without a river; extensive coastlines on the Persian Gulf and Red Sea allow for considerable shipping (especially of crude oil) through the Persian Gulf and Suez Canal | strategic location at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba and as the Arab country that shares the longest border with Israel and the occupied West Bank; the Dead Sea, the lowest point in Asia and the second saltiest body of water in the world (after Lac Assal in Djibouti), lies on Jordan's western border with Israel and the West Bank; Jordan is almost landlocked but does have a 26 km southwestern coastline with a single port, Al 'Aqabah (Aqaba) |
| Total renewable water resources | 2.4 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 937 million cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | historically a population that was mostly nomadic or semi-nomadic, the Saudi population has become more settled since petroleum was discovered in the 1930s; most of the economic activities - and with it the country's population - is concentrated in a wide area across the middle of the peninsula, from Ad Dammam in the east, through Riyadh in the interior, to Mecca-Medina in the west near the Red Sea | population heavily concentrated in the west, and particularly the northwest, in and around the capital of Amman; a sizeable, but smaller population is located in the southwest along the shore of the Gulf of Aqaba |
Source: CIA Factbook
