| Location | Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia |
| Geographic coordinates | 24 00 N, 54 00 E |
| Map references | Middle East |
| Area | total: 83,600 sq km land: 83,600 sq km water: 0 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly larger than South Carolina; slightly smaller than Maine |
| Land boundaries | total: 1,066 km border countries (2): Oman 609 km, Saudi Arabia 457 km |
| Coastline | 1,318 km |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
| Climate | desert; cooler in eastern mountains |
| Terrain | flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert; mountains in east |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Jabal Yibir 1,527 m lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m mean elevation: 149 m |
| Natural resources | petroleum, natural gas |
| Land use | agricultural land: 4.6% (2018 est.) arable land: 0.5% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.5% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 3.6% (2018 est.) forest: 3.8% (2018 est.) other: 91.6% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 923 sq km (2012) |
| Total renewable water resources | 150 million cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Natural hazards | frequent sand and dust storms |
| Geography - note | strategic location along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil |
Source: CIA World Factbook
This page was last updated on September 18, 2021
