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Saudi Arabia Geography

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia comprises about four-fifths of the Arabian Peninsula, a land mass constituting a distinct geographical entity, bordered on the west by the Red Sea, on the south by the Indian Ocean and on the east by the Arabian Gulf.

The Kingdom itself, which occupies approximately 2,250,000 square kilometers (868,730 square miles) is bounded on the north by Jordan, Iraq and Kuwait; on the east by the Gulf, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates; on the south by the Sultanate of Oman and Yemen; and on the west by the Red Sea.

Between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait there are two adjacent areas of neutral territory (the Neutral Zone) which, since 1966 (1385/86 AH), have been divided between the two countries, each administering its own portion. Another Neutral Zone, between the Kingdom and Iraq, existed until 1975 (1394/95 AH) when it was agreed that the zone should be equally divided between the two parties.

 

Located between Africa and mainland Asia, with long frontiers on the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf and with the Suez Canal near to its north-west border, the Kingdom lies in a strategically important position.

Location:

Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen

Total Land Area:

Approximately 82 880 sq km

Geographic coordinates:

25 00 N, 45 00 E

Map References:

Middle East

Area:

total: 1,960,582 sq km
land: 1,960,582 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Land Comparative Size:

slightly more than one-fifth the size of the US

Land Boundaries:

border countries: Iraq 814 km, Jordan 744 km, Kuwait 222 km, Oman 676 km, Qatar 60 km, UAE 457 km, Yemen 1,458 km

Coastline:

2,640 km

Maritime Claims:

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

Climate :

harsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes

Terrain:

mostly uninhabited, sandy desert

Elevation Extremes:

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: 1.67%
permanent crops: 0.09%
other: 98.24% (2001)

Irrigated Land:

16,200 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural Hazards:

requent sand and dust storms

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

Environment – International Agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

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


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