Saudi Arabia vs. Yemen
Geography
| Saudi Arabia | Yemen | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen | Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Red Sea, between Oman and Saudi Arabia |
| Geographic coordinates | 25 00 N, 45 00 E | 15 00 N, 48 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: 527,968 sq km land: 527,968 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Perim, Socotra, the former Yemen Arab Republic (YAR or North Yemen), and the former People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY or South Yemen) |
| Area - comparative | slightly more than one-fifth the size of the US | almost four times the size of Alabama; slightly larger than twice the size of Wyoming |
| 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: 1,601 km border countries (2): Oman 294 km, Saudi Arabia 1307 km |
| Coastline | 2,640 km | 1,906 km |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 18 nm continental shelf: not specified | 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 | harsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes | mostly desert; hot and humid along west coast; temperate in western mountains affected by seasonal monsoon; extraordinarily hot, dry, harsh desert in east |
| Terrain | mostly sandy desert | narrow coastal plain backed by flat-topped hills and rugged mountains; dissected upland desert plains in center slope into the desert interior of the Arabian Peninsula |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: As Sarawat range, 3,000 m lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m mean elevation: 665 m | highest point: Jabal an Nabi Shu'ayb 3,666 m lowest point: Arabian Sea 0 m mean elevation: 999 m |
| Natural resources | petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper | petroleum, fish, rock salt, marble; small deposits of coal, gold, lead, nickel, and copper; fertile soil in west |
| 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: 44.5% (2018 est.) arable land: 2.2% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.6% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 41.7% (2018 est.) forest: 1% (2018 est.) other: 54.5% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 16,200 sq km (2012) | 6,800 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 | sandstorms and dust storms in summer volcanism: limited volcanic activity; Jebel at Tair (Jabal al-Tair, Jebel Teir, Jabal al-Tayr, Jazirat at-Tair) (244 m), which forms an island in the Red Sea, erupted in 2007 after awakening from dormancy; other historically active volcanoes include Harra of Arhab, Harras of Dhamar, Harra es-Sawad, and Jebel Zubair, although many of these have not erupted in over a century |
| 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; inadequate supplies of potable water; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification |
| 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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban |
| 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 on Bab el Mandeb, the strait linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, one of world's most active shipping lanes |
| Total renewable water resources | 2.4 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 2.1 billion 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 | the vast majority of the population is found in the Asir Mountains (part of the larger Sarawat Mountain system), located in the far western region of the country |
Source: CIA Factbook
