Kuwait vs. Jordan
Geography
| Kuwait | Jordan | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia | Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia, between Israel (to the west) and Iraq |
| Geographic coordinates | 29 30 N, 45 45 E | 31 00 N, 36 00 E |
| Map references | Middle East | Middle East |
| Area | total: 17,818 sq km land: 17,818 sq km water: 0 sq km | total: 89,342 sq km land: 88,802 sq km water: 540 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than New Jersey | about three-quarters the size of Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than Indiana |
| Land boundaries | total: 475 km border countries (2): Iraq 254 km, Saudi Arabia 221 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 | 499 km | 26 km |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm | territorial sea: 3 nm |
| Climate | dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters | mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April) |
| Terrain | flat to slightly undulating desert plain | 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: 3.6 km W. of Al-Salmi Border Post 300 m lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m mean elevation: 108 m | highest point: Jabal Umm ad Dami 1,854 m lowest point: Dead Sea -431 m mean elevation: 812 m |
| Natural resources | petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas | phosphates, potash, shale oil |
| Land use | agricultural land: 8.5% (2018 est.) arable land: 0.6% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.3% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 7.6% (2018 est.) forest: 0.4% (2018 est.) other: 91.1% (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 | 105 sq km (2012) | 964 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | sudden cloudbursts are common from October to April and bring heavy rain, which can damage roads and houses; sandstorms and dust storms occur throughout the year but are most common between March and August | droughts; periodic earthquakes; flash floods |
| Environment - current issues | limited natural freshwater resources; some of world's largest and most sophisticated desalination facilities provide much of the water; air and water pollution; desertification; loss of biodiversity | 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, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping-London Convention | 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 | strategic location at head of Persian Gulf | 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 | 20 million cubic meters (2017 est.) | 937 million cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | densest settlement is along the Persian Gulf, particularly in Kuwait City and on Bubiyan Island; significant population threads extend south and west along highways that radiate from the capital, particularly in the southern half of the country | 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
