United Arab Emirates vs. Qatar
Geography
| United Arab Emirates | Qatar | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia | Middle East, peninsula bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia |
| Geographic coordinates | 24 00 N, 54 00 E | 25 30 N, 51 15 E |
| Map references | Middle East | Middle East |
| Area | total: 83,600 sq km land: 83,600 sq km water: 0 sq km | total: 11,586 sq km land: 11,586 sq km water: 0 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly larger than South Carolina; slightly smaller than Maine | almost twice the size of Delaware; slightly smaller than Connecticut |
| Land boundaries | total: 1,066 km border countries (2): Oman 609 km, Saudi Arabia 457 km | total: 87 km border countries (1): Saudi Arabia 87 km |
| Coastline | 1,318 km | 563 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 | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: as determined by bilateral agreements or the median line |
| Climate | desert; cooler in eastern mountains | arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers |
| Terrain | flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert; mountains in east | mostly flat and barren desert |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Jabal Yibir 1,527 m lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m mean elevation: 149 m | highest point: Tuwayyir al Hamir 103 m lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m mean elevation: 28 m |
| Natural resources | petroleum, natural gas | petroleum, fish, 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.) | agricultural land: 5.6% (2018 est.) arable land: 1.1% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.2% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 4.3% (2018 est.) forest: 0% (2018 est.) other: 94.4% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 923 sq km (2012) | 130 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | frequent sand and dust storms | haze, dust storms, sandstorms common |
| Environment - current issues | air pollution; rapid population growth and high energy demand contribute to water scarcity; lack of natural freshwater resources compensated by desalination plants; land degradation and desertification; waste generation, beach pollution from oil spills | air, land, and water pollution are significant environmental issues; limited natural freshwater resources are increasing dependence on large-scale desalination facilities; other issues include conservation of oil supplies and preservation of the natural wildlife heritage |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography - note | strategic location along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil | the peninsula occupies a strategic location in the central Persian Gulf near major petroleum deposits |
| Total renewable water resources | 150 million cubic meters (2017 est.) | 58 million cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | population is heavily concentrated to the northeast on the Musandam Peninsula; the three largest emirates - Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah - are home to nearly 85% of the population | most of the population is clustered in or around the capital of Doha on the eastern side of the peninsula |
Source: CIA Factbook
