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United Arab Emirates vs. Saudi Arabia

Geography

United Arab EmiratesSaudi Arabia
LocationMiddle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi ArabiaMiddle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen
Geographic coordinates24 00 N, 54 00 E25 00 N, 45 00 E
Map referencesMiddle EastMiddle East
Areatotal: 83,600 sq km

land: 83,600 sq km

water: 0 sq km
total: 2,149,690 sq km

land: 2,149,690 sq km

water: 0 sq km
Area - comparativeslightly larger than South Carolina; slightly smaller than Maineslightly more than one-fifth the size of the US
Land boundariestotal: 1,066 km

border countries (2): Oman 609 km, Saudi Arabia 457 km
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
Coastline1,318 km2,640 km
Maritime claimsterritorial 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: 18 nm

continental shelf: not specified
Climatedesert; cooler in eastern mountainsharsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes
Terrainflat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert; mountains in eastmostly sandy desert
Elevation extremeshighest point: Jabal Yibir 1,527 m

lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m

mean elevation: 149 m
highest point: As Sarawat range, 3,000 m

lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m

mean elevation: 665 m
Natural resourcespetroleum, natural gaspetroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper
Land useagricultural 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: 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.)
Irrigated land923 sq km (2012)16,200 sq km (2012)
Natural hazardsfrequent sand and dust storms

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

Environment - current issuesair 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 spillsdesertification; 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
Environment - international agreementsparty 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, 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
Geography - notestrategic location along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oilSaudi 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
Total renewable water resources150 million cubic meters (2017 est.)2.4 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
Population distributionpopulation 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 populationhistorically 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

Source: CIA Factbook