| Geography | Saudi Arabia |
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Location:
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Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen |
Geographic coordinates:
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25 00 N, 45 00 E |
Map references:
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Middle East |
Area:
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total: 2,149,690 sq km
land: 2,149,690 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative:
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slightly more than one-fifth the size of the US |
Land boundaries:
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total: 4,431 km
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:
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2,640 km |
Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 18 nm
continental shelf: not specified |
Climate:
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harsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes |
Terrain:
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mostly uninhabited, sandy desert |
Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Jabal Sawda' 3,133 m |
Natural resources:
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petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper |
Land use:
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arable land: 1.67%
permanent crops: 0.09%
other: 98.24% (2005) |
Irrigated land:
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16,200 sq km (2003) |
Total renewable water resources:
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2.4 cu km (1997) |
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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Total: 17.32 cu km/yr (10%/1%/89%)
Per capita: 705 cu m/yr (2000) |
Natural hazards:
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frequent sand and dust storms |
Environment - current issues:
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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:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Geography - note:
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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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