Location:
Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and Persian Gulf, between Yemen and UAE

Geographic coordinates:
21 00 N, 57 00 E

Map references:
Middle East

Area:
total: 309,500 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land: 309,500 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 0 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 71

Area - comparative:
twice the size of Georgia; slightly smaller than Kansas
Area comparison map:

Land boundaries:
total: 1,561 km
border countries (3): Saudi Arabia 658 km, UAE 609 km, Yemen 294 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]

Coastline:
2,092 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:
dry desert; hot, humid along coast; hot, dry interior; strong southwest summer monsoon (May to September) in far south

Terrain:
central desert plain, rugged mountains in north and south

Elevation:
mean elevation:
[see also: Mean Elevation country ranks ]
elevation extremes:
lowest point: Arabian Sea 0 m
highest point: Jabal Shams 2,980 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, copper, asbestos, some marble, limestone, chromium, gypsum, natural gas

Land use:
agricultural land: 4.7% arable land 0.1%; permanent crops 0.1%; permanent pasture 4.5%
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
forest: 0%
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 95.3% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
588.5 sq km (2004)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Total renewable water resources:
1.4 cu km (2011)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 1.32 cu km/yr (10%/1%/88%)
per capita: 515.8 cu m/yr (2003)

Natural hazards:
summer winds often raise large sandstorms and dust storms in interior; periodic droughts

Environment - current issues:
rising soil salinity; beach pollution from oil spills; limited natural freshwater resources

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
strategic location on Musandam Peninsula adjacent to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil