Location:
Middle East, archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia

Geographic coordinates:
26 00 N, 50 33 E

Map references:
Middle East

Area:
total: 760 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land: 760 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 0 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 188

Area - comparative:
3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Area comparison map: 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
161 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - territorial sea country ranks ]
contiguous zone: 24 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - contiguous zone country ranks ]
continental shelf: extending to boundaries to be determined
[see also: Maritime claims - continental shelf country ranks ]

Climate:
arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers
More Climate Details

Terrain:
mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment

Elevation:
mean elevation: NA
[see also: Elevation - mean elevation country ranks ]
elevation extremes: lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m highest point: Jabal ad Dukhan 135 m

Natural resources:
oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish, pearls

Land use:
agricultural land: 11.3% arable land 2.1%; permanent crops 3.9%; permanent pasture 5.3%
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
forest: 0.7%
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 88% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
40 sq km (2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Population - distribution:
smallest population of the Gulf States, but urbanization rate exceeds 90%; largest settlement concentration is found on the far northern end of the island in and around Manamah and Al Muharraq

Natural hazards:
periodic droughts; dust storms

Environment - current issues:
desertification resulting from the degradation of limited arable land, periods of drought, and dust storms; coastal degradation (damage to coastlines, coral reefs, and sea vegetation) resulting from oil spills and other discharges from large tankers, oil refineries, and distribution stations; lack of freshwater resources (groundwater and seawater are the only sources for all water needs)

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

Geography - note:
close to primary Middle Eastern petroleum sources; strategic location in Persian Gulf, through which much of the Western world's petroleum must transit to reach open ocean