Location:
Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen

Geographic coordinates:
25 00 N, 45 00 E

Map references:
Middle East

Area:
total: 2,149,690 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land: 2,149,690 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 0 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 14

Area - comparative:
slightly more than one-fifth the size of the US
Area comparison map: slightly more than one-fifth the size of the US

Land boundaries:
total: 4,272 km
[see also: Land boundaries - total country ranks ]
border countries (7): Iraq 811 km, Jordan 731 km, Kuwait 221 km, Oman 658 km, Qatar 87 km, UAE 457 km, Yemen 1,307 km

Coastline:
2,640 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - territorial sea country ranks ]
contiguous zone: 18 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - contiguous zone country ranks ]
continental shelf: not specified
[see also: Maritime claims - continental shelf country ranks ]

Climate:
harsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes
More Climate Details

Terrain:
mostly sandy desert

Elevation:
mean elevation: 665 m
[see also: Elevation - mean elevation country ranks ]
elevation extremes: lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m highest point: Jabal Sawda' 3,133 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper

Land use:
agricultural land: 80.7% arable land 1.5%; permanent crops 0.1%; permanent pasture 79.1%
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
forest: 0.5%
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 18.8% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
16,200 sq km (2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Population - distribution:
historically 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

Natural hazards:
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 issues:
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:
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:
Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the world without a river; extensive coastlines on the Persian Gulf and Red Sea provide great leverage on shipping (especially crude oil) through the Persian Gulf and Suez Canal