Location: Middle East, between the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf

Map references: Africa, Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area:
total area: 1,960,582 sq km
land area: 1,960,582 sq km
comparative area: slightly less than one-fourth the size of the US

Land boundaries: total 4,415 km, Iraq 814 km, Jordan 728 km, Kuwait 222 km, Oman 676 km, Qatar 60 km, UAE 457 km, Yemen 1,458 km

Coastline: 2,640 km

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 18 nm
continental shelf: not specified
territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: large section of boundary with Yemen not defined; status of boundary with UAE not final; Kuwaiti ownership of Qaruh and Umm al Maradim islands is disputed by Saudi Arabia

Climate: harsh, dry desert with great extremes of temperature

Terrain: mostly uninhabited, sandy desert

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

Land use:
arable land: 1%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 39%
forest and woodland: 1%
other: 59%

Irrigated land: 4,350 sq km (1989 est.)

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
natural hazards: frequent sand and dust storms
international agreements: party to - Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea

Note: extensive coastlines on Persian Gulf and Red Sea provide great leverage on shipping (especially crude oil) through Persian Gulf and Suez Canal

NOTE: The information regarding Saudi Arabia on this page is re-published from the 1995 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Saudi Arabia Geography 1995 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Saudi Arabia Geography 1995 should be addressed to the CIA.