Geography of Oman
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: 212,460 sq km land: 212,460 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative: | slightly smaller than Kansas |
Land boundaries: | total: 1,374 km border countries: Saudi Arabia 676 km, UAE 410 km, Yemen 288 km |
Coastline: | 2,092 km |
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 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: | arable land: 0.12% permanent crops: 0.14% other: 99.74% (2005) |
Irrigated land: | 720 sq km (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; very limited natural fresh water 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 |