Geography of United Arab Emirates
Location: | Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia |
Geographic coordinates: | 24 00 N, 54 00 E |
Map references: | Middle East |
Area: | total: 83,600 sq km land: 83,600 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative: | slightly smaller than Maine |
Land boundaries: | total: 867 km border countries: Oman 410 km, Saudi Arabia 457 km |
Coastline: | 1,318 km |
Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
Climate: | desert; cooler in eastern mountains |
Terrain: | flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert wasteland; mountains in east |
Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m highest point: Jabal Yibir 1,527 m |
Natural resources: | petroleum, natural gas |
Land use: | arable land: 0.77% permanent crops: 2.27% other: 96.96% (2005) |
Irrigated land: | 760 sq km (2003) |
Natural hazards: | frequent sand and dust storms |
Environment - current issues: | lack of natural freshwater resources compensated by desalination plants; desertification; beach pollution from oil spills |
Environment - international agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
Geography - note: | strategic location along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil |