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| Location: |
Middle East, archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia
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| Geographic coordinates: |
26 00 N, 50 33 E
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| Map references: |
Middle East
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| Area: |
total:
620 sq km
land:
620 sq km
water:
0 sq km
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| Area - comparative: |
3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
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| Maritime claims: |
contiguous zone:
24 NM
continental shelf:
extending to boundaries to be determined
territorial sea:
12 NM
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| Climate: |
arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers
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| Terrain: |
mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment
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| Elevation extremes: |
lowest point:
Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point:
Jabal ad Dukhan 122 m
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| Natural resources: |
oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish, pearls
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| Land use: |
arable land:
1%
permanent crops:
1%
permanent pastures:
6%
forests and woodland:
0%
other:
92% (1993 est.)
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| Irrigated land: |
10 sq km (1993 est.)
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| Natural hazards: |
periodic droughts; dust storms
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| 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; no natural fresh water resources so that groundwater and sea water are the only sources for all water needs
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| Environment - international agreements: |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
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| Geography - note: |
close to primary Middle Eastern petroleum sources; strategic location in Persian Gulf which much of Western world's petroleum must transit to reach open ocean
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