Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: no defined boundaries with Yemen and UAE; shares Neutral Zone with Iraq—in December 1981, Iraq and Saudi Arabia signed a boundary agreement that divides the zone between them, but the agreement must be ratified before it becomes effective; 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: crude oil, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper
_#_Land use: arable land 1%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 39%; forest and woodland 1%; other 59%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: no perennial rivers or permanent water bodies; developing extensive coastal seawater desalination facilities; desertification
_#_Note: extensive coastlines on Persian Gulf and Red Sea provide great leverage on shipping (especially crude oil) through Persian Gulf and Suez Canal
_*People #_Population: 17,869,558 (July 1991), growth rate 4.2% (1991); note—the population figure is based on growth since the last official Saudi census of 1974 that reported a total of 7 million persons and included foreign workers; estimates from other sources may be 15-30% lower
_#_Birth rate: 37 births/1,000 population (1991)