Terrain: mostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus,
depressions
lowest point: Sabkhat Ghuzayyil -47 m
highest point: Bikku Bitti 2,267 m
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, gypsum
Land use:
arable land: 2%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 8%
forest and woodland: 0%
other: 90%
Irrigated land: 2,420 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues: desertification; very limited natural fresh water
resources; the Great Manmade River Project, the largest water
development scheme in the world, is being built to bring water from
large aquifers under the Sahara to coastal cities
natural hazards: hot, dry, dust-laden ghibli is a southern wind
lasting one to four days in spring and fall; dust storms, sandstorms
international agreements: party to - Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test
Ban, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified -
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea
People ———
Population: 5,445,436 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 48% (male 1,319,696; female 1,274,865)
15-64 years: 49% (male 1,375,441; female 1,308,613)
65 years and over: 3% (male 87,434; female 79,387) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.67% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 44.42 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)