Climate: harsh, dry desert with great extremes of temperature
Terrain: mostly uninhabited, sandy desert lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m highest point: Jabal Sawda' 3,133 m
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper
Land use:
arable land: 1%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 39%
forest and woodland: 1%
other: 59%
Irrigated land: 4,350 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues: desertification; depletion of underground water
resources; the lack of perennial rivers or permanent water bodies
has prompted the development of extensive seawater desalination
facilities; coastal pollution from oil spills
natural hazards: frequent sand and dust storms
international agreements: party to - Climate Change, Hazardous
Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Law of
the Sea
Geographic 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: 19,409,058 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 43% (male 4,228,660; female 4,103,622)
15-64 years: 55% (male 6,393,384; female 4,240,535)
65 years and over: 2% (male 227,789; female 215,068) (July 1996 est.)