Part 651

Map ---

Location: 25 00 N, 45 00 E -- Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen

Flag ----

Description: green with large white Arabic script (that may be translated as There is no God but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God) above a white horizontal saber (the tip points to the hoist side); green is the traditional color of Islam

Geography ---------

Location: Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen

Geographic coordinates: 25 00 N, 45 00 E

Map references: Middle East

Area: total area: 1,960,582 sq km land area: 1,960,582 sq km comparative area: slightly less than one-fourth the size of the US

Land boundaries: total: 4,415 km border countries: Iraq 814 km, Jordan 728 km, Kuwait 222 km, Oman 676 km, Qatar 60 km, UAE 457 km, Yemen 1,458 km

Coastline: 2,640 km

Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 18 nm continental shelf: not specified territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: large section of boundary with Yemen not defined; location and status of boundary with UAE is not final, defacto boundary reflects 1974 agreement; Kuwaiti ownership of Qaruh and Umm al Maradim islands is disputed by Saudi Arabia; 1965 boundary with Qatar, renegotiated and revised in 1992, but not official depiction

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.)

Population growth rate: 3.45% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 38.32 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 5.36 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: 1.55 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.51 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.06 male(s)/female all ages: 1.27 male(s)/female (1996 est.)