Location Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and Persian Gulf, between Yemen and UAE

Geographic coordinates 21 00 N, 57 00 E

Map references Middle East

Area
total: 212,460 sq km
land: 212,460 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative slightly smaller than Kansas

Land boundaries
total: 1,374 km
border countries: Saudi Arabia 676 km, UAE 410 km, Yemen 288 km

Coastline 2,092 km

Maritime claims
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate dry desert; hot, humid along coast; hot, dry interior; strong southwest summer monsoon (May to September) in far south

Terrain vast central desert plain, rugged mountains in north and south

Elevation extremes
lowest point: Arabian Sea 0 m
highest point: Jabal ash Sham 2,980 m

Natural resources petroleum, copper, asbestos, some marble, limestone, chromium, gypsum, natural gas

Land use
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 5%
forests and woodland: NA%
other: 95% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land 580 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards summer winds often raise large sandstorms and dust storms in interior; periodic droughts

Environment - current issues rising soil salinity; beach pollution from oil spills; very limited natural fresh water resources

Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note strategic location with small foothold on Musandam Peninsula adjacent to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil

NOTE: The information regarding Oman on this page is re-published from the 1998 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Oman Geography 1998 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Oman Geography 1998 should be addressed to the CIA.