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Serving Students at Santa Ana College and Santiago Canyon College United Arab Emirates Map

Geography

Location: Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia 

Map references: Middle East 

Area: 
total: 82,880 sq km 
land: 82,880 sq km 
water: 0 sq km 

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Maine 

Land boundaries: 
total: 867 km 
border countries: Oman 410 km, Saudi Arabia 457 km 

Coastline: 1,318 km 

Climate: desert; cooler in eastern mountains 

Terrain: flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert wasteland; mountains in east 

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m 
highest point: Jabal Yibir 1,527 m 

Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas 

Land use:
arable land: 0% 
permanent crops: 0% 
permanent pastures: 2% 
forests and woodland: 0% 
other: 98% (1993 est.) 

Irrigated land: 50 sq km (1993 est.) 

Natural hazards: frequent sand and dust storms 

Environment - current issues: lack of natural freshwater resources being overcome by desalination plants; desertification;
beach pollution from oil spills 

The United Arab Emirates is federation comprising the emirates of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Qaiwain, Ras Al Khaimah, and Fujairah.  The U.A.E., including 200 islands and covering area of 83,600sq. Km, occupies a triangle of land and sea on Arabia's eastern flank strategically positioned close to the entrance of the Arabian Gulf with extensive coastline on its west and north facing shores with an easterly coastline bordering the Arabian Sea.  Contrasting landscapes are comprised of precipitous rocky mountains, wind-blown sand deserts, low-lying crystalline. 

It is bordered to the north by the Arabian Gulf, and to the east by the Gulf of Oman and Sultanate of Oman, and to the south by Saudi Arabia, and to west by Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The total area of the Country is 83,600 square kilometres; this includes an archipelago with an area of about 5,900 square kilometres.  The coastline is approximately 700 km, including 100 kilometers on the Gulf of Oman.

Along the Arabian Gulf coast are offshore islands, coral reefs and salt marshes.  Stretches of gravel plain and barren desert characterise the inland region.  To the east lie the Hajar mountains, close to the Gulf of Oman, which reach north into the Musandam peninsula, at the mouth of the Arabian Gulf.  The western interior of the Federation, most of which is Abu Dhabi territory, consists mainly of desert interspersed with oases.  One of the largest oases is Al Liwa, beyond which is the vast Rub al-Khali desert, or Empty Quarter. 

Map

Sources:
United Arab Emirates: A Country Study
U. S. Department of State
U.S. Department of State: Background Notes
Central Intelligence Agency