Map
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Location: 26 00 N, 50 33 E -- Middle East, archipelago in the
Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia

Flag
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Description: red with a white serrated band (eight white points)
on the hoist side

Geography
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Location: Middle East, archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of
Saudi Arabia

Geographic coordinates: 26 00 N, 50 33 E

Map references: Middle East

Area:
total area: 620 sq km
land area: 620 sq km
comparative area: 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 161 km

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: extending to boundaries to be determined
territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: territorial dispute with Qatar over the
Hawar Islands; maritime boundary with Qatar

Climate: arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers

Terrain: mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central
escarpment
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Jabal ad Dukhan 122 m

Natural resources: oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas,
fish

Land use:
arable land: 2%
permanent crops: 2%
meadows and pastures: 6%
forest and woodland: 0%
other: 90%

Irrigated land: 10 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment:
current issues: desertification resulting from the degradation of
limited arable land, periods of drought, and dust storms; coastal
degradation (damage to coastlines, coral reefs, and sea vegetation)
resulting from oil spills and other discharges from large tankers,
oil refineries, and distribution stations; no natural fresh water
resources so that groundwater and sea water are the only sources for
all water needs
natural hazards: periodic droughts; dust storms
international agreements: party to - Climate Change, Hazardous
Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not
ratified - Biodiversity

Geographic note: close to primary Middle Eastern petroleum
sources; strategic location in Persian Gulf which much of Western
world's petroleum must transit to reach open ocean

People
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Population: 590,042 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 31% (male 92,455; female 89,554)
15-64 years: 67% (male 236,048; female 156,556)
65 years and over: 2% (male 7,956; female 7,473) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.27% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 23.58 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death ra