Page last updated on February 3, 2014

Location:
Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia, between Israel (to the west) and Iraq

Geographic coordinates:
31 00 N, 36 00 E

Map references:
Middle East

Area:
total: 89,342 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 112
land: 88,802 sq km
water: 540 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Indiana

Land boundaries:
total: 1,635 km
border countries: Iraq 181 km, Israel 238 km, Saudi Arabia 744 km, Syria 375 km, West Bank 97 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]

Coastline:
26 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 3 nm

Climate:
mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April)
More Climate Details

Terrain:
mostly desert plateau in east, highland area in west; Great Rift Valley separates East and West Banks of the Jordan River

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - lowest point country ranks ]
highest point: Jabal Umm ad Dami 1,854 m

Natural resources:
phosphates, potash, shale oil

Land use:
arable land: 1.97%
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: 0.95%
other: 97.08% (2011)

Irrigated land:
788.6 sq km (2004)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Total renewable water resources:
0.94 cu km (2011)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.94 cu km/yr (31%/4%/65%)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - total country ranks ]
per capita: 166 cu m/yr (2005)

Natural hazards:
droughts; periodic earthquakes

Environment - current issues:
limited natural freshwater resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
strategic location at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba and as the Arab country that shares the longest border with Israel and the occupied West Bank