Location
The United Arab Emirates, in the eastern part of the Arabian Peninsula, extends along part of the Gulf of Oman and the southern coast of the Persian Gulf. The nation is about the size of Portugal. Its neighbours are Saudi Arabia to the west, south and southeast, Qatar to the northwest, and Oman to the southeast and northeast. Most of the land is barren and sandy.

Total Land Area
Approximately 82 880 sq km

Geographic coordinates
Latitude 22 50 N– 26 00 N
Longitude 51 00 E – 56 25 E

Map References
Middle East

Comparative Size
Roughly the size of Portugal

Land Borders
9 km border with Qatar on the northwest
530 km border with Saudi Arabia on the west, south and southeast
450 km border with Oman on the southeast and northeast

Coastline
700 km (600 km along the Arabian Gulf, 100 km bordering the Gulf of Oman)

Maritime Claims
Territorial sea 12 nm; Contiguous zone 24 nm; Exclusive economic zone 200nm;
Continental shelf 200 nm

Climate
The climate of the UAE generally is hot and dry. The hottest months are July and August, when average maximum temperatures reach above 48° C on the coastal plain. In the Al Hajar al Gharbi Mountains, temperatures are considerably cooler, a result of increased altitude. Average minimum temperatures in January and February are between 10° C and 14° C. During the late summer months, a humid southeastern wind known as the sharq makes the coastal region especially unpleasant. The average annual rainfall in the coastal area is fewer than 120 millimeters, but in some mountainous areas annual rainfall often reaches 350 millimeters. Rain in the coastal region falls in short, torrential bursts during the summer months, sometimes resulting in floods in ordinarily dry wadi beds. The region is prone to occasional, violent dust storms, which can severely reduce visibility.