The geographically accurate cartogram above represents the borders of the nations in the region based on oil production. Surprisingly, Saudi Arabia shrinks in size, however, it still remains the largest state in the region.
Findings
- Kuwait gains the most territory percentage-wise as it grows by 2,181%.
- Yemen cedes the most territory both in absolute and relative terms and becomes the smallest state in the region.
- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) gain the most land and surpass Yemen and Oman to become the third largest state in the region.
Caveats
- The borders represent the area of the country if it were based on oil production. The location of the states on the map is irrelevant.
Details
Several countries grow to more than twice their size including (in descending order of growth) Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and the UAE.
The only countries to give up more than half of their territory are Yemen and Oman.
Once again, just like with GDP, it is the smallest oil producer in the region (or certain factions within the country) that has fired a rocket into Saudi Arabia, the largest oil producer in the region.
Data
| State | Oil Production (in millions) | Existing Area (sq km) | Projected Area (based on oil production) | Percent Change in Area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | 10,460,710 | 1,925,523 | 1,519,173 | -21 |
| Iraq | 4,451,516 | 436,994 | 594,638 | 36 |
| United Arab Emirates | 3,106,077 | 70,753 | 459,357 | 549 |
| Kuwait | 2,923,825 | 17,365 | 396,036 | 2,181 |
| Qatar | 1,522,902 | 11,545 | 218,258 | 1,790 |
| Oman | 1,006,841 | 308,946 | 146,237 | -53 |
| Bahrain | 50,000 | 685 | 6,994 | 921 |
| Yemen | 22,000 | 453,501 | 3,243 | -99 |
Sources
US Department of Energy. 2017. "International Energy Statistics." Accessed November 6, 2017. https://www.eia.gov/beta/international/data/browser/#/?pa=00000000000000000000000000000000002&c=ruvvvvvfvtvnvv1vrvvvvfvvvvvvfvvvou20evvvvvvvvvvvvuvo&ct=0&tl_id=5-A&vs=INTL.57-1-AFG-TBPD.A&vo=0&v=H&start=2014&end=2016.