The geographically accurate cartogram above represents the borders of the nations in the region based on their population. Iraq becomes the largest country with Saudi Arabia a close second.
Findings
- Bahrain gains the most territory percentage-wise as it grows by 5,726%. It still remains the smallest state in the region.
- Saudi Arabia cedes the most territory but manages to remain the second largest state in the region.
- Iraq gains the most territory and becomes the largest state in the region.
- Oman loses the most land percentage-wise.
Caveats
- The borders represent the area of the country if it were based on population. 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) Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, and Iraq.
The only countries to give up more than half of their territory are Saudi Arabia and Oman.
Data
| State | Population (2016) | Existing Area (sq km) | Projected Area (based on 2016 population) | Percent Change in Area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iraq | 37,202,572 | 436,994 | 989,434 | 126 |
| Saudi Arabia | 32,275,687 | 1,925,523 | 919,454 | -52 |
| Yemen | 27,584,213 | 453,501 | 815,912 | 80 |
| United Arab Emirates | 9,269,612 | 70,753 | 265,367 | 275 |
| Oman | 4,424,762 | 308,946 | 127,440 | -59 |
| Kuwait | 4,052,584 | 17,365 | 113,718 | 555 |
| Qatar | 2,569,804 | 11,545 | 72,706 | 530 |
| Bahrain | 1,425,171 | 685 | 39,906 | 5,726 |
Sources
United Nations. 2017. "World Population Prospects: The 2017 Revision." Accessed November 8, 2017. https://www.un.org/development/desa/publications/world-population-prospects-the-2017-revision.html.