Qatar is a peninsula in the east of Arabia, bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia, in a strategic location near major petroleum deposits. The State of Qatar occupies on a peninsula that extends approximately to north into the Persian Gulf from the Arabian Peninsula. Varying in width between , the land is mainly flat (the highest point is ) and rocky. Notable features include coastal salt pans, elevated limestone formations (the Dukhan anticline) along the west coast under which lies the Dukhan oil field, and massive sand dunes surrounding Khawr al Udayd, an inlet of the Persian Gulf in the southeast known to local English speakers as the Inland Sea. General topography The peninsula of Qatar is low-lying. Its shape is the surface expression of the Qatar Arch, one of the largest structural characteristics of the Arabian Plate. It is enveloped by loose sand and pebbles broken off the outcropping limestone. Smooth plains are found in the east, where the surface is covered by fine-grained dust. The south and south-west portion of the peninsula mainly comprises sand dunes and salt flats. Hill ranges (called 'jebels') can be found in western Qatar near the Dukhan area and at Jebel Fuwayrit on the northeast coast. Jebel Nakhsh is a notable mountain ridge south of Dukhan and contains substantial deposits of gypsum. The coastline, which is roughly 700km², is emergent and gently slopes toward the sea. Many flat, low-lying offshore islands are located near the coast and are accompanied by coral reefs. As a result of salt water coming into contact with the low-lying land, many salt flats (known locally as sabkhas) have formed near the coast. The coastline from Mesaieed to Khawr al Udayd is particularly rich in sabkhas. Inland sabkhas can be found in western in Qatar near Dukhan and Sawda Natheel. A sabkha (salt-flat) ecosystem known as the Dukhan Sabkha is found in the northern section of the Dukhan region in western Qatar. This sabkha, considered the largest inland sabkha in the Persian Gulf, runs for approximately 20 km, occupies an area of 73 km², has a width of 2 to 4 km and a depth of between 6 and 7 meters. It also accommodates the lowest point of Qatar, at six meters below sea level. Studies suggest that the sabkha is fed by seawater from the Bay of Zekreet, north by approximately 3 km. Climate The long summer