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  Geography
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This page was last updated on 17 May, 2005


Map of Saudi Arabia



Legend: DefinitionDefinition Field ListingField Listing Rank OrderRank Order
   Introduction    Saudi Arabia
Background:
Definition Field Listing
In 1902, ABD AL-AZIZ bin Abd al-Rahman Al Saud captured Riyadh and set out on a 30-year campaign to unify the Arabian Peninsula. A son of ABD AL-AZIZ rules the country today, and the country's Basic Law stipulates that the throne shall remain in the hands of the aging sons and grandsons of the kingdom's founder. Following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, Saudi Arabia accepted the Kuwaiti royal family and 400,000 refugees while allowing Western and Arab troops to deploy on its soil for the liberation of Kuwait the following year. The continuing presence of foreign troops on Saudi soil after Operation Desert Storm remained a source of tension between the royal family and the public until the US military's near-complete withdrawal to neighboring Qatar in 2003. The first major terrorist attacks in Saudi Arabia in several years, which occurred in May and November 2003, prompted renewed efforts on the part of the Saudi government to counter domestic terrorism and extremism, which also coincided with a slight upsurge in media freedom and announcement of government plans to phase in partial political representation. A burgeoning population, aquifer depletion, and an economy largely dependent on petroleum output and prices are all ongoing governmental concerns.
   Geography    Saudi Arabia
Location:
Definition Field Listing
Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field Listing
25 00 N, 45 00 E
Map references:
Definition Field Listing
Middle East
Area:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 1,960,582 sq km
land: 1,960,582 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
Definition Field Listing
slightly more than one-fifth the size of the US
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing
total: 4,431 km
border countries: Iraq 814 km, Jordan 744 km, Kuwait 222 km, Oman 676 km, Qatar 60 km, UAE 457 km, Yemen 1,458 km
Coastline:
Definition Field Listing
2,640 km
Maritime claims:
Definition Field Listing
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 18 nm
continental shelf: not specified
Climate:
Definition Field Listing
harsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes
Terrain:
Definition Field Listing
mostly uninhabited, sandy desert
Elevation extremes:
Definition Field Listing
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Jabal Sawda' 3,133 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field Listing
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper
Land use:
Definition Field Listing
arable land: 1.67%
permanent crops: 0.09%
other: 98.24% (2001)
Irrigated land:
Definition Field Listing
16,200 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
Definition Field Listing
frequent sand and dust storms
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing
desertification; depletion of underground water resources; the lack of perennial rivers or permanent water bodies has prompted the development of extensive seawater desalination facilities; coastal pollution from oil spills
Environment - international agreements:
Definition Field Listing
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
Definition Field Listing
extensive coastlines on Persian Gulf and Red Sea provide great leverage on shipping (especially crude oil) through Persian Gulf and Suez Canal
   People    Saudi Arabia
Population:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
26,417,599
note: includes 5,576,076 non-nationals (July 2005 est.)
Age structure:
Definition Field Listing
0-14 years: 38.2% (male 5,149,960/female 4,952,138)
15-64 years: 59.4% (male 8,992,348/female 6,698,633)
65 years and over: 2.4% (male 334,694/female 289,826) (2005 est.)
Median age:
Definition Field Listing
total: 21.28 years
male: 22.84 years
female: 19.28 years (2005 est.)
Population growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
2.31% (2005 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
29.56 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2.62 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate:
Definition Field Listing
-3.85 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio:
Definition Field Listing
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.34 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.16 male(s)/female
total population: 1.21 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 13.24 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 15.19 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 11.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total population: 75.46 years
male: 73.46 years
female: 77.55 years (2005 est.)
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
4.05 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0.01% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Nationality:
Definition Field Listing
noun: Saudi(s)
adjective: Saudi or Saudi Arabian
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field Listing
Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10%
Religions:
Definition Field Listing
Muslim 100%
Languages:
Definition Field Listing
Arabic
Literacy:
Definition Field Listing
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 78.8%
male: 84.7%
female: 70.8% (2003 est.)
   Government    Saudi Arabia
Country name:
Definition Field Listing
conventional long form: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
conventional short form: Saudi Arabia
local long form: Al Mamlakah al Arabiyah as Suudiyah
local short form: Al Arabiyah as Suudiyah
Government type:
Definition Field Listing
monarchy
Capital:
Definition Field Listing
Riyadh
Administrative divisions:
Definition Field Listing
13 provinces (mintaqat, singular - mintaqah); Al Bahah, Al Hudud ash Shamaliyah, Al Jawf, Al Madinah, Al Qasim, Ar Riyad, Ash Sharqiyah (Eastern Province), 'Asir, Ha'il, Jizan, Makkah, Najran, Tabuk
Independence:
Definition Field Listing
23 September 1932 (unification of the kingdom)
National holiday:
Definition Field Listing
Unification of the Kingdom, 23 September (1932)
Constitution:
Definition Field Listing
governed according to Shari'a (Islamic law); the Basic Law that articulates the government's rights and responsibilities was introduced in 1993
Legal system:
Definition Field Listing
based on Islamic law, several secular codes have been introduced; commercial disputes handled by special committees; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
Definition Field Listing
adult male citizens age 21 or older
note: voter registration began in November 2004 for partial municipal council elections scheduled nationwide for February through April 2005
Executive branch:
Definition Field Listing
chief of state: King and Prime Minister FAHD bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 13 June 1982, but largely incapacitated since late 1995); Crown Prince and First Deputy Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud since 13 June 1982, also Saudi Arabian National Guard Commander since 1963 and de facto ruler since early 1996; note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: King and Prime Minister FAHD bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 13 June 1982, but largely incapacitated since late 1995); Crown Prince and First Deputy Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud since 13 June 1982, also Saudi Arabian National Guard Commander since 1963 and de facto ruler since early 1996; note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Council of Ministers is appointed by the monarch and includes many royal family members
elections: note - in October 2003, Council of Ministers announced its intent to introduce elections for half of the members of local and provincial assemblies and a third of the members of the national Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura, incrementally over a period of four to five years; in November 2004, the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs initiated voter registration for partial municipal council elections scheduled nationwide for February through April 2005
Legislative branch:
Definition Field Listing
Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura (120 members and a chairman appointed by the monarch for four-year terms)
Judicial branch:
Definition Field Listing
Supreme Council of Justice
Political parties and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
none
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
none
International organization participation:
Definition Field Listing
ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, BIS, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Definition Field Listing
chief of mission: Ambassador BANDAR BIN SULTAN bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud
chancery: 601 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037
telephone: [1] (202) 342-3800
consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, and New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Definition Field Listing
chief of mission: Ambassador James Curtis OBERWETTER
embassy: Collector Road M, Diplomatic Quarter, Riyadh
mailing address: American Embassy Riyadh, Unit 61307, APO AE 09803-1307; International Mail: P. O. Box 94309, Riyadh 11693
telephone: [966] (1) 488-3800
FAX: [966] (1) 488-3989
consulate(s) general: Dhahran, Jiddah (Jeddah)
Flag description:
Definition Field Listing
green, a traditional color in Islamic flags, with the Shahada or Muslim creed in large white Arabic script (translated as "There is no god but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God") above a white horizontal saber (the tip points to the hoist side); design dates to the early twentieth century and is closely associated with the Al Saud family which established the kingdom in 1932
   Economy    Saudi Arabia
Economy - overview:
Definition Field Listing
This is an oil-based economy with strong government controls over major economic activities. Saudi Arabia possesses 25% of the world's proven petroleum reserves, ranks as the largest exporter of petroleum, and plays a leading role in OPEC. The petroleum sector accounts for roughly 75% of budget revenues, 45% of GDP, and 90% of export earnings. About 40% of GDP comes from the private sector. Roughly five and a half million foreign workers play an important role in the Saudi economy, for example, in the oil and service sectors. The government in 1999 announced plans to begin privatizing the electricity companies, which follows the ongoing privatization of the telecommunications company. The government is encouraging private sector growth to lessen the kingdom's dependence on oil and increase employment opportunities for the swelling Saudi population. Priorities for government spending in the short term include additional funds for education and for the water and sewage systems. Economic reforms proceed cautiously because of deep-rooted political and social conservatism.
GDP:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
purchasing power parity - $310.2 billion (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
5% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
purchasing power parity - $12,000 (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: 4.2%
industry: 67.2%
services: 28.6% (2004 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
17.2% of GDP (2004 est.)
Population below poverty line:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Definition Field Listing
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0.8% (2004 est.)
Labor force:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
6.62 million
note: more than 35% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture 12%, industry 25%, services 63% (1999 est.)
Unemployment rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
25% (unofficial estimate) (2004 est.)
Budget:
Definition Field Listing
revenues: $104.8 billion
expenditures: $78.66 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)
Public debt:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
75% of GDP (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products:
Definition Field Listing
wheat, barley, tomatoes, melons, dates, citrus; mutton, chickens, eggs, milk
Industries:
Definition Field Listing
crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals, ammonia, industrial gases, sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), cement, construction, fertilizer, plastics, commercial ship repair, commercial aircraft repair
Industrial production growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2.8% (2004 est.)
Electricity - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
138.2 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
128.5 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2002)
Oil - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
9.021 million bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1.55 million bbl/day (2003)
Oil - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
7.92 million bbl/day (2003)
Oil - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 bbl/day (2003)
Oil - proved reserves:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
261.7 billion bbl (2004 est.)
Natural gas - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
56.4 billion cu m (2002)
Natural gas - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
56.4 billion cu m (2002)
Natural gas - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2002)
Natural gas - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2002)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
6.339 trillion cu m (2004)
Current account balance:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$51.5 billion (2004 est.)
Exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$113 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
petroleum and petroleum products 90%
Exports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
US 20.7%, Japan 15.4%, South Korea 9.8%, China 5.5%, Taiwan 4.5%, Singapore 4.2% (2003)
Imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$36.21 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, motor vehicles, textiles
Imports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
US 9.3%, Japan 7.6%, Germany 7.3%, UK 6.1%, China 4.4%, France 4.1% (2003)
Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$23.62 billion (2004 est.)
Debt - external:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$34.35 billion (2004 est.)
Economic aid - donor:
Definition Field Listing
pledged $100 million in 1993 to fund reconstruction of Lebanon; since 2000, Saudi Arabia has committed $307 million for assistance to the Palestinians; pledged $240 million to development in Afghanistan; pledged $1 billion in export guarantees and soft loans to Iraq
Currency:
Definition Field Listing
Saudi riyal (SAR)
Currency code:
Definition Field Listing
SAR
Exchange rates:
Definition Field Listing
Saudi riyals per US dollar - 3.745 (2004), 3.745 (2003), 3.745 (2002), 3.745 (2001), 3.745 (2000)
Fiscal year:
Definition Field Listing
calendar year
   Communications    Saudi Arabia
Telephones - main lines in use:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
3,502,600 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
7,238,200 (2003)
Telephone system:
Definition Field Listing
general assessment: modern system
domestic: extensive microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and fiber-optic cable systems
international: country code - 966; microwave radio relay to Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Yemen, and Sudan; coaxial cable to Kuwait and Jordan; submarine cable to Djibouti, Egypt and Bahrain; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region)
Radio broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
AM 43, FM 31, shortwave 2 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
117 (1997)
Internet country code:
Definition Field Listing
.sa
Internet hosts:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
15,931 (2004)
Internet users:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1.5 million (2003)
   Transportation    Saudi Arabia
Railways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 1,392 km
standard gauge: 1,392 km 1.435-m gauge (with branch lines and sidings) (2003)
Highways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 152,044 km
paved: 45,461 km
unpaved: 106,583 km (2000)
Pipelines:
Definition Field Listing
condensate 212 km; gas 1,780 km; liquid petroleum gas 1,191 km; oil 5,068 km; refined products 1,162 km (2004)
Ports and harbors:
Definition Field Listing
Ad Dammam, Al Jubayl, Duba, Jiddah, Jizan, Rabigh, Ra's al Khafji, Mishab, Ras Tanura, Yanbu' al Bahr, Madinat Yanbu' al Sinaiyah
Merchant marine:
Definition Field Listing
total: 64 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,306,706 GRT/1,963,191 DWT
by type: cargo 5, chemical tanker 12, container 4, passenger/cargo 8, petroleum tanker 23, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 9
foreign-owned: 14 (Egypt 2, Hong Kong 1, Kuwait 5, Singapore 1, Sudan 1, UAE 1, United Kingdom 3)
registered in other countries: 54 (2005)
Airports:
Definition Field Listing
201 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 72
over 3,047 m: 32
2,438 to 3,047 m: 13
1,524 to 2,437 m: 23
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 129
over 3047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 72
914 to 1,523 m: 39
under 914 m: 12 (2004 est.)
Heliports:
Definition Field Listing
5 (2004 est.)
   Military    Saudi Arabia
Military branches:
Definition Field Listing
Land Force (Army), Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, National Guard, Ministry of Interior Forces (paramilitary)
Military manpower - military age:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2004)
Military manpower - availability:
Definition Field Listing
males age 18-49: 7,648,999 (2005 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
Definition Field Listing
males age 18-49: 6,592,709 (2005 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
Definition Field Listing
males: 247,334 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$18 billion (2002)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
10% (2002)
   Transnational Issues    Saudi Arabia
Disputes - international:
Definition Field Listing
despite resistance from nomadic groups, the demarcation of the Saudi Arabia-Yemen boundary established under the 2000 Jeddah Treaty is almost complete; Yemen protests Saudi erection of a concrete-filled pipe as a security barrier in 2004 to stem illegal cross-border activities in sections of the boundary; Kuwait and Saudi Arabia continue discussions on a maritime boundary with Iran; because the treaties have not been made public, the exact alignment of the boundary with the UAE is still unknown
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
Definition Field Listing
refugees (country of origin): 240,000 (Palestinian Territories) (2004)
Illicit drugs:
Definition Field Listing
death penalty for traffickers; increasing consumption of heroin, cocaine, and hashish; not a major money-laundering center, improving anti-money-laundering legislation

This page was last updated on 17 May, 2005


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