From Wikitravel

This article is an import from the CIA World Factbook 2002. It's a starting point for creating a real Wikitravel country article according to our country article template. Please plunge forward and edit the Saudi Arabia article.

In 1902 Abd al-Aziz Ibn SAUD captured Riyadh and set out on a 30-year campaign to unify the Arabian Peninsula. In the 1930s, the discovery of oil transformed the country. 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. A burgeoning population, aquifer depletion, and an economy largely dependent on petroleum output and prices are all major governmental concerns.

[edit] Geography

Location 

Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen

Geographic coordinates 

25 00 N, 45 00 E

Map references 

Middle East

Area 

total: 1,960,582 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 1,960,582 sq km

Area - comparative 

slightly more than one-fifth the size of the US

Land boundaries 

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 

2,640 km

Maritime claims 

contiguous zone: 18 NM
continental shelf: not specified
territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate 

harsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes

Terrain 

mostly uninhabited, sandy desert

Elevation extremes 

lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Jabal Sawda' 3,133 m

Natural resources 

petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper

Land use 

arable land: 1.72%
permanent crops: 0.06%
other: 98.22% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land 

16,200 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards 

frequent sand and dust storms

Environment - current issues 

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 

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note 

extensive coastlines on Persian Gulf and Red Sea provide great leverage on shipping (especially crude oil) through Persian Gulf and Suez Canal

[edit] People

Population 

23,513,330
note: includes 5,360,526 non-nationals (July 2002 est.)

Age structure 

0-14 years: 42.4% (male 5,086,541; female 4,883,942)
15-64 years: 54.8% (male 7,493,304; female 5,396,985)
65 years and over: 2.8% (male 362,780; female 289,778) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate 

3.27% (2002 est.)

Birth rate 

37.25 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate 

5.86 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate 

1.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio 

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.39 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.25 male(s)/female
total population: 1.22 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate 

49.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth 

total population: 68.4 years
female: 70.2 years (2002 est.)
male: 66.7 years

Total fertility rate 

6.21 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate 

0.01% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS 

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths 

NA

Nationality 

noun: Saudi(s)
adjective: Saudi or Saudi Arabian

Ethnic groups 

Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10%

Religions 

Muslim 100%

Languages 

Arabic

Literacy 

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 78%
male: 84.2%
female: 69.5% (2002 est.)

[edit] Government

Country name 

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 

monarchy

Capital 

Riyadh

Administrative divisions 

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 

23 September 1932 (Unification of the Kingdom)

National holiday 

Unification of the Kingdom, 23 September (1932)

Constitution 

governed according to Shari'a (Islamic law); the Basic Law that articulates the government's rights and responsibilities was introduced in 1993

Legal system 

based on Islamic law, several secular codes have been introduced; commercial disputes handled by special committees; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage 

none

Executive branch 

chief of state: King and Prime Minister FAHD bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 13 June 1982); Crown Prince and First Deputy Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (half-brother to the monarch, heir to the throne since 13 June 1982, regent from 1 January to 22 February 1996); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary
head of government: King and Prime Minister FAHD bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 13 June 1982); Crown Prince and First Deputy Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (half-brother to the monarch, heir to the throne since 13 June 1982, regent from 1 January to 22 February 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

Legislative branch 

a consultative council (90 members and a chairman appointed by the monarch for four-year terms)

Judicial branch 

Supreme Council of Justice

Political parties and leaders 

none allowed

Political pressure groups and leaders 

none

International organization participation 

ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, BIS, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-19, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US 

chief of mission: Ambassador BANDAR bin Sultan bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud
chancery: 601 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037
consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, and New York
telephone: [1] (202) 342-3800

Diplomatic representation from the US 

chief of mission: Ambassador Robert W. JORDAN
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) 488-7360
consulate(s) general: Dhahran, Jiddah (Jeddah)

Flag description 

green with large white Arabic script (that may be 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); green is the traditional color of Islam

[edit] Economy

Economy - overview 

This is an oil-based economy with strong government controls over major economic activities. Saudi Arabia has the largest reserves of petroleum in the world (26% of the proved 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 25% of GDP comes from the private sector. Roughly 4 million foreign workers play an important role in the Saudi economy, for example, in the oil and service sectors. Riyadh expects to have a budget deficit in 2002, in part because of increased spending for education and other social programs. The government in 1999 announced plans to begin privatizing the electricity companies, which follows the ongoing privatization of the telecommunications company. The government is expected to continue calling for private sector growth to lessen the kingdom's dependence on oil and increase employment opportunities for the swelling Saudi population. Shortages of water and rapid population growth will constrain government efforts to increase self-sufficiency in agricultural products.

GDP 

purchasing power parity - $241 billion (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate 

1.6% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita 

purchasing power parity - $10,600 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector 

agriculture: 7%
industry: 48%
services: 45% (2000 est.)

Population below poverty line 

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share 

lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 

1.7% (2001)

Labor force 

7 million
note: 35% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (July 1998 est.)

Labor force - by occupation 

agriculture 12%, industry 25%, services 63% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate 

NA%

Budget 

revenues: $42 billion
expenditures: $54 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2002 est.)

Industries 

crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals, cement, construction, fertilizer, plastics

Industrial production growth rate 

1% (1997 est.)

Electricity - production 

123.5 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source 

fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption 

114.86 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports 

0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports 

0 kWh (2000)

Agriculture - products 

wheat, barley, tomatoes, melons, dates, citrus; mutton, chickens, eggs, milk

Exports 

$66.9 billion f.o.b. (2001)

Exports - commodities 

petroleum and petroleum products 90%

Exports - partners 

US 17.4%, Japan 17.3%, South Korea 11.7%, Singapore 5.3%, India (2000)

Imports 

$29.7 billion f.o.b. (2001)

Imports - commodities 

machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, motor vehicles, textiles

Imports - partners 

US 21.1%, Japan 9.4%, Germany 7.4%, UK 7.3% (2000)

Debt - external 

$23.8 billion (2001 est.)

Economic aid - donor 

pledged $100 million in 1993 to fund reconstruction of Lebanon; since 1993, Saudi Arabia has committed $208 million for assistance to the Palestinians; pledged $240 million to development in Afghanistan

Currency 

Saudi riyal (SAR)

Currency code 

SAR

Exchange rates 

Saudi riyals per US dollar - 3.7450 (fixed rate since June 1986)

Fiscal year 

calendar year

[edit] Communications

Telephones - main lines in use 

3.1 million (1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular 

1 million
note: in 1998, the government contracted for the installation of 575,000 additional Group Speciale Mobile (GSM) cellular telephone lines over 15 months to raise the total number of subscribers to more than one million; Riyadh planned to further expand the GSM system in 1999 by adding an additional one million lines (1998)

Telephone system 

general assessment: modern system
domestic: extensive microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and fiber-optic cable systems
international: 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 

AM 43, FM 31, shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios 

6.25 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations 

117 (1997)

Televisions 

5.1 million (1997)

Internet country code 

.sa

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 

42 (2001)

Internet users 

570,000 (2001)

[edit] Transportation

Railways 

total: 1,392 km
standard gauge: 1,392 km 1.435-m gauge (724 km are double-tracked) (2001)

Highways 

total: 146,524 km
paved: 44,104 km
unpaved: 102,420 km (1997 est.)

Waterways 

none

Pipelines 

crude oil 6,400 km; petroleum products 150 km; natural gas 2,200 km (includes natural gas liquids 1,600 km)

Ports and harbors 

Ad Dammam, Al Jubayl, Duba, Jiddah, Jizan, Rabigh, Ra's al Khafji, Mishab, Ras Tanura, Yanbu' al Bahr, Madinat Yanbu' al Sinaiyah

Merchant marine 

total: 71 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,071,315 GRT/1,412,125 DWT
ships by type: cargo 11, chemical tanker 10, container 4, livestock carrier 3, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 20, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 11, short-sea passenger 8
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Egypt 3, Finland 1, Greece 3, Kuwait 1, Sudan 1, United Arab Emirates 1, United Kingdom 3 (2002 est.)

Airports 

209 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways 

total: 71 70
over 3,047 m: 31 31
2,438 to 3,047 m: 12 11
914 to 1,523 m: 2 3
under 914 m: 2 2 (2002)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 24 23

Airports - with unpaved runways 

total: 138
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 79
under 914 m: 13 (2002)
914 to 1,523 m: 39

Heliports 

5 (2002)

[edit] Military

Military branches 

Land Force (Army), Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, National Guard, Ministry of Interior Forces (paramilitary)

Military manpower - military age 

17 years of age (2002 est.)

Military manpower - availability 

males age 15-49: 6,007,635 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service 

males age 15-49: 3,359,849 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually 

males: 233,402 (2002 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure 

$18.3 billion (FY00)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP 

13% (FY00)

[edit] Transnational Issues

Disputes - international 

demarcation of delimited boundary with Yemen involves nomadic tribal affiliations; because details of 1974 and 1977 treaties have not been made public, the exact location of the Saudi Arabia-UAE boundary is unknown and status is considered de facto

Illicit drugs 

death penalty for traffickers; increasing consumption of heroin, cocaine, and hashish