|
| Background: |
In
1902 Abdul 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. |
| 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
land: 1,960,582 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly
more than one-fifth the size of the US |
| Land
boundaries: |
total:
4,415 km
border countries: Iraq 814
km, Jordan 728 km, Kuwait 222 km, Oman 676
km, Qatar 60 km, UAE 457 km, Yemen 1,458
km |
| Maritime
claims: |
contiguous
zone: 18 NM
continental shelf: not
specified
territorial sea: 12 NM |
| Climate: |
harsh,
dry desert with great extremes of
temperature |
| 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: 2%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 56%
forests and woodland: 1%
other: 41% (1993 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
4,350
sq km (1993 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: 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 |
| Population: |
22,757,092
note: includes 5,360,526
non-nationals (July 2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14
years: 42.52% (male 4,932,465;
female 4,743,908)
15-64 years: 54.8% (male
7,290,840; female 5,179,393)
65 years and over: 2.68%
(male 334,981; female 275,505) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
3.27%
(2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
37.34
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
5.94
deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
1.32
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at
birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.41 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.22
male(s)/female
total population: 1.23 male(s)/female
(2001 est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
51.25
deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 68.09 years
male: 66.4 years
female: 69.85 years (2001
est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
6.25
children born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
0.01%
(1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
| Nationality: |
noun:
Saudi(s)
adjective: Saudi or Saudi
Arabian |
| Ethnic
groups: |
Arab
90%, Afro-Asian 10% |
| Literacy: |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 62.8%
male: 71.5%
female: 50.2% (1995 est.) |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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
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
elections: none; the monarch
is hereditary |
| 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, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC,
ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC,
OPCW, OPEC, 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
telephone: [1] (202) 342-3800
consulate(s) general:
Houston, Los Angeles, and New York |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief
of mission: Ambassador Robert
JORDAN (since 3 Oct. 2001)
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 |
| 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, 40% of GDP, and 90% of export
earnings. About 35% of GDP comes from the
private sector. Roughly 5 million foreign
workers play an important role in the
Saudi economy, for example, in the oil and
service sectors. Saudi Arabia was a key
player in the successful efforts of OPEC
and other oil producing countries to raise
the price of oil in 1999-2000 to its
highest level since the Gulf war by
reducing production. Riyadh expects to
have a moderate budget deficit in 2001, 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 - $232 billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
4%
(2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing
power parity - $10,500 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
6%
industry: 47%
services: 47% (1998 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest
10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
0.5%
(2000) |
| 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.) |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$66 billion
expenditures: $66 billion,
including capital expenditures of $NA
(2000 est.) |
| Industries: |
crude
oil production, petroleum refining, basic
petrochemicals, cement, construction,
fertilizer, plastics |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
1%
(1997 est.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
120
billion kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil
fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
111.6
billion kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0
kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0
kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
wheat,
barley, tomatoes, melons, dates, citrus;
mutton, chickens, eggs, milk |
| Exports: |
$81.2
billion (f.o.b., 2000) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
petroleum
and petroleum products 90% |
| Exports
- partners: |
Japan
18%, US 18%, France 4%, South Korea,
Singapore, India (1999) |
| Imports: |
$30.1
billion (f.o.b., 2000) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
machinery
and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals,
motor vehicles, textiles |
| Imports
- partners: |
US
25%, Japan 10%, Germany 7%, Italy 5%,
France, UK (1999) |
| Debt
- external: |
$26.3
billion (2000 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 |
| Currency: |
Saudi
riyal (SAR) |
| Exchange
rates: |
Saudi
riyals per US dollar - 3.7450 (fixed rate
since June 1986) |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar
year |
| 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: |
400,000
(2001) |
| Railways: |
total:
1,390 km
standard gauge: 1,390 km
1.435-m gauge (448 km double-track) (1992) |
| Highways: |
total:
146,524 km
paved: 44,104 km
unpaved: 102,420 km (1997
est.) |
| 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
1,154,619 GRT/1,533,732 DWT
ships by type: cargo 11,
chemical tanker 8, container 5, liquefied
gas 1, livestock carrier 3, passenger 1,
petroleum tanker 18, refrigerated cargo 3,
roll on/roll off 13, short-sea passenger 8
(2000 est.) |
| Airports: |
206
(2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
70
over 3,047 m: 31
2,438 to 3,047 m: 11
1,524 to 2,437 m: 23
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total:
136
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 77
914 to 1,523 m: 39
under 914 m: 15 (2000 est.) |
| Disputes
- international: |
a
final border resolution was agreed to with
Qatar in March of 2001; location and
status of boundary with UAE is not final,
de facto boundary reflects a 1974
agreement; a June 2000 treaty delimited
the boundary with Yemen, but final
demarcation requires adjustments based on
tribal considerations |
| Illicit
drugs: |
death
penalty for traffickers; increasing
consumption of heroin and cocaine |
|
