Saudi Arabia

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Saudi Arabia's Information


Capital	Riyadh
Languages	Arabic (official)
Ethnic Groups	Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10%
Religion	Muslim (official; citizens are 85-90% Sunni and 10-15% Shia), other (includes Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, Roman Catholic, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, and Sikh) (2012 est.)
Government	Absolute monarchy
Independance	23 September 1932 (unification of the kingdom)
Area	2,149,690.00 km²
Land Area	2,149,690.00 km²
Population	28,160,273.00 Historically a population that was mostly nomadic or semi-nomadic, the Saudi population has become more settled since petroleum was discovered in the 1930s; most of the economic activities - and with it the country's population - is concentrated in a wide area across the middle of the peninsula, from Ad Dammam in the east, through Riyadh in the interior, to Mecca-Medina in the west near the Red Sea
Location	Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen
No. Bordering Countries	7
Bordering Countries	Iraq 811 km, Jordan 731 km, Kuwait 221 km, Oman 658 km, Qatar 87 km, UAE 457 km, Yemen 1,307 km
GDP(PPP)	$1,730,000,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$54,100.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its major export partners are China, Japan, and the United States.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are petroleum and petroleum products.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are China, the United States, and Germany.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, and chemicals.
Climate	Tropical; hot, humid; rainy season (May to November) has strong southeast winds; dry season (December to April) dominated by hot, dry, harmattan wind
Terrain	Mostly sandy desert

Where is Saudi Arabia?

Located in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia has a 4,272.00 km border with Iraq (811 km), Jordan (731 km), Kuwait (221 km), Oman (658 km), Qatar (87 km), UAE (457 km) and Yemen (1,307 km). It has a 2,640.00 km coastline. Saudi Arabia has reinforced its concrete-filled security barrier along sections of the now fully demarcated border with Yemen.

The Capital of Saudi Arabia is Riyadh. Riyadh has a population of 6 million people, making it the largest city in Saudi Arabia. Its location within Saudi Arabia is in its central regions, particularly the region of Najd. Geographically, Riyadh is located on a plateau. Its name is derived from the plural of the Arabic word "rawdah". It means "meadows". In a region that is known for desert, places with a water source are considered precious. Saudi Arabia has no permanent rivers within its borders. Riyadh was founded around Wadi Hanifah. A wadi is an ephemeral riverbed. It has water during times of heavy rain. In its prehistoric times, heavy rain did fall in the Najd region. The region was much drier when the Banu Hanifa arrived in the region (and for whom the Wadi Hanifah is named for). However, the areas along the wadis provided places more sustainable for agriculture and settlement compared to the deserts uniquitous to Saudi Arabia. It would be here that Riyadh would grow from.

Geography

Saudi Arabia has a mean elevation of 665 m above sea level.

It has a tropical climate with a rainy season from May to November and a dry season from December to April. Its terrain is mostly made up of sandy desert.

Population

Saudi Arabia has a population of 28,160,273 making it the 46th largest in the world. The majority of the population is concentrated around the middle of the peninsula.

Arabic is the official language. The majority ethnic group is Arab. The majority of the population is Muslim.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's name is a major indicator of which languages are spoken in this nation. Arabic is the official language spoken in Saudi Arabia. 95.6% of Saudi Arabia's population speaks Arabic. This gives Saudi Arabia the 3rd highest percentage of its population that speaks Arabic. Only Jordan and Tunisia have higher percentages of its population speaking Arabic.

Government

Saudi Arabia is an independent country. Its kingdom was unified in 1932. Its constitution was last ratified in 1992.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a monarchy. This is easily indicated by its official name, "Kingdom of Saudi Arabia". Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy. However, within that absolute monarchy, the Basic Law of Saudi Arabia was adopted in 1992. This is a type of compact that has elements of a constitution. It is written that the constitution of Saudi Arabia is "the Holy Quran and the Sunnah". The King of Saudi Arabia is required to rule under the guidelines of the Quran and Sharia law. A written constitution with legal precedent does not exist in Saudi Arabia. The King is the head of state in Saudi Arabia.

Economy

Factoring in Purchasing Power Parity, Saudi Arabia's GDP is $1,730,000,000,000.00 (USD) with $54,100.00 (USD) per capita. This makes it the 14th largest economy and its citizens the 20th richest in the world. The currency of Saudi Arabia is the Rial (SAR).

Its major export partners are China, Japan, and the United States. Its main exports are petroleum and petroleum products. Its major import partners are China, the United States, and Germany. Its major imports include machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, and chemicals.

Flag

?The flag of Saudi Arabia is a unique flag. It has one main color, green. On the Saudi Arabian flag is the shahada written in Arabic script. The shahada says "la 'ilaha illa-llah, muhhamadun rasulu-llah". This means "There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah". This inscription was recently used on the flag of Afghanistan. This is the Islamic creed. These words used on the Saudi Arabian flag reflect the nation's religion, Islam. Saudi Arabia's culture has been influenced by the Wahhabi sect of Islam. It Is the state religion of Saudi Arabia and this is reflected in the nation's flag.