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Background: 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. As part of this effort, the government permitted elections - held nationwide from February through April 2005 - for half the members of 179 municipal councils. A burgeoning population, aquifer depletion, and an economy largely dependent on petroleum output and prices are all ongoing governmental concerns.
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Common Name: Saudi Arabia
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Local Official Name: Al Arabiyah as Suudiyah
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Abbreviated Name: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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Official Name: Al Mamlakah al Arabiyah as Suudiyah
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Official Script Name: Saudi Arabia
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Local Common Name: Saudi Arabia
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Former Name: Saudi Arabia
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Territory of: NA
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Head of State: King and Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud
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Government Type: monarchy
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Independence: 1932 September 23 (Unification of the Kingdom)
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Constitution: governed according to Shari'a law; the Basic Law that articulates the government's rights and responsibilities was introduced in 1993
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National Holiday: Unification of the Kingdom, 23 September
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International Organization Participation: ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, BIS, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, WToO
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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
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Dependent Areas: NA
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Legal System: based on Islamic law, several secular codes have been introduced; commercial disputes handled by special committees; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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Suffrage: 21 years
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Executive, Legislative and Judicial Branches: Executive Branch:
chief of state: King and Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 1 August 2005); Heir Apparent Crown Prince SULTAN bin Abd al- Aziz Al Saud (half brother of the monarch, born 5 January 1928) note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: King and Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 1 August 2005); Heir Apparent Crown Prince SULTAN bin Abd al- Aziz Al Saud (half brother of the monarch, born 5 January 1928) 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:
Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura (120 members and a chairman appointed by the monarch for four-year terms); 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 held nationwide from February through April 2005
Judicial Branch:
Supreme Council of Justice
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Party Leaders: none allowed
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International Disputes: despite resistance from nomadic groups, the demarcation of the Saudi Arabia-Yemen boundary established under the 2000 Jeddah Treaty is almost complete; Saudi Arabia still maintains the concrete-filled pipe as a security barrier along sections of the border with Yemen in 2004 to stem illegal cross-border activities; Kuwait and Saudi Arabia continue discussions on a maritime boundary with Iran; the United Arab Emirate 2006 Yearbook published a map and text rescinding the 1974 boundary with Saudi Arabia, as stipulated in a treaty filed with the UN in 1993, on the grounds that the agreement was not formally ratified
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Illicit Drugs: death penalty for traffickers; increasing consumption of heroin, cocaine, and hashish; improving anti-money-laundering legislation and enforcement
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Location of Saudi Arabia: Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen
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Continent: Middle East
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Land Area Total: 1,960,582 sq km
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Region: Middle Eastern |
Land Area Land: 1,960,582 sq km
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Capitol City: Riyadh
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Land Area Water: 0 sq km
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Current: +3
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Latitude: 025 00 N
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Border Boundary Land: 4,431 km
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Longitude: 045 00 E
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Border Boundary Coastline: 2,640 km
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Arable Land: 1.67 %
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Pastures: 0.00 %
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Crops: 0.09 %
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Woodlands and Forests: 0.00
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Highest Elevation: 3,133 m
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Location: Jabal Sawda'
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Lowest Elevation: 0 m
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Location: Persian Gulf
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Largest City in Saudi Arabia: Riyadh
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Riyadh Largest City Population: 3,183,000
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Threatened Species: 38
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Environmental 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
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Environmental Agreements: 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
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Irrigated Land: 16,200
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Bordering Countries: Iraq 814 km, Jordan 744 km, Kuwait 222 km, Oman 676 km, Qatar 60 km, UAE 457 km, Yemen 1,458 km
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Natural Resources: petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper
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Geographical Terrain: mostly uninhabited, sandy desert
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Comparative Area of Saudi Arabia: slightly more than one-fifth the size of the US
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Saudi Arabia's Geography: extensive coastlines on Persian Gulf and Red Sea provide great leverage on shipping (especially crude oil) through Persian Gulf and Suez Canal
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Click Here for detailed information about the weather conditions in Saudi Arabia.
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General Climate: harsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes
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Natural Hazards: frequent sand and dust storms
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Economic Overview: 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 5.5 million foreign workers play an important role in the Saudi economy, particularly, in the oil and service sectors. The government is encouraging private sector growth to lessen the kingdom's dependence on oil and increase employment opportunities for the swelling Saudi population. The government has begun to permit private sector and foreign investor participation in the power generation and telecom sectors. As part of its effort to attract foreign investment and diversify the economy, Saudi Arabia acceded to the WTO in 2005 after many years of negotiations. With high oil revenues enabling the government to post large budget surpluses, Riyadh has been able to substantially boost spending on job training and education, infrastructure development, and government salaries.
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GDP: $346,300,000,000 USD
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Currency: Saudi riyal
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GDP per Capita: $13,100 USD
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Currency Code: SAR
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GDP Growth Rate: 6.50 %
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One $USD Equals: %fincurrencyequals% SAR
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Currency Exchange Rate History: Saudi riyals per US dollar - 3.747 (2005), 3.75 (2004), 3.75 (2003), 3.75 (2002), 3.75 (2001)
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GDP of Agriculture: 3.30 %
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GDP of Industry: 61.30 %
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GDP of Services: 35.40 % |
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Inflation Rate: 0.40 % |
Population in Poverty: 0.00 %
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Unemployment Rate: 13.00 %
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Tourism: 3,700,000.00 visitors each year
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Consumption by lowest 10%: 0.00 %
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Budget Revenue in USD: $143,700,000,000 USD
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Consumption by upper 10%: 0.00 %
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Budget Expenditures in USD: $89,650,000,000 USD
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Electricity Production: 145,100,000,000 kWh
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Electricity Exports: 0 kWh
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Electricity Consumption: 134,900,000,000 kWh
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Electricity Imports: 0 kWh
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Electricity Production by Source:
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Fossil Fuel Electricity Production: 100.00%
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Nuclear Electricity Production: 0.00%
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Hydro Electricity Production: 0.00%
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Other Electricity Production: 0.00%
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Oil Production: 9,475,000 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Production: 60,060,000,000 cu m
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Oil Consumption: 1,775,000 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Consumption: 60,060,000,000 cu m
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Oil Exports: 7,920,000 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Exports: 0 cu m
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Oil Imports: 0 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Imports: 0 cu m
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Proven Oil Reserves: 262,700,000,000 barrels
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Proven Natural Gas Reserves: 6,544,000,000,000 cu m
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External Debt: $36,780,000,000 USD |
Received in economic aid: $0 USD
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Donated in economic aid: $548,000,000 USD
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Agricultural Products: wheat, barley, tomatoes, melons, dates, citrus; mutton, chickens, eggs, milk
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Primary Industries: crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals; ammonia, industrial gases, sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), cement, fertilizer, plastics; metals, commercial ship repair, commercial aircraft repair, construction
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Industrial Growth Rate: 5.30 %
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Import Amount in USD: $44,930,000,000 USD - machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, motor vehicles, textiles
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Import Partners: US 13%, Germany 9.5%, Japan 7.9%, China 7.3%, France 4.7%, Italy 4.2%
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Export Amount in USD: $165,000,000,000 USD - petroleum and petroleum products 90%
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Export Partners: US 16.4%, Japan 16.1%, South Korea 9.1%, China 6.9%, Singapore 5.1%, Taiwan 4.2%
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GINI Index: 0.00%
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Labor Force Number of People: 6,760,000
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Labor Force by Occupations: agriculture 12%, industry 25%, services 63%
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Radio Broadcast Stations: 76 |
Number of People with Radios: 6,250,000 |
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Television Broadcast Stations: 117 |
Number of People with Televisions: 5,100,000 |
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Number of People with Mainline Telephones: 3,800,000 |
Number of People with Mobile Phones: 13,300,000 |
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Internet Service Providers: 10,931 |
Internet Users: 2,540,000 |
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Internet Country Code: .sa |
Newspapers: 57 |
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Two Letter Country Code: SA |
Weights and Measures: |
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Phone Country Code: 966 |
Electricity Voltage: 127/220 Volts |
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Telephone Systems: 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)
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Highways: 45,461 km |
Railways: 1,392 km
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Gas And Oil Pipelines: 8,962 km |
Waterways: 0 km
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Airports: 73 |
Heliports: 6
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Motor Vehicles: 349 per 1,000 people |
CO2 Emissions: 266,069,000 Metric Tons of CO2 per year |
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Per capita CO2 emissions: 13.70 Metric Tons of CO2 per year |
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Merchant Marines: total: 60 ships (1000 GRT or over) 837,272 GRT/1,064,377 DWT
by type: cargo 5, chemical tanker 15, container 4, passenger/cargo 8, petroleum tanker 18, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 9
foreign-owned: 9 (Egypt 2, Kuwait 5, Sudan 1, UAE 1)
registered in other countries: 55 (Bahamas 12, Comoros 3, Dominica 3, French Southern and Antarctic Lands 1, Liberia 24, Marshall Islands 1, Norway 3, Panama 8)
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Ports and Harbors: Ad Dammam, Al Jubayl, Jiddah, Yanbu' al Sinaiyah
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Population: 27,019,731 people type - nationality |
Birth Rate: 29.34 births per 1,000 people |
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Population Density: 11.00 people per sq km |
Death Rate: 2.58 deaths per 1,000 people |
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Population Growth: 2.18% per year |
Fertility Rate per Women: 4.00 babies born per woman |
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Population Male 0-14: 5,261,530 |
Population Female 0-14: 5,059,041 |
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Population Male 15-64: 9,159,519 |
Population Female 15-64: 6,895,616 |
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Population Male 65+: 342,020 |
Population Female 65+: 302,005 |
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Population 0-14: 38.20% |
Literacy Rate: 78.80% |
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Population 15-64: 59.40% |
Literacy rate of Males: 84.70% |
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Population 65+: 2.40% |
Literacy rate of Females: 70.80% |
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Population that is Male: 60.00
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Population that is Female: 40.00% |
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Life expectancy at birth in years: 75.67 years |
Infant mortality rate - baby deaths per 1000 births: 12.81 Babies die per 1,000 births |
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Life expectancy at birth for Males: 73.66 years |
Life expectancy at birth for Females: 77.78 years |
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Rate of AIDS/HIV infection: 0.01%
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Number of people living with AIDS or HIV: 0
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Number of people who died of AIDS: 0 |
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Disease Risk:
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Diseases:
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Net Migration Rate per 1,000 people: -4.94
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Nationality: SAUDI OR SAUDI ARABIAN
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Ethnic Groups: Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10%
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Primary Language: Arabic
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Other Languages: Arabic
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Primary Religion: Muslim
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Other Religions: Muslim
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Branches: Land Forces (Army), Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, National Guard, Ministry of Interior Forces (paramilitary)
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Manpower Fit to Serve: 18 years
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Manpower Available: 6,182,821 People
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Manpower Fit to Serve: 11,252,056 People
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Amount of Manpower Available each Year: 481,834 People per year
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Expenditures: $0 USD per year
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Expenditures as a Percentage of GDP: 10.00
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Note: Phrasebase uses a variety of sources when compiling the facts and information presented above. This information is continually updated throughout the year.
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Saudi Arabia Spa and Resort Directory
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Saudi Arabia City Information Game Earn Real Money
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