: no perennial rivers or permanent water bodies; developing
extensive coastal seawater desalination facilities; desertification

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

- People
Population: 17,115,728 (July 1990), growth rate 4.4% (1990); note--the
population figure is based on growth since the last official Saudi census of
1974 reported a total of 7 million persons and includes foreign workers, while
estimates from other sources may be 15-30% lower

Birth rate: 37 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Net migration rate: 13 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Infant mortality rate: 71 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth: 64 years male, 67 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate: 6.8 children born/woman (1990)

Nationality: noun--Saudi(s); adjective--Saudi or Saudi Arabian

Ethnic divisions: 90% Arab, 10% Afro-Asian

Religion: 100% Muslim

Language: Arabic

Literacy: 52%

Labor force: 4,200,000; about 60% are foreign workers; 34% government,
28% industry and oil, 22% services, and 16% agriculture

Organized labor: trade unions are illegal

- Government
Long-form name: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Type: monarchy

Capital: Riyadh

Administrative divisions: 14 emirates (imarat, singular--imarah);
Al Bahah, Al Hudud ash Shamaliyah, Al Jawf, Al Madinah,
Al Qasim, Al Qurayyat, Ar Riyad, Ash Sharqiyah, Asir,
Hail, Jizan, Makkah, Najran, Tabuk

Independence: 23 September 1932 (unification)

Constitution: none; governed according to Sharia (Islamic law)

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

National holiday: Unification of the Kingdom, 23 September (1932)

Executive branch: monarch and prime minister, crown prince and deputy
prime minister, Council of Ministers

Legislative branch: none

Judicial branch: Supreme Council of Justice

Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government--King and Prime Minister
FAHD bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 13 June 1982);
Crown Prince and Deputy Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al
Saud (half-brother to the King, appointed heir to the throne 13 June 1982)

Suffrage: none

Elections: none

Communists: negligible

Member of: Arab League, CCC, FAO, G-