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

*Saudi Arabia, People

Population:
17,615,310 (July 1993 est.)
note:
the population figure is consistent with a 3.3% growth rate; a 1992 census
gives the number of Saudi citizens as 12,304,835 and the number of residents
who are not citizens as 4,624,459
Population growth rate:
3.3% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
38.59 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
6.05 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
55.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
67.32 years male:
65.71 years
female:
69.01 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.7 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Saudi(s)
adjective:
Saudi or Saudi Arabian
Ethnic divisions:
Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10%
Religions:
Muslim 100%
Languages:
Arabic
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
total population:
62%
male:
73%
female:
48%
Labor force:
5 million
by occupation:
government 34%, industry and oil 28%, services 22%, agriculture 16%

*Saudi Arabia, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
conventional short form:
Saudi Arabia
local long form:
Al Mamlakah al 'Arabiyah as Su'udiyah
local short form:
Al 'Arabiyah as Su'udiyah
Digraph:
SA
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,
Ha'il, Jizan, Makkah, Najran, Tabuk
Independence:
23 September 1932 (unification)
Constitution: none; governed according to Shari'a (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)
Political parties and leaders:
none allowed
Suffrage:
none
Elections:
none
Executive branch:
monarch and prime minister, crown prince and deputy prime minister, Council
of Ministers
Legislative branch:
none
Judicial branch:
Supreme Council of Justic