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

People

Population: 21,504,613 (July 1999 est.)
note: includes 5,321,938 non-nationals (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 43% (male 4,705,724; female 4,543,918)
15-64 years: 54% (male 6,925,020; female 4,783,570)
65 years and over: 3% (male 291,449; female 254,932) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.39% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 37.38 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 4.86 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: 1.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.45 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.14 male(s)/female
total population: 1.24 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 38.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.55 years
male: 68.67 years
female: 72.53 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.34 children born/woman (1999 est.)

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

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

Religions: Muslim 100%

Languages: Arabic

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 62.8%
male: 71.5%
female: 50.2% (1995 est.)

Government

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

Data code: SA

Government type: monarchy

Capital: Riyadh

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)