Saudi Arabia

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; المملكة العربية السعودية; al-Mamlakah al-‘Arabīyah as-Su‘ūdīyah
Flag	Emblem
	Motto: "لا إله إلا الله, محمد رسول الله "; "There is no god but Allah: Muhammad is the Messenger of God." (Shahada)
	Anthem: "as-Salām al-Malakiyy"; "Long live the King"
Capital; and largest city	Riyadh; 24°39′N 46°46′E / 24.65°N 46.767°E
Official languages	Arabic
Demonym	Saudi Arabian, Saudi (informal)
Government	Unitary Islamic; absolute monarchy
Legislature	None - legislation by king's decree.
Establishment
Area
Population
GDP (PPP)	2011 estimate
GDP (nominal)	2011 estimate
HDI (2011)	0.770; high · 56th
Currency	Saudi riyal (SR) (SAR)
Time zone	AST (UTC+3)
Drives on the	right
Calling code	+966
Internet TLD	.sa, السعودية.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Arabic: المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Saʻūdiyya) is a Muslim country in the Middle East. It is a kingdom ruled by the Al Saud royal family. Much of the world's crude oil supply comes from Saudi Arabia.^[6] Because of this, the Saudi royal family is very rich.^[6]

Sunni Islam is the state religion.^[7] Even though the government does not forbid practicing any religion in private, the practice of non-Islamic religions in public is forbidden.^[8] The Hanbali school of faith has a big influence. In the opinion of some, Al-Wahhab's teachings have become the dominant form of Islam in Saudi Arabia.^[9]

Saudi Arabia is the largest state in western Asia by land area (most of the Arabian Peninsula) and the second-largest in the Arab World. It has an estimated population of 27 million, of which 8.8 million are registered foreign expatriates and an estimated 1.5 million are illegal immigrants. Saudi nationals comprise an estimated 16 million people.^[10]

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was founded by Abdul-Aziz bin Saud (known for most of his career as Ibn Saud) in 1932. The conquests which eventually led to the creation of the Kingdom began in 1902 when he captured Riyadh, the ancestral home of his family, the House of Saud. The Saudi Arabian government, which is an absolute monarchy, refers to its system of government as being Islamic. It has a strong basis in Wahhabism, a minority school of thought in Islam. The kingdom is sometimes called "The Land of the Two Holy Mosques" in reference to Masjid al-Haram (in Mecca), and Masjid al-Nabawi (in Medina), the two holiest places in Islam.

Saudi Arabia has the world's largest petroleum reserves and is the world's largest oil exporter.^[11] Oil accounts for more than 90% of exports and nearly 75% of government revenues, facilitating the creation of a welfare state.^[12] However, human rights groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have expressed concern about the state of human rights in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia has cities that are important to the Muslim religion. Many Muslims from around the world visit Mecca in Saudi Arabia to make a pilgrimage. The pilgrimage is one of the "pillars of Islam". Other big cities are Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam. The pilgrimage is called hajj in the Arabic language. Somebody who makes a pilgrimage to Mecca is called a hajj in the Arabic language. People who are not Muslim are not allowed to enter Mecca.

Most people speak the Arabic language. Many people from other countries work in Saudi Arabia. They are called guest workers or expats.

The money, or currency is called the Saudi Riyal.

Politics[change | change source]

Verses from the Quran. The Quran is the official constitution of the country and a primary source of law. Arabia is unique in enshrining a religious text as a political document

Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy.^[13] The king must comply with Sharia (that is, Islamic law) and the Quran. The Quran and the Sunnah (the traditions of Muhammad) are said to be the country's constitution. No political parties or national elections are permitted.

Saudi Arabia joined the United Nations in 1945^[14] It is a founder member of the Arab League.^[15] In 2005 they joined the World Trade Organization.

Women[change | change source]

On 25 September 2011, Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah said that women will have the right to stand and vote in future local elections. They can also join the advisory Shura council as full members.^[16]

Saudi Arabia is known for its lack of rights for women. It is illegal for women to drive in Saudi Arabia. It is the only country in the world to have this law.^[17] Until 2013 women were not allowed to ride bicycles.^[18] All women must have a man who protects them under the law (a guardian). They can not work, go to school, open a bank account, or get health treatment unless their guardian lets them. Only 17% of workers are women.^[19] Women must wear abaya in public. These are cloaks that cover the body, hair, and face. They are usually black. Men are allowed to have up to four wives but women are not allowed more than one husband.

Geography[change | change source]

The Nejd landscape: desert and the Tuwaiq Escarpment near Riyadh

Saudi Arabia is home to the largest mass of sand^[20] on earth, known as the Rub-al Khali desert (Rub-al Khali means "empty quarter"). The temperature is very hot. There are almost no rivers or lakes in the country. There are many wadis.

The countries of Yemen and Oman are south of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is west of Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Iraq, and Jordan. All of these countries, except Jordan and Iraq, make the Arabian Peninsula.

Animal life includes wolves, hyenas, mongooses, baboons, hares, sand rats, and jerboas. There used to be many larger animals such as gazelles, oryx, and leopards. By the 1950s hunting from motor vehicles made these animals almost extinct. Birds include falcons (which are caught and trained for hunting), eagles, hawks, vultures, sand grouse and bulbuls. There are several species of snakes, many of which are venomous, and numerous types of lizards. There is a wide variety of marine life in the Persian Gulf. Domesticated animals include camels, sheep, goats, donkeys, and chickens.

Because it is mostly a desert Saudi Arabia’s plant life is mostly small herbs and shrubs tht need little water. There are a few small areas of grass and trees in southern Asir. The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) is widespread.

Provinces[change | change source]

Saudi Arabia is divided into 13 provinces.^[21] The provinces are divided into 118 governorates.

	Region	Capital
Provinces of Saudi Arabia
	Al Bahah (or Baha)	Al Bahah city
	Northern Border	Arar
	Al Jawf (or Jouf)	Sakaka city
	Al Madinah	Medina
	Al Qasim	Buraidah
	Ha'il	Ha'il city
	Asir	Abha
	Eastern Province	Dammam
	Al Riyadh	Riyadh city
	Tabuk	Tabuk city
	Najran	Najran city
	Makkah	Mecca
	Jizan	Jizan city

Cities[change | change source]

These are the largest cities in Saudi Arabia.

Largest cities by population (2007)	mill.
Riyadh	8.7
Jeddah	4.6
Mecca	1.7
Medina	1.3	Riyadh	Jeddah	Mecca
Dammam	2.5
Ta'if	0.7
Buraydah	0.6
Tabuk	0.5
Abha	0.4
Khamis Mushait	0.4	Medina	Dammam	Abha