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Saudi Arabia:
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Other pages in this profile of Saudi Arabia:
People, Government, Economy, Communications & Transportation, Military & Transnational Issues.
People, Government, Economy, Communications & Transportation, Military & Transnational Issues.
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Background |
Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Islam and home to Islam's two holiest shrines in Mecca and Medina. The king's official title is the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. The modern Saudi state was founded in 1932 by ABD AL-AZIZ bin Abd al-Rahman AL SAUD (Ibn Saud) after a 30-year campaign to unify most of the Arabian Peninsula. A male descendent of Ibn Saud, his son ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz, rules the country today as required by the country's 1992 Basic Law. 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 the liberation of Kuwait became a source of tension between the royal family and the public until all operational US troops left the country in 2003. Major terrorist attacks in May and November 2003 spurred a strong on-going campaign against domestic terrorism and extremism. King ABDALLAH has continued the cautious reform program begun when he was crown prince. To promote increased political participation, the government held elections nationwide from February through April 2005 for half the members of 179 municipal councils. In December 2005, King ABDALLAH completed the process by appointing the remaining members of the advisory municipal councils. The country remains a leading producer of oil and natural gas and holds approximately 25% of the world's proven oil reserves. The government continues to pursue economic reform and diversification, particularly since Saudi Arabia's accession to the WTO in December 2005, and promotes foreign investment in the kingdom. A burgeoning population, aquifer depletion, and an economy largely dependent on petroleum output and prices are all ongoing governmental concerns. |
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Location |
Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen |
Geographic coordinates |
25 00 N, 45 00 E |
Map references |
Middle East |
Area |
total: 2,149,690 sq km land: 2,149,690 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative |
slightly more than one-fifth the size of the US |
Land boundaries |
total: 4,431 km border countries: Iraq 814 km, Jordan 744 km, Kuwait 222 km, Oman 676 km, Qatar 60 km, UAE 457 km, Yemen 1,458 km |
Coastline |
2,640 km |
Maritime claims |
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 18 nm continental shelf: not specified |
Climate |
harsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes |
Terrain |
mostly uninhabited, sandy desert |
Elevation extremes |
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m highest point: Jabal Sawda' 3,133 m |
Natural resources |
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper |
Land use |
arable land: 1.67% permanent crops: 0.09% other: 98.24% (2005) |
Irrigated land |
16,200 sq km (2003) |
Natural hazards |
frequent sand and dust storms |
Environment - current 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 |
Environment - international agreements |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution 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 |
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Copyright 2008 World Sites Atlas (sitesatlas.com) |