 |
Saudi-Arabia |
name: |
Kingdom of Saudi-Arabia, Al-Mamlakah al-'Arabiyah as-Sa'udiyah |
| location: |
Arabian Peninsula (takes 80% of the area) |
| area: |
2,24 Mio. sq km |
| number of inhabitants: |
22,9 Mio. |
| density of inhabitants: |
10 inhabitants per sq km |
| currency: |
Saudi Riyal to 100 Hallalas |
| capital: |
Riyadh (Riad), ca. 3 Mio. inhabitants |
|
| geography: |
north and south: desert
east: low-lying coast region, underlain by great petroleum deposits
inland: central plateau region, broken by a series of uplifts and wadis
west: mountain range, slope down to a narrow coastal plain, highest point Jabal Sawda (3,207 m/10,522 ft) |
climate: |
characteristic are heat and aridity, near the ocean sultry hot climate with low rainfall,
average temperature January/July in Riyadh: 14°/34°C,
average rainfall in Riyadh per year: 100 mm |
natural resources: |
sparse vegetation, because if aridity, coast regions are protected
high range of species (antelopes,
songbirds, wildcats, reptiles, insects)
|
|
| population: |
82% Arabs
10% Yemenis
8% others (e.g. worker)
| national language: |
Arabic (for business mainly English) |
| religion: |
99% Muslims (majority Sunni, Shia in the east) |
| birth rate/1000 people: |
35,1 |
| death rate/1000 people: |
4,7 |
| inhabitant growth/year: |
4 % |
| child mortality: |
2,3 % |
| inhabitants per doctor: |
523 |
|
education & culture |
94% of Saudi adult are literate, education free but not compulsory
|
|
| government: |
monarchy based on religion, head of the state is the king;
in March a bill of rights was established, increased the powers of provincial
governments and provided for a Consultative Council
|
structure: |
13 province (Al Bahah, Al Hudud ash Shamaliyah, Al Jawf, Al Madinah, Al Qasim, Ar Riyad,
Ash Sharqiyah, 'Asir, Ha'il, Jizan, Makkah, Najran, Tabuk) with districts and under districts
|
|
| economy: |
foundation member of the OPEC, ecomomy basic: petroleum and natural gas,
deposit of petroleum: 25 % of the world resources,
deposit of natural gas: 3,7 % of the world resources
|
economic ratio:
(stand 2002) |
| gross domestic product: |
about 172 billion US-$ |
 45 % services
48 % industry
7 % agriculture |
| growth rate: |
4,1 % |
| inflation rate: |
-0,6 % |
| revenue: |
33 billion US-$ |
| expenditures: |
44 billion US-$ |
| energy production: |
505 Mio. t ÖE |
| energy export |
400 Mio. t ÖE |
| energy consumption: |
104 Mio. t ÖE |
|
foreign trade: |
export: petroleum, natural gas, chemical products
import: machines, metals, vehicles, food, textiles
trading partners: arabic neightbour countries, the United States, Japan, the EU-Staates, South Korea and Singapore
|
|
| important cities: |
Riyadh, Jiddah, Mecca (the great Muslim pilgrimage centers), Medina (holy city and cultural center of Islam), Ad Dammam
|
sources: |
|
|
|
Saudi Arabian Desert
Camel Race
Mecca
Riyadh
source fotos: Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2003
| further links |
land:
others:
|
|
|
| book recommendation |
A partnership with amazon.de
|
|
|
|
