rds:
frequent sand and dust storms
international agreements:
party to - Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not
ratified - Law of the Sea
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:
18,196,783 (July 1994 est.)
note:
the population figure is consistent with a 3.24% 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:
3.24% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
38.25 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
5.83 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
52.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
67.91 years
male:
66.25 years
female:
69.65 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.67 children born/woman (1994 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 est.)
total population:
62%
male:
73%
female:
48%
Labor force:
5 million-6 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 Suudiyah
local short form:
Al Arabiyah as Suudiyah
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, Hail, Jizan, Makkah, Najran, Tabuk
Independence:
23 September 1932 (unification)
National holiday:
Unification of the Kingdom, 23 September (1932)
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
Suffrage:
none
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government:
King and Prime Minister FAHD bin Abd al-Aziz Al