Encyclopedia entry: Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia

Country statistics

area:

2,149,690sq km (829,995sq mi) 22,147,500

capital (population):

Riyadh (3,627,700)

government:

Absolute monarchy

ethnic groups:

Saudi 82%, Yemeni 10%, other Arab 3%

languages:

Arabic (official)

religions:

Wahhabi (Sunni) Muslim 95%, Shi'a Muslim 5%

currency:

Saudi riyal = 100 halalah

Arabic kingdom on the Arabian Peninsula, sw Asia. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia occupies about 75% of the Arabian peninsula in sw Asia. More than 95% of the land is desert. The Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea lie off the w coast. The w coastal lands divide into two main regions: the Hejaz (Arab. ‘boundary’) plain in the nw , which includes the holy cities of Mecca and Medina , ...

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