Officially Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, kingdom (1995 est. pop.
18,730,000), 829,995 sq mi (2,149,690 sq km), SW Asia, occupying most of the
Arabian peninsula, bounded by Jordan, Iraq, and Kuwait (N), the Persian
Gulf, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (E), Yemen and Oman (S), and the
Red Sea (W). Riyadh is the capital, Jidda the principal port. Saudi Arabia
has five major physical regions: the great Rub al-Khali, a sand desert
occupying the entire south and southeast; the Nejd, a vast, barren plateau
in the center; the Hejaz and Asir, along the Red Sea, with mountains rising
from an arid coastal plain; and the Eastern Province, along the Persian
Gulf, site of the country's rich oil resources. The climate is usually hot
and dry, although the humidity along the coasts is high. Saudi Arabia has at
least one quarter of the world's oil reserves, and the oil industry
dominates the economy. Huge revenues from oil exports have been used to
diversify the industrial base; metals, chemicals, plastics, cement, and
fertilizer are now produced. Irrigation projects have reclaimed many acres
of desert, and grains, dates, citrus fruits, and vegetables are grown.
Nomadic Bedouins raise camels, sheep, goats, and horses. Income is also
derived from Muslim pilgrims who travel from all parts of the world to the
holy cities of Mecca and Medina. The overwhelming majority of the population
are Arabs who adhere to the Wahhabi sect of Islam, but 27% of the population
consists of resident foreigners. Arabic is the official language.
