AREA: 2,240,000 sq km (864,869 sq miles).
POPULATION: 16,929,294 (1992).
POPULATION DENSITY: 7.6 per sq km.
CAPITAL: Riyadh. Population: 666,840 (1974).
GEOGRAPHY: Saudi Arabia occupies four-fifths of the Arabian
peninsula. It is bordered to the northwest by Jordan, to the north by Iraq and Kuwait, to
the east by the Gulf of Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman, and to the south
by Yemen. To the west lies the Red Sea.
Climate: Saudi Arabia has a desert climate. In Jeddah it
is warm for most of the year. Riyadh, which is inland, is hotter in summer and colder in
winter, when occasional heavy rainstorms occur. The Rub al Khali seldom receives rain,
making Saudi Arabia one of the driest countries in the world.
Required clothing: Tropical or lightweight clothing.
LANGUAGE: Arabic. English is spoken in business circles.
Religion: The majority of Saudi Arabians are Sunni Muslim, but
Shi’ites predominate in the Eastern Province.
TIME: GMT + 3.
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