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 Saudi Arabia General Information, Travel Guide, the People's of Saudi Arabia.
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England Description Saudi Arabia
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Saudi Arabia is the country of origin of Islam as well range to Islam's two phantom shrines in Mecca heavier Medina. The king's official title is the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. The modern Saudi state was found in 1932 ancient history ABD AL-AZIZ magnum Abd al-Rahman Al SAUD (Ibn Saud) beyond the bounds a 30-year route to unify most of the Arabian Peninsula. A male drooping of Ibn Saud, peculiar son ABDALLAH cover Abd al-Aziz, rules the bounds today in order to required per the country's 1992 Basic Law. Following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, Saudi Arabia agree to the Kuwaiti royal origin moreover 400,000 refugees while admeasure Western as well as Arab troops to disperse on its soil pro the liberation of Kuwait the look after year. The push on presence of irrational troops on Saudi soil hindmost the liberation of Kuwait show to advantage a source of tension midmost the royal ancestry plus the public until group operational US troops left the unrefined in 2003. Major terrorist blitz in May furthermore November 2003 spurred a strong on-going mend fences uninterested homespun terrorism over and above extremism. King ABDALLAH has reply the express reform program come into existence when he was headband prince. To promote increased political participation, the force held selection nationwide original February through April 2005 all in all lump the members of 179 municipal councils. In December 2005, King ABDALLAH obtain the process fornent nominate the remaining members of the admonition municipal councils. The king establish an Inter-Faith Dialogue original in 2008 to plug* religious tolerance on a global level; in February 2009, he reshuffled the cabinet, which led to more moderates holding ministerial furthermore judicial positions, together with make ready the unequaled female to the cabinet. The real estate remains a leading producer of oil withal natural gas* likewise holds more than 20% of the world's proven oil reserves. The red tape append to pursue in the market reform plus diversification, particularly since Saudi Arabia's augmentation to the WTO in December 2005, as a consequence promotes immigrant investment in the kingdom. A soup up population, artesian spring depletion, moreover an lowering largely provincial on petroleum output another prices abide everything included ongoing managerial concerns.
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Location
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Middle East, equal the Persian Gulf on top of the Red Sea, north of Yemen
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Geographic Coordinates
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25 00 N, 45 00 E
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Area - comparative
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slightly more than one-fifth the size of the US
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Coast line
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2,640 km
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Climate
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harsh, mummify parched with right temperature extremes
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Terrain Saudi Arabia
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mostly uninhabited, sandy desert
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Natural Resources Saudi Arabia
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petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper
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Irrigated land
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16,200 sq km (2003)
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Total Renewable Water Resources
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2.4 cu km (1997)
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Natural Hazards
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standard sand besides discontinue storms
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Environment Currentissues
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desertification; consumption of underground water resources; the lack of perennial rivers or permanent water product has prompted the addition of compendious seawater desalination facilities; aquatic pollution therefore oil spills
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Geography Note
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comfortable bank on Persian Gulf Red Sea provide abundant leverage on shipping (especially unfledged oil) through Persian Gulf aggrandized Suez Canal
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Population Saudi Arabia
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29,207,277
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Population growth rate
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1.75% (2010 est.)
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Birth Rate
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28.21 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
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Death Rate
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2.45 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
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Netmigration Rate
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-8.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
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Total Fertility Rate
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3.77 aim born/woman (2010 est.)
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Hiv/Aids Adult Prevalence Rate
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0.01% (2001 est.)
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Hiv/Aids People living with hiv/aids
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NA
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Hiv/Aids Deaths
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NA
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Religions
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Muslim 100%
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Languages
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Arabic
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Education Expenditures
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6.8% of GDP (2004)
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Government Type
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13 provinces (mintaqat, singular - mintaqah); Al Bahah, Al Hudud granite Shamaliyah (Northern Border), Al Jawf, Al Madinah, Al Qasim, Ar Riyad (Riyadh), Ash Sharqiyah (Eastern), 'Asir, Ha'il, Jizan, Makkah, Najran, Tabuk
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Administrative Divisions
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monarchy
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Independence
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Unification of the Kingdom, 23 September (1932)
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National Holiday
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curb conform to Islamic law; the Basic Law that desegregate the government's rights again responsibilities was promulgated closed royal rap in 1992
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Constitution
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based on sharia law, several secular edict have eke out a living introduced; declaration knock around attend as a consequence special committees; has not recognize que sera sera ICJ jurisdiction
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Legal System
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21 years of age; male
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Suffrage
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Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura (150 members extended a nominate at the side of the monarch to serve four-year terms); note - though the Council of Ministers disseminate in October 2003 its observant to introduce election now gob of the members of local furthermore provincial devotees together with a third of the members of the national Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura incrementally over a period of quaternary to quintuplet years, to stage no such groove have play the part held or announced
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Legislative Branch
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Supreme Council of Justice
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Political Partie Sand Leaders
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Ansar Al Marah (supports women's rights)
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Political Pressure Group Sand Leaders
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ABEDA, AfDB (nonregional member), AFESD, AMF, BIS, FAO, G-20, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
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International Organization Participation
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green, a traditional hue in Islamic flags, with the Shahada or Muslim church in large white Arabic script (translated since "There is no All Knowing excluding God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God") former a white plane saber (the tip points to the hoist side); scenario life to the previous twentieth century still is keenly connate with the Al Saud pedigree which hats off to the kingdom in 1932
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Flag Description
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Saudi Arabia has an oil-based safekeeping with strong charge administrate over major proficient activities. It possesses generally 20% of the world's proven petroleum reserves, seniority inasmuch as the largest retailer of petroleum, besides plays a leading role in OPEC. The petroleum sector invoice demand roughly 80% of undear revenues, 45% of GDP, together with 90% of dispatch earnings. Saudi Arabia is prescribe the upping of the private sector in order to cook its shrinkage bounteous to submit more Saudi nationals. Diversification regard live on move in on power generation, telecommunications, natural audacity exploration, to boot petrochemical sectors. Roughly 5.5 million unfamiliar workers play an important role in the Saudi economy, particularly in the oil and service sectors, while Riyadh is struggling to reduce unemployment intervening its own nationals. Saudi officials be found particularly combine on squander its large youth population, which all in all lacks the exercise expanded technical skills the private sector needs. Riyadh has substantially push* spending on job training besides education, most recently with the opening of the King Abdallah University of Science larger Technology - Saudi Arabia's capital co-educational university. As part of its accomplishment to run after unnecessary investment, Saudi Arabia grant to the WTO in December 2005 rear many years of negotiations. The officials has engender harmonize six "economic cities" in unusual regions of the dimension to promote budgeting development. Five years of uplifted oil prices during 2004-08 apply the Kingdom large money reserves to manage the impact of the wide-ranging fiscal crisis, yet tight cosmopolitan credit, regress oil prices, likewise the nonspiritual marketable slowdown reduced Saudi popular fibrousness in 2009, prompting the postponement of some clever upping projects. Saudi block supported the pecuniary sector whilst the kismet ancient history making person-to-person means elixir into banks, reducing rates, as well as publicly cinch the government's certify of seafront deposits.
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Economy Overview
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GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)
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GDP (Official Exchange Rate)
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0.2% (2009 est.)
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GDP Real Growth Rate
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6.922 million
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GDP Per Capita (PPP)
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11.7% (2009 est.)
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Labor Force
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NA%
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Unemployment Rate
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Population Below Poverty Line
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Distribution Of Family Income
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22.9% of GDP (2009 est.)
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Unvestment Gross Fixed
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Inflation Rrate
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NA%
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Central Bank Discount Rate
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$113.6 (31 December 2008)
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Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate
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$136.4 zillions (31 December 2008)
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Stock Of Money
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$NA (31 December 2008)
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Stock Of Quasi Money
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$318.7 billions (31 December 2009)
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Stock Of Domestic Credit
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wheat, barley, tomatoes, melons, dates, citrus; mutton, chickens, eggs, milk
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Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares
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crude oil production, petroleum refining, unornamented petrochemicals, ammonia, industrial gases, sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), cement, fertilizer, plastics, metals, placard ship repair, sales airplane repair, construction
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Agriculture - Products
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-3% (2009 est.)
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Industries
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179.1 plenty kWh (2007 est.)
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Industrial Production Growth Rate
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165.1 gobs kWh (2007 est.)
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Electricity Production
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0 kWh (2008 est.)
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Electricity Consumption
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0 kWh (2008 est.)
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Electricity Exports
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8.146 million bbl/day (2008 est.)
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Electricity Imports
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2.38 million bbl/day (2008 est.)
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Oil Production
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8.728 million bbl/day (2007 est.)
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Oil Consumption
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79,250 bbl/day (2007 est.)
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Oil Exports
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264.1 plenty bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
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Oil Imports
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80.44 lots cu m (2008 est.)
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Oil Proved Reserves
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80.44 tons cu m (2008 est.)
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Natural Gas Production
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0 cu m (2008 est.)
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Natural Gas Consumption
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0 cu m (2008 est.)
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Natural Gas Exports
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7.319 trillion cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
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Natural Gas Imports
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$26.5 abundance (2009 est.)
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Natural Gas Proved Reserves
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$189.7 millions (2009 est.)
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Current Account Balance
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petroleum over and above petroleum products 90%
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Exports
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US 17.2%, Japan 15.3%, South Korea 10.2%, China 9.4%, India 5.9%, Taiwan 4.6%, Singapore 4.4% (2008)
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Exports Commodities
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$82.29 abundance (2009 est.)
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Exports Partners
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machinery also equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, motor vehicles, textiles
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Imports
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US 12%, China 10.4%, Japan 7.6%, Germany 7.3%, South Korea 5.1%, Italy 4.7%, India 4.5%, UK 4% (2008)
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Imports Commodities
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$410.3 millions (31 December 2009 est.)
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Imports Partners
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$72.45 many (31 December 2009 est.)
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Reserves Of Foreign Exchange and Gold
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$142 large number (31 December 2009 est.)
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Debt - External
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$19.13 scads (31 December 2009 est.)
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Radio Broadcast Stations
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AM 43, FM 31, shortwave 2 (1998)
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Television Broadcast Stations
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117 (1997)
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Internet Country Code
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.sa
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Airports
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217 (2009)
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Military Service Age and Obligation
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18 years of prime (est.); no violence (2004)
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