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Compare Saudi Arabia (2001) - Syria (2001)

Compare Saudi Arabia (2001) z Syria (2001)

 Saudi Arabia (2001)Syria (2001)
 Saudi ArabiaSyria
Administrative divisions 13 provinces (mintaqat, singular - mintaqah); Al Bahah, Al Hudud ash Shamaliyah, Al Jawf, Al Madinah, Al Qasim, Ar Riyad, Ash Sharqiyah (Eastern Province), 'Asir, Ha'il, Jizan, Makkah, Najran, Tabuk 14 provinces (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Hasakah, Al Ladhiqiyah, Al Qunaytirah, Ar Raqqah, As Suwayda', Dar'a, Dayr az Zawr, Dimashq, Halab, Hamah, Hims, Idlib, Rif Dimashq, Tartus
Age structure 0-14 years:
42.52% (male 4,932,465; female 4,743,908)

15-64 years:
54.8% (male 7,290,840; female 5,179,393)

65 years and over:
2.68% (male 334,981; female 275,505) (2001 est.)
0-14 years:
39.92% (male 3,440,060; female 3,238,576)

15-64 years:
56.87% (male 4,868,816; female 4,644,870)

65 years and over:
3.21% (male 261,036; female 275,450) (2001 est.)
Agriculture - products wheat, barley, tomatoes, melons, dates, citrus; mutton, chickens, eggs, milk wheat, barley, cotton, lentils, chickpeas, olives, sugar beets; beef, mutton, eggs, poultry, milk
Airports 206 (2000 est.) 100 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total:
70

over 3,047 m:
31

2,438 to 3,047 m:
11

1,524 to 2,437 m:
23

914 to 1,523 m:
3

under 914 m:
2 (2000 est.)
total:
24

over 3,047 m:
5

2,438 to 3,047 m:
16

914 to 1,523 m:
1

under 914 m:
2 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total:
136

2,438 to 3,047 m:
5

1,524 to 2,437 m:
77

914 to 1,523 m:
39

under 914 m:
15 (2000 est.)
total:
76

1,524 to 2,437 m:
2

914 to 1,523 m:
11

under 914 m:
63 (2000 est.)
Area total:
1,960,582 sq km

land:
1,960,582 sq km

water:
0 sq km
total:
185,180 sq km

land:
184,050 sq km

water:
1,130 sq km

note:
includes 1,295 sq km of Israeli-occupied territory
Area - comparative slightly more than one-fifth the size of the US slightly larger than North Dakota
Background In 1902 Abdul al-Aziz Ibn SAUD captured Riyadh and set out on a 30-year campaign to unify the Arabian peninsula. In the 1930s, the discovery of oil transformed the country. Following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, Saudi Arabia accepted the Kuwaiti royal family and 400,000 refugees while allowing Western and Arab troops to deploy on its soil for the liberation of Kuwait the following year. A burgeoning population, aquifer depletion, and an economy largely dependent on petroleum output and prices are all major governmental concerns. Following the breakup of the Ottoman Empire during World War I, Syria was administered by the French until independence in 1946. In the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Syria lost the Golan Heights to Israel. Since 1976, Syrian troops have been stationed in Lebanon, ostensibly in a peacekeeping capacity. In recent years, Syria and Israel have held occasional peace talks over the return of the Golan Heights.
Birth rate 37.34 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) 30.64 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Budget revenues:
$66 billion

expenditures:
$66 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
revenues:
$2.25 billion

expenditures:
$5.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
Capital Riyadh Damascus
Climate harsh, dry desert with great extremes of temperature mostly desert; hot, dry, sunny summers (June to August) and mild, rainy winters (December to February) along coast; cold weather with snow or sleet periodically hitting Damascus
Coastline 2,640 km 193 km
Constitution governed according to Shari'a (Islamic law); the Basic Law that articulates the government's rights and responsibilities was introduced in 1993 13 March 1973
Country name 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
conventional long form:
Syrian Arab Republic

conventional short form:
Syria

local long form:
Al Jumhuriyah al Arabiyah as Suriyah

local short form:
Suriyah

former:
United Arab Republic (with Egypt)
Currency Saudi riyal (SAR) Syrian pound (SYP)
Death rate 5.94 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) 5.21 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Debt - external $26.3 billion (2000 est.) $22 billion (2000 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission:
Ambassador Wyche FOWLER, Jr.

embassy:
Collector Road M, Diplomatic Quarter, Riyadh

mailing address:
American Embassy Riyadh, Unit 61307, APO AE 09803-1307; International Mail: P. O. Box 94309, Riyadh 11693

telephone:
[966] (1) 488-3800

FAX:
[966] (1) 488-7360

consulate(s) general:
Dhahran, Jiddah (Jeddah)
chief of mission:
Ambassador Ryan C. CROCKER

embassy:
Abou Roumaneh, Al-Mansur Street, No. 2, Damascus

mailing address:
P. O. Box 29, Damascus

telephone:
[963] (11) 333-2814

FAX:
[963] (11) 224-7938
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission:
Ambassador BANDAR bin Sultan bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud

chancery:
601 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037

telephone:
[1] (202) 342-3800

consulate(s) general:
Houston, Los Angeles, and New York
chief of mission:
Ambassador Rustum al-ZU'BI

chancery:
2215 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:
[1] (202) 232-6313

FAX:
[1] (202) 234-9548
Disputes - international a final border resolution was agreed to with Qatar in March of 2001; location and status of boundary with UAE is not final, de facto boundary reflects a 1974 agreement; a June 2000 treaty delimited the boundary with Yemen, but final demarcation requires adjustments based on tribal considerations Golan Heights is Israeli occupied; dispute with upstream riparian Turkey over Turkish water development plans for the Tigris and Euphrates rivers; Syrian troops in northern, central, and eastern Lebanon since October 1976
Economic aid - donor pledged $100 million in 1993 to fund reconstruction of Lebanon; since 1993, Saudi Arabia has committed $208 million for assistance to the Palestinians -
Economic aid - recipient - $199 million (1997 est.)
Economy - overview This is an oil-based economy with strong government controls over major economic activities. Saudi Arabia has the largest reserves of petroleum in the world (26% of the proved reserves), ranks as the largest exporter of petroleum, and plays a leading role in OPEC. The petroleum sector accounts for roughly 75% of budget revenues, 40% of GDP, and 90% of export earnings. About 35% of GDP comes from the private sector. Roughly 5 million foreign workers play an important role in the Saudi economy, for example, in the oil and service sectors. Saudi Arabia was a key player in the successful efforts of OPEC and other oil producing countries to raise the price of oil in 1999-2000 to its highest level since the Gulf war by reducing production. Riyadh expects to have a moderate budget deficit in 2001, in part because of increased spending for education and other social programs. The government in 1999 announced plans to begin privatizing the electricity companies, which follows the ongoing privatization of the telecommunications company. The government is expected to continue calling for private sector growth to lessen the kingdom's dependence on oil and increase employment opportunities for the swelling Saudi population. Shortages of water and rapid population growth will constrain government efforts to increase self-sufficiency in agricultural products. Syria's predominantly statist economy is on a shaky footing because of Damascus's failure to implement extensive economic reform. The dominant agricultural sector remains underdeveloped, with roughly 80% of agricultural land still dependent on rain-fed sources. Although Syria has sufficient water supplies in the aggregate at normal levels of precipitation, the great distance between major water supplies and population centers poses serious distribution problems. The water problem is exacerbated by rapid population growth, industrial expansion, and increased water pollution. Private investment is critical to the modernization of the agricultural, energy, and export sectors. Oil production is leveling off, and the efforts of the nonoil sector to penetrate international markets have fallen short. Syria's inadequate infrastructure, outmoded technological base, and weak educational system make it vulnerable to future shocks and hamper competition with neighbors such as Jordan and Israel. The government recognizes the need to open the economy to additional domestic and foreign investment.
Electricity - consumption 111.6 billion kWh (1999) 16.684 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (1999) 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (1999) 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - production 120 billion kWh (1999) 17.94 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel:
100%

hydro:
0%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
fossil fuel:
57.64%

hydro:
42.36%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
Elevation extremes lowest point:
Persian Gulf 0 m

highest point:
Jabal Sawda' 3,133 m
lowest point:
unnamed location near Lake Tiberias -200 m

highest point:
Mount Hermon 2,814 m
Environment - current issues desertification; depletion of underground water resources; the lack of perennial rivers or permanent water bodies has prompted the development of extensive seawater desalination facilities; coastal pollution from oil spills deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution from dumping of raw sewage and wastes from petroleum refining; inadequate supplies of potable water
Environment - international agreements party to:
Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection

signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:
Environmental Modification
Ethnic groups Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10% Arab 90.3%, Kurds, Armenians, and other 9.7%
Exchange rates Saudi riyals per US dollar - 3.7450 (fixed rate since June 1986) Syrian pounds per US dollar - 46 (2000), 46 (1998), 41.9 (January 1997)
Executive branch chief of state:
King and Prime Minister FAHD bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 13 June 1982); Crown Prince and First Deputy Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (half-brother to the monarch, heir to the throne since 13 June 1982, regent from 1 January to 22 February 1996); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government

head of government:
King and Prime Minister FAHD bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 13 June 1982); Crown Prince and First Deputy Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (half-brother to the monarch, heir to the throne since 13 June 1982, regent from 1 January to 22 February 1996); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government

cabinet:
Council of Ministers is appointed by the monarch and includes many royal family members

elections:
none; the monarch is hereditary
chief of state:
President Bashar al-ASAD (since 17 July 2000); Vice Presidents Abd al-Halim ibn Said KHADDAM (since 11 March 1984) and Muhammad Zuhayr MASHARIQA (since 11 March 1984)

head of government:
Prime Minister Muhammad Mustafa MIRU (since 13 March 2000), Deputy Prime Ministers Lt. Gen. Mustafa TALAS (since 11 March 1984), Khalid RA'D (since 13 March 2000), Muhammad NAJI 'UTRI (since 13 March 2000)

cabinet:
Council of Ministers appointed by the president

elections:
president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; referendum/election last held 10 July 2000 - after the death of President Hafez al-ASAD, father of Bashar al-ASAD - (next to be held NA 2007); vice presidents appointed by the president; prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president

election results:
Bashar al-ASAD elected president; percent of vote - Bashar al-ASAD 97.29%

note:
Hafiz al-ASAD died 10 June 2000; 20 June 2000 the Ba'th Party nominated Bashar al-ASAD for president and presented his name to the People's Council 25 June 2000
Exports $81.2 billion (f.o.b., 2000) $4.8 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Exports - commodities petroleum and petroleum products 90% petroleum 65%, textiles 10%, manufactured goods 10%, fruits and vegetables 7%, raw cotton 5%, live sheep 2%, phosphates 1% (1998 est.)
Exports - partners Japan 18%, US 18%, France 4%, South Korea, Singapore, India (1999) Germany 21%, Italy 12%, France 10%, Saudi Arabia 9%, Turkey 8% (1999 est.)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description green with large white Arabic script (that may be translated as There is no God but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God) above a white horizontal saber (the tip points to the hoist side); green is the traditional color of Islam three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black, with two small green five-pointed stars in a horizontal line centered in the white band; similar to the flag of Yemen, which has a plain white band, and of Iraq, which has three green stars (plus an Arabic inscription) in a horizontal line centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Egypt, which has a heraldic eagle centered in the white band
GDP purchasing power parity - $232 billion (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $50.9 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture:
6%

industry:
47%

services:
47% (1998 est.)
agriculture:
29%

industry:
22%

services:
49% (1997)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $10,500 (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $3,100 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 4% (2000 est.) 3.5% (2000 est.)
Geographic coordinates 25 00 N, 45 00 E 35 00 N, 38 00 E
Geography - note extensive coastlines on Persian Gulf and Red Sea provide great leverage on shipping (especially crude oil) through Persian Gulf and Suez Canal there are 42 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (August 1999 est.)
Heliports 5 (2000 est.) 2 (2000 est.)
Highways total:
146,524 km

paved:
44,104 km

unpaved:
102,420 km (1997 est.)
total:
41,451 km

paved:
9,575 km (including 877 km of expressways)

unpaved:
31,876 km (1997)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%:
NA%

highest 10%:
NA%
lowest 10%:
NA%

highest 10%:
NA%
Illicit drugs death penalty for traffickers; increasing consumption of heroin and cocaine a transit point for opiates and hashish bound for regional and Western markets
Imports $30.1 billion (f.o.b., 2000) $3.5 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Imports - commodities machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, motor vehicles, textiles machinery and equipment 23%, foodstuffs/animals 20%, metal and metal products 15%, textiles 10%, chemicals 10% (1998 est.)
Imports - partners US 25%, Japan 10%, Germany 7%, Italy 5%, France, UK (1999) France 11%, Italy 8%, Germany 7%, Turkey 5%, China 4% (1999 est.)
Independence 23 September 1932 (Unification of the Kingdom) 17 April 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration)
Industrial production growth rate 1% (1997 est.) NA%
Industries crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals, cement, construction, fertilizer, plastics petroleum, textiles, food processing, beverages, tobacco, phosphate rock mining
Infant mortality rate 51.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) 33.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 0.5% (2000) 1.5% (2000 est.)
International organization participation ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, BIS, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-19, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer) ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 42 (2001) 1 (2000)
Irrigated land 4,350 sq km (1993 est.) 9,060 sq km (1993 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Council of Justice Supreme Constitutional Court (justices are appointed for four-year terms by the president); High Judicial Council; Court of Cassation; State Security Courts
Labor force 7 million

note:
35% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (July 1998 est.)
4.7 million (1998 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 12%, industry 25%, services 63% (1999 est.) agriculture 40%, industry 20%, services 40% (1996 est.)
Land boundaries total:
4,415 km

border countries:
Iraq 814 km, Jordan 728 km, Kuwait 222 km, Oman 676 km, Qatar 60 km, UAE 457 km, Yemen 1,458 km
total:
2,253 km

border countries:
Iraq 605 km, Israel 76 km, Jordan 375 km, Lebanon 375 km, Turkey 822 km
Land use arable land:
2%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
56%

forests and woodland:
1%

other:
41% (1993 est.)
arable land:
28%

permanent crops:
4%

permanent pastures:
43%

forests and woodland:
3%

other:
22% (1993 est.)
Languages Arabic Arabic (official); Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian widely understood; French, English somewhat understood
Legal system based on Islamic law, several secular codes have been introduced; commercial disputes handled by special committees; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction based on Islamic law and civil law system; special religious courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch a consultative council (90 members and a chairman appointed by the monarch for four-year terms) unicameral People's Council or Majlis al-shaab (250 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections:
last held 30 November-1 December 1998 (next to be held NA 2002)

election results:
percent of vote by party - NPF 67%, non-NPF 33%; seats by party - NPF 167, independents 83; note - the constitution guarantees that the Ba'th Party (part of the NPF alliance) receive one-half of the seats
Life expectancy at birth total population:
68.09 years

male:
66.4 years

female:
69.85 years (2001 est.)
total population:
68.77 years

male:
67.63 years

female:
69.98 years (2001 est.)
Literacy definition:
age 15 and over can read and write

total population:
62.8%

male:
71.5%

female:
50.2% (1995 est.)
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write

total population:
70.8%

male:
85.7%

female:
55.8% (1997 est.)
Location Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Lebanon and Turkey
Map references Middle East Middle East
Maritime claims contiguous zone:
18 NM

continental shelf:
not specified

territorial sea:
12 NM
contiguous zone:
41 NM

territorial sea:
35 NM
Merchant marine total:
71 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,154,619 GRT/1,533,732 DWT

ships by type:
cargo 11, chemical tanker 8, container 5, liquefied gas 1, livestock carrier 3, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 18, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 13, short-sea passenger 8 (2000 est.)
total:
133 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 425,392 GRT/612,097 DWT

ships by type:
bulk 11, cargo 117, livestock carrier 4, roll on/roll off 1 (2000 est.)
Military branches Land Force (Army), Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, National Guard, Ministry of Interior Forces (paramilitary) Syrian Arab Army, Syrian Arab Navy, Syrian Arab Air Force, Syrian Arab Air Defense Forces, Police and Security Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure $18.3 billion (FY00) $921 million (FY00 est.); note - based on official budget data that may understate actual spending
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 13% (FY00) 5.9% (FY98)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49:
5,894,691 (2001 est.)
males age 15-49:
4,384,528 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49:
3,291,185 (2001 est.)
males age 15-49:
2,448,630 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - military age 17 years of age 19 years of age
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males:
233,402 (2001 est.)
males:
200,859 (2001 est.)
National holiday Unification of the Kingdom, 23 September (1932) Independence Day, 17 April (1946)
Nationality noun:
Saudi(s)

adjective:
Saudi or Saudi Arabian
noun:
Syrian(s)

adjective:
Syrian
Natural hazards frequent sand and dust storms dust storms, sandstorms
Natural resources petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper petroleum, phosphates, chrome and manganese ores, asphalt, iron ore, rock salt, marble, gypsum, hydropower
Net migration rate 1.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Pipelines crude oil 6,400 km; petroleum products 150 km; natural gas 2,200 km (includes natural gas liquids 1,600 km) crude oil 1,304 km; petroleum products 515 km
Political parties and leaders none allowed National Progressive Front or NPF (includes the Ba'th Party, ASU, Arab Socialist Party, Socialist Unionist Democratic Party, ASP, SCP) [President Bashar al-ASAD]; Arab Socialist Renaissance (Ba'th) Party (governing party) [Bashar al-ASAD, secretary general of the party, and chairman of the National Progressive Front after the death of Hafiz al-ASAD on 10 June 2000]; Arab Socialist Unionist Movement or ASU [Sami SOUFAN]; Arab Socialist Party [Abd al-Ghani KANNUT]; Socialist Unionist Democratic Party [Ahmad al-ASAD]; Syrian Arab Socialist Party or ASP [Safwan KOUDSI]; Syrian Communist Party or SCP [Yusuf FAYSAL]
Political pressure groups and leaders none conservative religious leaders; Muslim Brotherhood (operates in exile in Jordan and Yemen); non-Ba'th parties have little effective political influence
Population 22,757,092

note:
includes 5,360,526 non-nationals (July 2001 est.)
16,728,808

note:
in addition, there are about 38,200 people living in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights - 18,200 Arabs (16,500 Druze and 1,700 Alawites) and about 20,000 Israeli settlers (July 2001 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% 15%-25%
Population growth rate 3.27% (2001 est.) 2.54% (2001 est.)
Ports and harbors Ad Dammam, Al Jubayl, Duba, Jiddah, Jizan, Rabigh, Ra's al Khafji, Mishab, Ras Tanura, Yanbu' al Bahr, Madinat Yanbu' al Sinaiyah Baniyas, Jablah, Latakia, Tartus
Radio broadcast stations AM 43, FM 31, shortwave 2 (1998) AM 14, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios 6.25 million (1997) 4.15 million (1997)
Railways total:
1,390 km

standard gauge:
1,390 km 1.435-m gauge (448 km double track) (1992)
total:
2,750 km

standard gauge:
2,423 km 1.435-m gauge

narrow gauge:
327 km 1.050-m gauge

note:
rail link between Syria and Iraq replaced in 2000 (2000)
Religions Muslim 100% Sunni Muslim 74%, Alawite, Druze, and other Muslim sects 16%, Christian (various sects) 10%, Jewish (tiny communities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and Aleppo)
Sex ratio at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years:
1.41 male(s)/female

65 years and over:
1.22 male(s)/female

total population:
1.23 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
at birth:
1.06 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years:
1.05 male(s)/female

65 years and over:
0.95 male(s)/female

total population:
1.05 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Suffrage none 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment:
modern system

domestic:
extensive microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and fiber-optic cable systems

international:
microwave radio relay to Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Yemen, and Sudan; coaxial cable to Kuwait and Jordan; submarine cable to Djibouti, Egypt and Bahrain; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region)
general assessment:
fair system currently undergoing significant improvement and digital upgrades, including fiber-optic technology

domestic:
coaxial cable and microwave radio relay network

international:
satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region); 1 submarine cable; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey; participant in Medarabtel
Telephones - main lines in use 3.1 million (1998) 1.313 million (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular 1 million

note:
in 1998, the government contracted for the installation of 575,000 additional Group Speciale Mobile (GSM) cellular telephone lines over 15 months to raise the total number of subscribers to more than one million; Riyadh planned to further expand the GSM system in 1999 by adding an additional one million lines (1998)
NA
Television broadcast stations 117 (1997) 44 (plus 17 repeaters) (1995)
Terrain mostly uninhabited, sandy desert primarily semiarid and desert plateau; narrow coastal plain; mountains in west
Total fertility rate 6.25 children born/woman (2001 est.) 3.95 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate NA% 20% (2000 est.)
Waterways none 870 km (minimal economic importance)
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