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Compare Saudi Arabia (2005) - West Bank (2008)

Compare Saudi Arabia (2005) z West Bank (2008)

 Saudi Arabia (2005)West Bank (2008)
 Saudi ArabiaWest Bank
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 -
Age structure 0-14 years: 38.2% (male 5,149,960/female 4,952,138)


15-64 years: 59.4% (male 8,992,348/female 6,698,633)


65 years and over: 2.4% (male 334,694/female 289,826) (2005 est.)
0-14 years: 42.4% (male 551,243/female 524,800)


15-64 years: 54.2% (male 704,209/female 670,382)


65 years and over: 3.4% (male 36,175/female 49,118) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products wheat, barley, tomatoes, melons, dates, citrus; mutton, chickens, eggs, milk olives, citrus, vegetables; beef, dairy products
Airports 201 (2004 est.) 3 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 72


over 3,047 m: 32


2,438 to 3,047 m: 13


1,524 to 2,437 m: 23


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)
total: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 129


over 3047 m: 1


2,438 to 3,047 m: 5


1,524 to 2,437 m: 72


914 to 1,523 m: 39


under 914 m: 12 (2004 est.)
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Area total: 1,960,582 sq km


land: 1,960,582 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 5,860 sq km


land: 5,640 sq km


water: 220 sq km


note: includes West Bank, Latrun Salient, and the northwest quarter of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus; East Jerusalem and Jerusalem No Man's Land are also included only as a means of depicting the entire area occupied by Israel in 1967
Area - comparative slightly more than one-fifth the size of the US slightly smaller than Delaware
Background In 1902, ABD AL-AZIZ bin Abd al-Rahman Al Saud captured Riyadh and set out on a 30-year campaign to unify the Arabian Peninsula. A son of ABD AL-AZIZ rules the country today, and the country's Basic Law stipulates that the throne shall remain in the hands of the aging sons and grandsons of the kingdom's founder. 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. The continuing presence of foreign troops on Saudi soil after Operation Desert Storm remained a source of tension between the royal family and the public until the US military's near-complete withdrawal to neighboring Qatar in 2003. The first major terrorist attacks in Saudi Arabia in several years, which occurred in May and November 2003, prompted renewed efforts on the part of the Saudi government to counter domestic terrorism and extremism, which also coincided with a slight upsurge in media freedom and announcement of government plans to phase in partial political representation. A burgeoning population, aquifer depletion, and an economy largely dependent on petroleum output and prices are all ongoing governmental concerns. The September 1993 Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements provided for a transitional period of Palestinian self-rule in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Under a series of agreements signed between May 1994 and September 1999, Israel transferred to the Palestinian Authority (PA) security and civilian responsibility for Palestinian-populated areas of the West Bank and Gaza. Negotiations to determine the permanent status of the West Bank and Gaza stalled following the outbreak of an intifada in September 2000, as Israeli forces reoccupied most Palestinian-controlled areas. In April 2003, the Quartet (US, EU, UN, and Russia) presented a roadmap to a final settlement of the conflict by 2005 based on reciprocal steps by the two parties leading to two states, Israel and a democratic Palestine. The proposed date for a permanent status agreement was postponed indefinitely due to violence and accusations that both sides had not followed through on their commitments. Following Palestinian leader Yasir ARAFAT's death in late 2004, Mahmud ABBAS was elected PA president in January 2005. A month later, Israel and the PA agreed to the Sharm el-Sheikh Commitments in an effort to move the peace process forward. In September 2005, Israel unilaterally withdrew all its settlers and soldiers and dismantled its military facilities in the Gaza Strip and withdrew settlers and redeployed soldiers from four small northern West Bank settlements. Nonetheless, Israel controls maritime, airspace, and most access to the Gaza Strip. A November 2005 PA-Israeli agreement authorized the reopening of the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt under joint PA and Egyptian control. In January 2006, the Islamic Resistance Movement, HAMAS, won control of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC). The international community refused to accept the HAMAS-led government because it did not recognize Israel, would not renounce violence, and refused to honor previous peace agreements between Israel and the PA. HAMAS took control of the PA government in March 2006, but President ABBAS had little success negotiating with HAMAS to present a political platform acceptable to the international community so as to lift economic sanctions on Palestinians. The PLC was unable to convene throughout most of 2006 as a result of Israel's detention of many HAMAS PLC members and Israeli-imposed travel restrictions on other PLC members. Violent clashes took place between Fatah and HAMAS supporters in the Gaza Strip in 2006 and early 2007, resulting in numerous Palestinian deaths and injuries. ABBAS and HAMAS Political Bureau Chief MISHAL in February 2007 signed the Mecca Agreement in Saudi Arabia that resulted in the formation of a Palestinian National Unity Government (NUG) headed by HAMAS member Ismail HANIYA. However, fighting continued in the Gaza Strip, and in June, HAMAS militants succeeded in a violent takeover of all military and governmental institutions in the Gaza Strip. ABBAS dismissed the NUG and through a series of presidential decrees formed a PA government in the West Bank led by independent Salam FAYYAD. HAMAS rejected the NUG's dismissal and has called for resuming talks with Fatah, but ABBAS has ruled out negotiations until HAMAS agrees to a return of PA control over the Gaza Strip and recognizes the FAYYAD-led government. FAYYAD and his PA government initiated a series of security and economic reforms to improve conditions in the West Bank. ABBAS participated in talks with Israel's Prime Minister OLMERT and secured the release of some Palestinian prisoners and previously withheld customs revenue. During a November 2007 international meeting in Annapolis Maryland, ABBAS and OLMERT agreed to resume peace negotiations with the goal of reaching a final peace settlement by the end of 2008.
Birth rate 29.56 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) 30.99 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $104.8 billion


expenditures: $78.66 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)
revenues: $1.149 billion


expenditures: $2.31 billion


note: includes Gaza Strip (2006)
Capital Riyadh -
Climate harsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes temperate; temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm to hot summers, cool to mild winters
Coastline 2,640 km 0 km (landlocked)
Constitution governed according to Shari'a (Islamic law); the Basic Law that articulates the government's rights and responsibilities was introduced in 1993 -
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: none


conventional short form: West Bank
Death rate 2.62 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) 3.85 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $34.35 billion (2004 est.) $NA
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador James Curtis OBERWETTER


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) 488-3989


consulate(s) general: Dhahran, Jiddah (Jeddah)
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Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Turki al-Faysal 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
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Disputes - international despite resistance from nomadic groups, the demarcation of the Saudi Arabia-Yemen boundary established under the 2000 Jeddah Treaty is almost complete; Yemen protests Saudi erection of a concrete-filled pipe as a security barrier in 2004 to stem illegal cross-border activities in sections of the boundary; Kuwait and Saudi Arabia continue discussions on a maritime boundary with Iran; because the treaties have not been made public, the exact alignment of the boundary with the UAE is still unknown West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation; Israel continues construction of a "seam line" separation barrier along parts of the Green Line and within the West Bank; Israel withdrew from four settlements in the northern West Bank in August 2005; since 1948, about 350 peacekeepers from the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), headquartered in Jerusalem, monitor ceasefires, supervise armistice agreements, prevent isolated incidents from escalating, and assist other UN personnel in the region
Economic aid - donor pledged $100 million in 1993 to fund reconstruction of Lebanon; since 2000, Saudi Arabia has committed $307 million for assistance to the Palestinians; pledged $240 million to development in Afghanistan; pledged $1 billion in export guarantees and soft loans to Iraq -
Economic aid - recipient - $1.4 billion; (includes Gaza Strip) (2006 est.)
Economy - overview This is an oil-based economy with strong government controls over major economic activities. Saudi Arabia possesses 25% of the world's proven petroleum 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, 45% of GDP, and 90% of export earnings. About 40% of GDP comes from the private sector. Roughly five and a half million foreign workers play an important role in the Saudi economy, for example, in the oil and service sectors. The government in 1999 announced plans to begin privatizing the electricity companies, which follows the ongoing privatization of the telecommunications company. The government is encouraging private sector growth to lessen the kingdom's dependence on oil and increase employment opportunities for the swelling Saudi population. Priorities for government spending in the short term include additional funds for education and for the water and sewage systems. Economic reforms proceed cautiously because of deep-rooted political and social conservatism. The West Bank - the larger of the two areas comprising the Palestinian Authority (PA) - has experienced a general decline in economic conditions since the second intifada began in September 2000. The downturn has been largely a result of Israeli closure policies - the imposition of closures and access restrictions in response to security concerns in Israel - which disrupted labor and trading relationships. In 2001, and even more severely in 2002, Israeli military measures in PA areas resulted in the destruction of capital, the disruption of administrative structures, and widespread business closures. International aid of at least $1.14 billion to the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 2004 prevented the complete collapse of the economy and allowed some reforms in the government's financial operations. In 2005, high unemployment and limited trade opportunities - due to continued closures both within the West Bank and externally - stymied growth. Israel's and the international community's financial embargo of the PA when HAMAS ran the PA during March 2006 - June 2007 has interrupted the provision of PA social services and the payment of PA salaries. Since June the Fayyad government in the West Bank has restarted salary payments and the provision of services but would be unable to operate absent high levels of international assistance.
Electricity - consumption 128.5 billion kWh (2002) NA kWh
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2002) -
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2002) NA kWh
Electricity - production 138.2 billion kWh (2002) NA kWh; note - most electricity imported from Israel; East Jerusalem Electric Company buys and distributes electricity to Palestinians in East Jerusalem and its concession in the West Bank; the Israel Electric Company directly supplies electricity to most Jewish residents and military facilities; some Palestinian municipalities, such as Nablus and Janin, generate their own electricity from small power plants
Elevation extremes lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m


highest point: Jabal Sawda' 3,133 m
lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m


highest point: Tall Asur 1,022 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 adequacy of fresh water supply; sewage treatment
Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
-
Ethnic groups Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10% Palestinian Arab and other 83%, Jewish 17%
Exchange rates Saudi riyals per US dollar - 3.745 (2004), 3.745 (2003), 3.745 (2002), 3.745 (2001), 3.745 (2000) new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.14 (2007), 4.4565 (2006), 4.4877 (2005), 4.482 (2004), 4.5541 (2003)
Executive branch chief of state: King and Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 1 August 2005); Heir Apparent Crown Prince SULTAN bin Abd al- Aziz Al Saud (half brother of the monarch, born 5 January 1928) note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: King and Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 1 August 2005); Heir Apparent Crown Prince SULTAN bin Abd al- Aziz Al Saud (half brother of the monarch, born 5 January 1928) 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: note - in October 2003, Council of Ministers announced its intent to introduce elections for half of the members of local and provincial assemblies and a third of the members of the national Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura, incrementally over a period of four to five years; in November 2004, the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs initiated voter registration for partial municipal council elections scheduled nationwide for February through April 2005
-
Exports 7.92 million bbl/day (2003) $301 million f.o.b.; (includes Gaza Strip) (2005)
Exports - commodities petroleum and petroleum products 90% olives, fruit, vegetables, limestone
Exports - partners US 18.2%, Japan 14.9%, South Korea 9.5%, China 6.1%, Taiwan 4.5%, Singapore 4.1% (2004) Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (2006)
Fiscal year 1 March - 28 February calendar year
Flag description green, a traditional color in Islamic flags, with the Shahada or Muslim creed in large white Arabic script (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); design dates to the early twentieth century and is closely associated with the Al Saud family which established the kingdom in 1932 -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 4.2%


industry: 67.2%


services: 28.6% (2004 est.)
agriculture: 8%


industry: 13%


services: 79% (includes Gaza Strip) (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $12,000 (2004 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate 5% (2004 est.) -8% (includes Gaza Strip) (2006 est.)
Geographic coordinates 25 00 N, 45 00 E 32 00 N, 35 15 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 landlocked; highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal aquifers; there are 242 West Bank settlements and 29 East Jerusalem settlements in addition to at least 20 occupied outposts (August 2005 est.)
Heliports 5 (2004 est.) -
Highways total: 152,044 km


paved: 45,461 km


unpaved: 106,583 km (2000)
-
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, cocaine, and hashish; not a major money-laundering center, improving anti-money-laundering legislation -
Imports 0 bbl/day (2003) $2.44 billion c.i.f.; (includes Gaza Strip) (2005)
Imports - commodities machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, motor vehicles, textiles food, consumer goods, construction materials
Imports - partners US 15.3%, Japan 9.8%, Germany 8.1%, China 6.6%, UK 5.7% (2004) Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (2006)
Independence 23 September 1932 (unification of the kingdom) -
Industrial production growth rate 2.8% (2004 est.) 2.4% (includes Gaza Strip) (2005)
Industries crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals, ammonia, industrial gases, sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), cement, construction, fertilizer, plastics, commercial ship repair, commercial aircraft repair generally small family businesses that produce cement, textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the Israelis have established some small-scale, modern industries in the settlements and industrial centers
Infant mortality rate total: 13.24 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 15.19 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 11.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
total: 18.67 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 20.59 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 16.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 0.8% (2004 est.) 3.6% (includes Gaza Strip) (2006)
International organization participation ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, BIS, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer) -
Irrigated land 16,200 sq km (1998 est.) 150 sq km; note - includes Gaza Strip (2003)
Judicial branch Supreme Council of Justice -
Labor force 6.62 million


note: more than 35% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (2004 est.)
605,000 (2006)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 12%, industry 25%, services 63% (1999 est.) agriculture: 18%


industry: 15%


services: 67% (2006)
Land boundaries total: 4,431 km


border countries: Iraq 814 km, Jordan 744 km, Kuwait 222 km, Oman 676 km, Qatar 60 km, UAE 457 km, Yemen 1,458 km
total: 404 km


border countries: Israel 307 km, Jordan 97 km
Land use arable land: 1.67%


permanent crops: 0.09%


other: 98.24% (2001)
arable land: 16.9%


permanent crops: 18.97%


other: 64.13% (2001)
Languages Arabic Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians), English (widely 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 -
Legislative branch Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura (120 members and a chairman appointed by the monarch for four-year terms) -
Life expectancy at birth total population: 75.46 years


male: 73.46 years


female: 77.55 years (2005 est.)
total population: 73.46 years


male: 71.68 years


female: 75.35 years (2007 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 78.8%


male: 84.7%


female: 70.8% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 92.4%


male: 96.7%


female: 88% (2004 est.)
Location Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen Middle East, west of Jordan
Map references Middle East Middle East
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 18 nm


continental shelf: not specified
none (landlocked)
Merchant marine total: 64 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,306,706 GRT/1,963,191 DWT


by type: cargo 5, chemical tanker 12, container 4, passenger/cargo 8, petroleum tanker 23, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 9


foreign-owned: 14 (Egypt 2, Hong Kong 1, Kuwait 5, Singapore 1, Sudan 1, UAE 1, United Kingdom 3)


registered in other countries: 54 (2005)
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Military branches Land Force (Army), Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, National Guard, Ministry of Interior Forces (paramilitary) -
Military expenditures - dollar figure $18 billion (2002) -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 10% (2002) NA
National holiday Unification of the Kingdom, 23 September (1932) -
Nationality noun: Saudi(s)


adjective: Saudi or Saudi Arabian
noun: NA


adjective: NA
Natural hazards frequent sand and dust storms droughts
Natural resources petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper arable land
Net migration rate -3.85 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) 2.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines condensate 212 km; gas 1,780 km; liquid petroleum gas 1,191 km; oil 5,068 km; refined products 1,162 km (2004) -
Political parties and leaders none -
Political pressure groups and leaders none -
Population 26,417,599


note: includes 5,576,076 non-nationals (July 2005 est.)
2,535,927


note: in addition, there are about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank and fewer than 177,000 in East Jerusalem (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line NA 46% (2007 est.)
Population growth rate 2.31% (2005 est.) 2.985% (2007 est.)
Ports and harbors Ad Dammam, Al Jubayl, Jiddah, Yanbu' al Sinaiyah -
Radio broadcast stations AM 43, FM 31, shortwave 2 (1998) AM 0, FM 25, shortwave 0 (2008)
Railways total: 1,392 km


standard gauge: 1,392 km 1.435-m gauge (with branch lines and sidings) (2004)
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Religions Muslim 100% Muslim 75% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 17%, Christian and other 8%
Sex ratio at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.34 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 1.16 male(s)/female


total population: 1.21 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


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


65 years and over: 0.736 male(s)/female


total population: 1.038 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage adult male citizens age 21 or older


note: voter registration began in November 2004 for partial municipal council elections scheduled nationwide for February through April 2005
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Telephone system general assessment: modern system


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


international: country code - 966; 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: NA


domestic: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL are responsible for fixed line services; the Palestinian JAWAL company provides cellular services


international: country code - 970 (2004)
Telephones - main lines in use 3,502,600 (2003) 349,000 (includes Gaza Strip) (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular 7,238,200 (2003) 1.095 million (includes Gaza Strip) (2005)
Television broadcast stations 117 (1997) 30 (2008)
Terrain mostly uninhabited, sandy desert mostly rugged dissected upland, some vegetation in west, but barren in east
Total fertility rate 4.05 children born/woman (2005 est.) 4.17 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate 25% (unofficial estimate) (2004 est.) 18.6% (2006)
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