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Compare Saudi Arabia (2006) - Christmas Island (2001)
Compare Saudi Arabia (2006) z Christmas Island (2001)
| Saudi Arabia (2006) | Christmas Island (2001) | |
 |  | |
| 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 | none (territory of Australia) |
| Age structure | 0-14 years: 38.2% (male 5,261,530/female 5,059,041)
15-64 years: 59.4% (male 9,159,519/female 6,895,616) 65 years and over: 2.4% (male 342,020/female 302,005) (2006 est.) |
0-14 years:
NA% 15-64 years: NA% 65 years and over: NA% |
| Agriculture - products | wheat, barley, tomatoes, melons, dates, citrus; mutton, chickens, eggs, milk | NA |
| Airports | 208 (2006) | 1 (2000 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 73
over 3,047 m: 32 2,438 to 3,047 m: 13 1,524 to 2,437 m: 24 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 2 (2006) |
total:
1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 135
over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 75 914 to 1,523 m: 40 under 914 m: 12 (2006) |
- |
| Area | total: 1,960,582 sq km
land: 1,960,582 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total:
135 sq km land: 135 sq km water: 0 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly more than one-fifth the size of the US | about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC |
| 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. As part of this effort, the government permitted elections - held nationwide from February through April 2005 - for half the members of 179 municipal councils. A burgeoning population, aquifer depletion, and an economy largely dependent on petroleum output and prices are all ongoing governmental concerns. | Named in 1643 for the day of its discovery, the island was annexed and settlement was begun by the UK in 1888. Phosphate mining began in the 1890s. The UK transferred sovereignty to Australia in 1958. The phosphate mine, closed in 1987, was reopened four years later, but the need for an alternative industry has spurred investment in tourism. Old mining areas are being restored, and almost two-thirds of the island has been declared a national park. |
| Birth rate | 29.34 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) | NA births/1,000 population |
| Budget | revenues: $143.7 billion
expenditures: $89.65 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.) |
revenues:
$NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA |
| Capital | name: Riyadh
geographic coordinates: 24 38 N, 46 43 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
The Settlement |
| Climate | harsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes | tropical; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds |
| Coastline | 2,640 km | 138.9 km |
| Constitution | governed according to Shari'a law; the Basic Law that articulates the government's rights and responsibilities was introduced in 1993 | Christmas Island Act of 1958 |
| 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:
Territory of Christmas Island conventional short form: Christmas Island |
| Currency | - | Australian dollar (AUD) |
| Death rate | 2.58 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) | NA deaths/1,000 population |
| Debt - external | $36.78 billion (2005 est.) | $NA |
| Dependency status | - | territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Department of the Environment, Sport, and Territories |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador James C. OBERWETTER
embassy: Collector Road M, Diplomatic Quarter, Riyadh mailing address: American Embassy, 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) |
none (territory of Australia) |
| 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 FAX: [1] (202) 944-3113 consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, New York |
none (territory of Australia) |
| Disputes - international | despite resistance from nomadic groups, the demarcation of the Saudi Arabia-Yemen boundary established under the 2000 Jeddah Treaty is almost complete; Saudi Arabia still maintains the concrete-filled pipe as a security barrier along sections of the border with Yemen in 2004 to stem illegal cross-border activities; Kuwait and Saudi Arabia continue discussions on a maritime boundary with Iran; the United Arab Emirate 2006 Yearbook published a map and text rescinding the 1974 boundary with Saudi Arabia, as stipulated in a treaty filed with the UN in 1993, on the grounds that the agreement was not formally ratified | none |
| 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 $230 million to development in Afghanistan; pledged $1 billion in export guarantees and soft loans to Iraq; pledged $133 million in direct grant aid, $187 million in concessional loans, and $153 million in export credits for Pakistan earthquake relief | - |
| Economic aid - recipient | - | $NA |
| 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 5.5 million foreign workers play an important role in the Saudi economy, particularly, in the oil and service sectors. The government is encouraging private sector growth to lessen the kingdom's dependence on oil and increase employment opportunities for the swelling Saudi population. The government has begun to permit private sector and foreign investor participation in the power generation and telecom sectors. As part of its effort to attract foreign investment and diversify the economy, Saudi Arabia acceded to the WTO in 2005 after many years of negotiations. With high oil revenues enabling the government to post large budget surpluses, Riyadh has been able to substantially boost spending on job training and education, infrastructure development, and government salaries. | Phosphate mining had been the only significant economic activity, but in December 1987 the Australian Government closed the mine. In 1991, the mine was reopened by union workers. With the support of the government, Australian-based Casinos Austria International Ltd. built a $34 million casino on Christmas Island, which opened in 1993. As of yearend 1999, gaming facilities at the casino were temporarily closed but were expected to reopen in early 2000. Another economic prospect is the possible location of a space-launching site on the island. |
| Electricity - consumption | 134.9 billion kWh (2003) | NA kWh |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2003) | - |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2003) | - |
| Electricity - production | 145.1 billion kWh (2003) | NA kWh |
| Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel:
NA% hydro: NA% nuclear: NA% other: NA% |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Jabal Sawda' 3,133 m |
lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Murray Hill 361 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 | NA |
| 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% | Chinese 61%, Malay 25%, European 11%, other 3%, no indigenous population |
| Exchange rates | Saudi riyals per US dollar - 3.747 (2005), 3.75 (2004), 3.75 (2003), 3.75 (2002), 3.75 (2001) | Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.7995 (January 2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998), 1.3439 (1997), 1.2773 (1996) |
| 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: none; the monarch is hereditary |
chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general head of government: Administrator William Leonard TAYLOR (since 4 February 1999) elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia |
| Exports | 7.92 million bbl/day (2003) | $NA |
| Exports - commodities | petroleum and petroleum products 90% | phosphate |
| Exports - partners | US 16.4%, Japan 16.1%, South Korea 9.1%, China 6.9%, Singapore 5.1%, Taiwan 4.2% (2005) | Australia, NZ |
| Fiscal year | 1 March - 28 February | 1 July - 30 June |
| 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 | the flag of Australia is used |
| GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $NA |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 3.3%
industry: 61.3% services: 35.4% (2005 est.) |
agriculture:
NA% industry: NA% services: NA% |
| GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $NA |
| GDP - real growth rate | 6.5% (2005 est.) | NA% |
| Geographic coordinates | 25 00 N, 45 00 E | 10 30 S, 105 40 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 | located along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean |
| Heliports | 6 (2006) | - |
| Highways | - | total:
140 km (not including 100 km that is maintained by private industry) paved: 30 km unpaved: 110 km (1999) |
| 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; improving anti-money-laundering legislation and enforcement | - |
| Imports | 0 bbl/day (2003) | $NA |
| Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, motor vehicles, textiles | consumer goods |
| Imports - partners | US 13%, Germany 9.5%, Japan 7.9%, China 7.3%, France 4.7%, Italy 4.2% (2005) | principally Australia |
| Independence | 23 September 1932 (unification of the kingdom) | none (territory of Australia) |
| Industrial production growth rate | 5.3% (2005 est.) | NA% |
| Industries | crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals; ammonia, industrial gases, sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), cement, fertilizer, plastics; metals, commercial ship repair, commercial aircraft repair, construction | tourism, phosphate extraction (near depletion) |
| Infant mortality rate | total: 12.81 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 14.71 deaths/1,000 live births female: 10.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
NA deaths/1,000 live births |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 0.4% (2005 est.) | NA% |
| 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, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, WToO | none |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 2 (2000) |
| Irrigated land | 16,200 sq km (2003) | NA sq km |
| Judicial branch | Supreme Council of Justice | Supreme Court; District Court; Magistrate's Court |
| Labor force | 6.76 million
note: more than 35% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (2005 est.) |
NA |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 12%
industry: 25% services: 63% (1999 est.) |
tourism 400 people, mining 100 people (1995) |
| 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 |
0 km |
| Land use | arable land: 1.67%
permanent crops: 0.09% other: 98.24% (2005) |
arable land:
NA% permanent crops: NA% permanent pastures: NA% forests and woodland: NA% other: NA% note: mainly tropical rainforest of which 60%-70% is in a national park |
| Languages | Arabic | English, Chinese, Malay |
| Legal system | based on Shari'a law, several secular codes have been introduced; commercial disputes handled by special committees; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | under the authority of the governor general of Australia and Australian law |
| Legislative branch | Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura (120 members and a chairman appointed by the monarch for four-year terms); 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 held nationwide from February through April 2005 | unicameral Christmas Island Shire Council (9 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve one-year terms)
elections: last held NA December 2000 (next to be held NA December 2001) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 9 |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 75.67 years
male: 73.66 years female: 77.78 years (2006 est.) |
total population:
NA years male: NA years female: NA years |
| Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 78.8% male: 84.7% female: 70.8% (2003 est.) |
- |
| Location | Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen | Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia |
| Map references | Middle East | Southeast Asia |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 18 nm continental shelf: not specified |
contiguous zone:
12 NM exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 3 NM |
| Merchant marine | total: 60 ships (1000 GRT or over) 837,272 GRT/1,064,377 DWT
by type: cargo 5, chemical tanker 15, container 4, passenger/cargo 8, petroleum tanker 18, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 9 foreign-owned: 9 (Egypt 2, Kuwait 5, Sudan 1, UAE 1) registered in other countries: 55 (Bahamas 12, Comoros 3, Dominica 3, French Southern and Antarctic Lands 1, Liberia 24, Marshall Islands 1, Norway 3, Panama 8) (2006) |
none (2000 est.) |
| Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of Australia |
| Military branches | Land Forces (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) | - |
| National holiday | Unification of the Kingdom, 23 September (1932) | NA |
| Nationality | noun: Saudi(s)
adjective: Saudi or Saudi Arabian |
noun:
Christmas Islander(s) adjective: Christmas Island |
| Natural hazards | frequent sand and dust storms | the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard |
| Natural resources | petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper | phosphate |
| Net migration rate | -4.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population |
| Pipelines | condensate 212 km; gas 1,880 km; liquid petroleum gas 1,183 km; oil 4,531 km; refined products 1,150 km (2006) | - |
| Political parties and leaders | none | none |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | none | none |
| Population | 27,019,731
note: includes 5,576,076 non-nationals (July 2006 est.) |
2,771 (July 2001 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
| Population growth rate | 2.18% (2006 est.) | 7.77% (2001 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | - | Flying Fish Cove |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 43, FM 31, shortwave 2 (1998) | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Radios | - | 1,000 (1997) |
| Railways | total: 1,392 km
standard gauge: 1,392 km 1.435-m gauge (with branch lines and sidings) (2005) |
24 km to serve phosphate mines |
| Religions | Muslim 100% | Buddhist 55%, Christian 15%, Muslim 10%, other 20% (1991) |
| Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.33 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.13 male(s)/female total population: 1.2 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
- |
| Suffrage | adult male citizens age 21 or older
note: voter registration began in November 2004 for partial municipal council elections held nationwide from February through April 2005 |
- |
| 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: NA international: satellite earth stations - one Intelsat earth station provides telephone and telex service |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 3.8 million (2005) | NA |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 13.3 million (2005) | 0 (1999) |
| Television broadcast stations | 117 (1997) | NA |
| Terrain | mostly uninhabited, sandy desert | steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau |
| Total fertility rate | 4 children born/woman (2006 est.) | NA children born/woman |
| Unemployment rate | 13% among Saudi males only (local bank estimate; some estimates range as high as 25%) (2004 est.) | NA% |
| Waterways | - | none |
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