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Compare West Bank (2001) - Saudi Arabia (2001)

Compare West Bank (2001) z Saudi Arabia (2001)

 West Bank (2001)Saudi Arabia (2001)
 West BankSaudi Arabia
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:
44.61% (male 478,232; female 454,439)

15-64 years:
51.8% (male 552,661; female 530,230)

65 years and over:
3.59% (male 32,629; female 42,522) (2001 est.)
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.)
Agriculture - products olives, citrus, vegetables; beef, dairy products wheat, barley, tomatoes, melons, dates, citrus; mutton, chickens, eggs, milk
Airports 3 (2000 est.) 206 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total:
3

2,438 to 3,047 m:
1

1,524 to 2,437 m:
1

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

land:
1,960,582 sq km

water:
0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Delaware slightly more than one-fifth the size of the US
Background The Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements (the DOP), signed in Washington on 13 September 1993, provided for a transitional period not exceeding five years of Palestinian interim self-government in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Under the DOP, Israel agreed to transfer certain powers and responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority, which includes the Palestinian Legislative Council elected in January 1996, as part of interim self-governing arrangements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. A transfer of powers and responsibilities for the Gaza Strip and Jericho took place pursuant to the Israel-PLO 4 May 1994 Cairo Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area and in additional areas of the West Bank pursuant to the Israel-PLO 28 September 1995 Interim Agreement, the Israel-PLO 15 January 1997 Protocol Concerning Redeployment in Hebron, the Israel-PLO 23 October 1998 Wye River Memorandum, and the 4 September 1999 Sharm el-Sheikh Agreement. The DOP provides that Israel will retain responsibility during the transitional period for external security and for internal security and public order of settlements and Israeli citizens. Permanent status is to be determined through direct negotiations, which resumed in September 1999 after a three-year hiatus. An intifadah broke out in September 2000; the resulting widespread violence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Israel's military response, and instability in the Palestinian Authority are undermining progress toward a permanent settlement. 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.
Birth rate 35.83 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) 37.34 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Budget revenues:
$1.6 billion

expenditures:
$1.73 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA

note:
includes Gaza Strip (1999 est.)
revenues:
$66 billion

expenditures:
$66 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
Capital - Riyadh
Climate temperate, temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm to hot summers, cool to mild winters harsh, dry desert with great extremes of temperature
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 2,640 km
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:
none

conventional short form:
West Bank
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
Currency new Israeli shekel (ILS); Jordanian dinar (JOD) Saudi riyal (SAR)
Death rate 4.37 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) 5.94 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Debt - external $108 million (includes Gaza Strip) (1997 est.) $26.3 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)
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
Disputes - international 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 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
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 $121 million disbursed (includes Gaza Strip) (2000) -
Economy - overview Economic output in the West Bank is governed by the Paris Economic Protocol of April 1994 between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Real per capita GDP for the West Bank and Gaza Strip (WBGS) declined by 36.1% between 1992 and 1996 owing to the combined effect of falling aggregate incomes and rapid population growth. The downturn in economic activity was largely the result of Israeli closure policies - the imposition of border closures in response to security incidents in Israel - which disrupted established labor and commodity market relationships between Israel and the WBGS. The most serious social effect of this downturn was rising unemployment; unemployment in the WBGS during the 1980s was generally under 5%; by 1995 it had risen to over 20%. Since 1997 Israel's use of comprehensive closures has decreased and, in 1998, Israel implemented new policies to reduce the impact of closures and other security procedures on the movement of Palestinian goods and labor. These changes fueled an almost three-year long economic recovery in the West Bank and Gaza Strip; real GDP grew by 5% in 1998 and 6% in 1999. Recovery was upended in the last quarter of 2000 with the outbreak of Palestinian violence, which triggered tight Israeli closures of Palestinian self-rule areas and a severe disruption of trade and labor movements. 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.
Electricity - consumption NA kWh 111.6 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports - 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports NA kWh 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - production 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; at the same time, some Palestinian municipalities, such as Nablus and Janin, generate their own electricity from small power plants 120 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel:
NA%

hydro:
NA%

nuclear:
NA%

other:
NA%
fossil fuel:
100%

hydro:
0%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
Elevation extremes lowest point:
Dead Sea -408 m

highest point:
Tall Asur 1,022 m
lowest point:
Persian Gulf 0 m

highest point:
Jabal Sawda' 3,133 m
Environment - current issues adequacy of fresh water supply; sewage treatment 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
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
Ethnic groups Palestinian Arab and other 83%, Jewish 17% Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10%
Exchange rates new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.0810 (December 2000), 4.0773 (2000), 4.1397 (1999), 3.8001 (1998), 3.4494 (1997), 3.1917 (1996); Jordanian dinars per US dollar - fixed rate of 0.7090 (from 1996) Saudi riyals per US dollar - 3.7450 (fixed rate since June 1986)
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
Exports $682 million (includes Gaza Strip) (f.o.b., 1998 est.) $81.2 billion (f.o.b., 2000)
Exports - commodities olives, fruit, vegetables, limestone petroleum and petroleum products 90%
Exports - partners Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip Japan 18%, US 18%, France 4%, South Korea, Singapore, India (1999)
Fiscal year calendar year (since 1 January 1992) 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
GDP purchasing power parity - $3.1 billion (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $232 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture:
9%

industry:
28%

services:
63%

note:
includes Gaza Strip (1999 est.)
agriculture:
6%

industry:
47%

services:
47% (1998 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $1,500 (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $10,500 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate -7.5% (2000 est.) 4% (2000 est.)
Geographic coordinates 32 00 N, 35 15 E 25 00 N, 45 00 E
Geography - note landlocked; highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal aquifers; there are 231 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the West Bank and 29 in East Jerusalem (August 1999 est.) extensive coastlines on Persian Gulf and Red Sea provide great leverage on shipping (especially crude oil) through Persian Gulf and Suez Canal
Heliports - 5 (2000 est.)
Highways total:
4,500 km

paved:
2,700 km

unpaved:
1,800 km (1997 est.)

note:
Israelis have developed many highways to service Jewish settlements
total:
146,524 km

paved:
44,104 km

unpaved:
102,420 km (1997 est.)
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
Imports $2.5 billion (includes Gaza Strip) (c.i.f., 1998 est.) $30.1 billion (f.o.b., 2000)
Imports - commodities food, consumer goods, construction materials machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, motor vehicles, textiles
Imports - partners Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip US 25%, Japan 10%, Germany 7%, Italy 5%, France, UK (1999)
Independence - 23 September 1932 (Unification of the Kingdom)
Industrial production growth rate NA% 1% (1997 est.)
Industries 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 crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals, cement, construction, fertilizer, plastics
Infant mortality rate 21.78 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) 51.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 3% (includes Gaza Strip) (2000 est.) 0.5% (2000)
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)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 8 (1999) 42 (2001)
Irrigated land NA sq km 4,350 sq km (1993 est.)
Judicial branch - Supreme Council of Justice
Labor force NA 7 million

note:
35% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (July 1998 est.)
Labor force - by occupation services 66%, industry 21%, agriculture 13% (1996) agriculture 12%, industry 25%, services 63% (1999 est.)
Land boundaries total:
404 km

border countries:
Israel 307 km, Jordan 97 km
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
Land use arable land:
27%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
32%

forests and woodland:
1%

other:
40%
arable land:
2%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
56%

forests and woodland:
1%

other:
41% (1993 est.)
Languages Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians), English (widely understood) Arabic
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 - a consultative council (90 members and a chairman appointed by the monarch for four-year terms)
Life expectancy at birth total population:
72.28 years

male:
70.58 years

female:
74.07 years (2001 est.)
total population:
68.09 years

male:
66.4 years

female:
69.85 years (2001 est.)
Literacy definition:
NA

total population:
NA%

male:
NA%

female:
NA%
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write

total population:
62.8%

male:
71.5%

female:
50.2% (1995 est.)
Location Middle East, west of Jordan Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen
Map references Middle East Middle East
Maritime claims none (landlocked) contiguous zone:
18 NM

continental shelf:
not specified

territorial sea:
12 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.)
Military branches NA Land Force (Army), Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, National Guard, Ministry of Interior Forces (paramilitary)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $NA $18.3 billion (FY00)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP NA% 13% (FY00)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49:
5,894,691 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49:
3,291,185 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 17 years of age
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males:
233,402 (2001 est.)
National holiday - Unification of the Kingdom, 23 September (1932)
Nationality noun:
NA

adjective:
NA
noun:
Saudi(s)

adjective:
Saudi or Saudi Arabian
Natural hazards droughts frequent sand and dust storms
Natural resources arable land petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper
Net migration rate 3.29 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) 1.32 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)
Political parties and leaders - none allowed
Political pressure groups and leaders - none
Population 2,090,713 (July 2001 est.)

note:
in addition, there are some 176,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank and about 173,000 in East Jerusalem (August 1999 est.)
22,757,092

note:
includes 5,360,526 non-nationals (July 2001 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% NA%
Population growth rate 3.48% (2001 est.) 3.27% (2001 est.)
Ports and harbors none Ad Dammam, Al Jubayl, Duba, Jiddah, Jizan, Rabigh, Ra's al Khafji, Mishab, Ras Tanura, Yanbu' al Bahr, Madinat Yanbu' al Sinaiyah
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0

note:
the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation broadcasts from an AM station in Ramallah on 675 kHz; numerous local, private stations are reported to be in operation (2000)
AM 43, FM 31, shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios NA; note - most Palestinian households have radios (1999) 6.25 million (1997)
Railways 0 km total:
1,390 km

standard gauge:
1,390 km 1.435-m gauge (448 km double track) (1992)
Religions Muslim 75% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 17%, Christian and other 8% Muslim 100%
Sex ratio at birth:
1.06 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1.05 male(s)/female

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

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

total population:
1.04 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
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.)
Suffrage - none
Telephone system general assessment:
NA

domestic:
NA

international:
NA

note:
Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL are responsible for communication services in the West Bank
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)
Telephones - main lines in use 95,729 (total for West Bank and Gaza Strip) (1997) 3.1 million (1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular NA 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)
Television broadcast stations NA 117 (1997)
Terrain mostly rugged dissected upland, some vegetation in west, but barren in east mostly uninhabited, sandy desert
Total fertility rate 4.9 children born/woman (2001 est.) 6.25 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate 40% (includes Gaza Strip) (yearend 2000) NA%
Waterways none none
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