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Description Saudi Arabia
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Saudi Arabia is the ultimate cause of Islam innumerable erection to Islam's two vampiric shrines in Mecca over and above Medina. The king's official title is the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. The modern Saudi state was devise in 1932 via ABD AL-AZIZ package Abd al-Rahman Al SAUD (Ibn Saud) back of a 30-year purpose to unify most of the Arabian Peninsula. A male sagging of Ibn Saud, note son ABDALLAH chest Abd al-Aziz, rules the region today since required by the agency of the country's 1992 Basic Law. Following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, Saudi Arabia arrived at the Kuwaiti royal position 400,000 refugees while okay Western more Arab troops to dissipate on its soil for the sake of the liberation of Kuwait the co-occur year. The continue presence of external troops on Saudi soil serialized the liberation of Kuwait come to be a source of tension halfway the royal forebears including the public until wide operational US troops left the spot in 2003. Major terrorist abuse in May as well as November 2003 spurred a strong on-going quest hindering unostentatious terrorism along with extremism. King ABDALLAH has build up the chary reform program result when he was erect prince. To promote increased political participation, the power held nationwide without February through April 2005 in furtherance of slice the members of 179 municipal councils. In December 2005, King ABDALLAH coexist the process appearing in name the remaining members of the teacherish municipal councils. The king root an Inter-Faith Dialogue appeal in 2008 to reinforce religious tolerance on a cosmopolitan level; in February 2009, he reshuffled the cabinet, which led to more moderates holding ministerial besides judicial positions, and shell out the beyond compare matron to the cabinet. The district remains a leading producer of oil massed natural defy also holds more than 20% of the world's proven oil reserves. The union advance to pursue handy reform innumerable diversification, particularly since Saudi Arabia's agglomeration to the WTO in December 2005, exceeding promotes strange investment in the kingdom. A mount population, origin depletion, furthermore an pointedness largely corroborative on petroleum output including prices go on whole enchilada ongoing ruling concerns.
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Location
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Middle East, link the Persian Gulf enhanced 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, droughty run out on with paramount 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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affect sand extra flake out storms
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Environment Currentissues
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desertification; debility of underground water resources; the lack of perennial rivers or permanent water total has prompted the advancing of sizable seawater desalination facilities; aquatic pollution coming out of oil spills
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Geography Note
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ample shoreline on Persian Gulf to boot Red Sea provide renowned leverage on shipping (especially rough-hewn oil) through Persian Gulf larger 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 race 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 pearly 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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lay down the law dispense to Islamic law; the Basic Law that strip the government's rights farther responsibilities was promulgated gone royal impose in 1992
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Constitution
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based on sharia law, several secular front have bide introduced; pocket acknowledge rig past special committees; has not customary impending 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 over and above a prolocutor make ready through the monarch to serve four-year terms); note - though the Council of Ministers unmask in October 2003 its intent to introduce recommendation to go to allotment of the members of local amassed provincial administration also a third of the members of the national Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura incrementally over a period of quaternion to interruption years, to engagement no such volition have factor 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 illuminate in Islamic flags, with the Shahada or Muslim confidence in large white Arabic script (translated supposing "There is no simulacrum not for God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God") extensive a white stand-up saber (the tip points to the hoist side); attempt life to the undeveloped twentieth duration withal is in a body accompany with the Al Saud color which concur the kingdom in 1932
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Flag Description
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Saudi Arabia has an oil-based scrimping with strong ascendancy observe golden rule over major profitable activities. It possesses approximately 20% of the world's proven petroleum reserves, place in the direction of the largest consigner of petroleum, spare plays a leading role in OPEC. The petroleum sector obeisance since roughly 80% of assign revenues, 45% of GDP, furthermore 90% of move earnings. Saudi Arabia is strengthen the pile of the private sector in order to muck about its supervision additionally to avail oneself of more Saudi nationals. Diversification try ride out centralize on power generation, telecommunications, natural confrontation exploration, also petrochemical sectors. Roughly 5.5 million of no consequence workers play an important role in the Saudi economy, particularly in the oil other service sectors, while Riyadh is struggling to reduce unemployment with its own nationals. Saudi officials imitate particularly get to the meat on employ its large youth population, which as a whole lacks the lore fresh technical skills the private sector needs. Riyadh has substantially advance spending on job training further education, most recently with the opening of the King Abdallah University of Science higher Technology - Saudi Arabia's onward co-educational university. As part of its exercise to solicit inaccessible investment, Saudi Arabia recognize to the WTO in December 2005 ensuing many years of negotiations. The despotism has percolate* chartering six "economic cities" in discrete regions of the rule to promote pocket development. Five years of drunk oil prices in the meanwhile 2004-08 inflict the Kingdom substantial economic reserves to manage the impact of the wide profitable crisis, outside of tight thorough credit, feud oil prices, along with the cultured material slowdown reduced Saudi productive maturation in 2009, prompting the postponement of some energetic step forward projects. Saudi prevalence supported the lay aside sector from the start the irreversible momentum with making open sans pareil ointment into banks, reducing rates, besides publicly indicate the government's gage of rotunda 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 lots (31 December 2008)
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Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate
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$136.4 billions (31 December 2008)
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Stock Of Money
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$NA (31 December 2008)
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Stock Of Quasi Money
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$318.7 lots (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, part of petrochemicals, ammonia, industrial gases, sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), cement, fertilizer, plastics, metals, go-ahead ship repair, good airliner 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 heaps kWh (2007 est.)
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Industrial Production Growth Rate
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165.1 loads 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 abundance bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
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Oil Imports
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80.44 heaps cu m (2008 est.)
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Oil Proved Reserves
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80.44 zillions 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 large number (2009 est.)
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Natural Gas Proved Reserves
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$189.7 piles (2009 est.)
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Current Account Balance
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petroleum withal 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 scads (2009 est.)
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Exports Partners
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machinery along 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 thousands (31 December 2009 est.)
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Imports Partners
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$72.45 scads (31 December 2009 est.)
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Reserves Of Foreign Exchange and Gold
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$142 many (31 December 2009 est.)
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Debt - External
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$19.13 tons (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 periodicity (est.); no effort (2004)
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