 THE
RULES OF Islam, strictly enforced by Saudi Arabia's monarchy,
dominate the oil-rich country's political, cultural and social life. Women and men may not
be seen together in public, and the sexes are segregated in the workplace. Extensive
irrigation projects have transformed Saudi Arabia's sweeping deserts into productive
farmland, yielding dates and grains. 
People |
Languages |
Arabic |
| Major Religions |
Muslim
100% |
| Ethnic groups |
Arab
90%, Afro-Asian 10% |
| Growth rate |
3.41% |
| Birth rate |
37.63
births/1,000 |
| Death rate |
5.02
deaths/1,000 |
| Fertility rate |
6.38
children/woman |
| Male life expectancy |
68 |
| Female life expectancy |
71 |
| Infant mortality rate |
41.34
deaths/1,000 live births |
Economy |
Labor force |
6.0 million (1996) |
| Unemployment rate |
6.5% (1992) |
| Inflation Rate |
N/A |
| Gross domestic product (total value of goods and services produced annually) |
$206.5
billion (1997 est.) |
| Budget |
$52.3
billion |
| Debt |
$18.9
billion (1996) |
| Exports |
$56.7
billion (1996 est.), primarily petroleum and petroleum products 90% |
| Imports |
$25.4
billion (1996 est.), primarily machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, motor
vehicles, textiles |
| Defense spending |
12% of GDP
(1997 est.) |
| Highways |
162,000 km
(1996) |
Source: 1998 CIA World Factbook
|
