|RNature and climate:|N Saudi-Arabia extends over the greater part of the Arabian peninsula. Most of this peninsula is a highlandplateau that in the west is limited by a mountainchain with a highest point reaching 2889 m.a.s.l. The plateau slopes slowly towards the Persian Golf. Practically the whole country is a desert. In the western parts halfdesert with steppevegetation and in the eastern parts sand desert.
The climate is very dry. Percipitation less than 100 mm.
Average temperature in January 20°C by the Red Sea, 18°C by the Persian Golf and 14°C in the interior. In July between 31 and 36°C throughout the country. In the interior temperatures can change dramatically between day and night, from +50°C to -5°C within 24 hours.
|RPeople:|N 90% Arabs, 10% Afro-Asian. 20% still lives as nomads.
|REconomy:|N Saudi-Arabia is one of the worlds largest producers of oil, which gives 90% of the export revenues. The oil was discovered early in the 1930:s and has since then been extracted. New reserves are constantly found and Saudi-Arabia have the worlds largest reserves.
The incomes from the oil have been used to develop an extensive petrochemical and chemical industry, but also other industries, such as steelworks and production of building materials.
Huge sums have been invested in agriculture on irrigated areas, but Saudi-Arabia cannot produce food enough.
The hunt for more oil have led to finds of other minerals such as gold, copper and iron ore.
|RHistory:|N In ancient times several highly culturally developed countries were established in the Arabian peninsula. Most of them occupied in trade, but there was neither cultural nor economical unity between all these small countries.
In 622AD Mohammed, founder of the Islam religion was expelled from the town of Mecka and settled in Medina. In this town he set up an army and 630 he conquered Mecka that became the most important cult centre for Islam. 632, the year Mohammed died, he had conquered practically the whole peninsula and inaugurated Islamic rule.
From then on the Islamic world was governed by the caliphate, a government of the highest religious leaders and in 661 the caliphate moved from Mecka to Damascus.
Formally all Arabia was united under the caliphate, but practically it was divided in small towncountries governed by emirs. In the interior the nomadic tribes took care of themselves and orders from none.
1517 the holy town Mecka was conquered by the Ottoman Turks, but they never gained full control over Arabia.
1901 Ibn Saud started a conquest manoeuvre on the Arabian peninsula from his exile i Kuwait.
In the early 1920:s he had conquered the two countries Nedjd and Hedjaz that were internationally recognized as independent countries 1927 and united in the kingdom Saudi-Arabia in 1932.
Ibn Saud was deeply religious and follower of the severe Wakhabit-sect and his conquests had a strong religious mark.
Saudi-Arabia is governed by the king absolutely according to Islam. There is no written constitution and no parliament. The king governs with help from a cabinet of ministers. Most of these ministers belong to the royal family.
Saudi-Arabia has since the beginning been one of the leading countries in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, where Saudi-Arabia has argued for a policy of stable production as a tool for slowly raising prices.
Since the creation of the Jewish country Israel, Saudi-Arabia have supported the Palestineans struggle for a country of their own. The Palestinean Liberation Organization, PLO, have received enormous amounts of money and in the Arabian-Israeli wars 1948 and 1973 Saudi-Arabia participated with troops.
Saudi-Arabia rejected the peace-treaty between Egypt and Israel 1979, but has since then turned and become more western-friendly. This anti-communist and moderate policy has been appreciated by leading western countries like the USA, France and Great Britain.
Muslim fundamentalists in 1979 occupied the great mosque in Mecka which created a crisis for the Saudi monarchy, and in 1987 Iranean pilgrims started riots in Mecka, which led to a bloodbath with over 400 pilgrims killed.
When Iraq in 1990 invaded and conquered Kuwait, the ruling Kuwaiti family fled to Saudi-Arabia. When the PLO supported the invasion Saudi-Arabia promptly withdrew all their support to the organization.
Saudi-Arabia opened its territory for the UN troops that were gathered to liberate Kuwait and it participated with troops. Iraq directed rocket-attacks towards Saudi-Arabian territory and several rockets hit the capital Riyadh.
Saudi-Arabia paid some off the costs for other participating countries.
After the Kuwaiti liberation in 1991 Saudi-Arabia actively have contributed to the efforts to create a stable peace in the area.
