Transcript Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia
GEOGRAPHIC FEATURES
Saudi Arabia
• Part of the Arabian Peninsula
• Saudi Arabia is one fourth the
size of the United States
• Deserts cover much of the
east and south
• There are mountain ranges in
the southwest
• There are no rivers or lakes
• The Red Sea borders the west
and the Persian Gulf borders
the east
• Largest oil reserve known
to man.
Deserts
• These deserts have historically provided
the Middle East with natural barriers
against invasion
• Rub al-Khali, or Empty Quarter,” in
southern Saudi Arabia.
• the Empty Quarter is the
largest sand desert in the world.
Wadis – Instant Springs
Wadis
Wadis are dry
stream beds
that fill with
water only
after rainfall in
a desert or
steppe region.
Desert Oasis: Water at a Premium!
OASIS
 Oasis is a place where
water comes to the
surface in desert area.
 "oasis" is believed to
come from an ancient
Egyptian word, "wah,"
meaning "fertile place in
the desert."
Religion
Islam-The Big Picture
 The Prophet Muhammad receives the revelation of
the Qu’ran in 610
 Qu’ran is the holy book of
Islam
 The two holiest cities of
Islam are Makkah & Medina
• Medina
• Makkah
Pilgrims On
The Road to
And Camped
Outside of
Makkah
P
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l
Al-Haram Mosque Holds the Kaaba
The Kaaba
Located in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, the Kaaba is the most
sacred site for Muslims. A Muslim must take the hajj
(pilgrimage) to Mecca at least once in his/her life.
Language
 Arabic
Calligraphy
 Revered art in Saudi Arabia
 Primary subject matter has historically been the Holy
Qur’an
Daily Life
Climate of country
 Temperatures can reach
over 110 degrees
Fahrenheit in the desert
in the summer,
 In the winter
temperatures in the
north and central parts of
the country can drop
below freezing.
 Very little rain, only
about four inches a year
on average.
Fresh Groundwater Sources
Desalinization
Plants
Sports
 Soccer, camel racing,
volleyball, swimming, and
basketball.
 Camels start racing when
they are two years old.
 They practice running
every day.
History
Saudi Arabia
 An Ancient Trade Center
 Located between the two great centers of
civilization, the Nile River Valley and Mesopotamia
 The Birth of Islam
 Year 610, Muhammad, received a message from God
in Makkah
 622, the Prophet led his followers to Medina
 The Islamic Empire
 100 years after the birth of Islam,
the Islamic Empire extended from
Spain to parts of India and China
 Caliph religious and political leaders of the
empire or caliphate
Saudi Arabia
 1902, Abdul Aziz captured Riyadh & set on a 30-year
campaign to unify the Arabian Peninsula
 The modern Saudi state was founded in 1932 by King AbdulAziz
 Housed the Kuwaiti Royal family and 400,000 refugees after
Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990
 Allowed Western and Arab troops to deploy on its soil for the
liberation of Kuwait during Desert Storm in 1991.
 The presence of US troops on Saudi soil after the liberation
of Kuwait became a source of tension between the royal
family and the public until all operational US troops left the
country in 2003
Government of Saudi Arabia
 Saudi Arabia is a Monarchy
 Abdallah bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud is the King and
Prime Minister
 Islamic (sharia) legal system
 To vote 21 years of age; male
 National symbol: palm tree surmounting two crossed
swords
Population: 26.6 million
Includes 5.5 million non-nationals
Ethnic groups: Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10%
82% of total population Urban
Desert Bedouins
Food and People
 Most popular food in
Saudi Arabia is kabsa
which is rice and meat
 Arabic tea is also a
famous custom
 Some family members
live in separate houses,
but many extended
families live together.
Women
 Women cannot vote or be elected to high political
positions.
 Women will be able to vote and run in the 2015 local
elections
 Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world that
prohibits women from driving.
 There is evidence that many women in
Saudi Arabia do not want radical change
 Niqab
Saudi Oil Fields & Refineries
Saudi Arabia
 20% of the world's proven oil reserves
 Largest of any country
 Oil industry 45% of economy
Leading U. S. Oil Suppliers
Agriculture
 Land useable for farming: 1.67%
 Exports wheat, dates, dairy products, eggs, fish,
poultry, fruits, vegetables and flowers to markets
around the world
Arabian Peninsula
 Saudi Arabia
 Oman
 Yemen
 Persian Gulf States
 Kuwait
 Bahrain
 Qatar
 United Arab Emirates