Saudi Arabia: Location, Population, Religion, Membership, Currency
	Official Name: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Location: Saudi Arabia occupies four-fifths of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered to the northwest by Jordan, to the north by Iraq and Kuwait, to the west by the Red sea and to the east Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman, and to the south by Yemen. Area: Saudi Arabia has an area of about 2,240,000 sq km (about 865,000 sq mi). Capital: Riyadh Language: The national language is Arabic. English is spoken in business circles. Religion: The majority of Saudi Arabians are Sunni Muslim, but Shi´ites predominate in the Eastern Province. The Wahhabi sect, comprised of reformers who settled in Arabia during the 18th century and who have sought to purify and simplify the practice of Islam, has greatly influenced the Sunnites of Saudi Arabia. Population: According to the 1992 census, Saudi Arabia had a population of 16,929,294. The 1997 estimate is 20,087,965, yielding an average population density of 9 persons per sq km (23 per sq mi). Membership: Saudi Arabia is a member of the UN, the Arab League, the Gulf Co-operation Council and OPEC. Currency: Saudi Arabian Rial (SAR) = 100 halalah. Saudi Arabia Time Difference: GMT + 3