Eduardo Tecla Geography Honors Cultural Scrapbook Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia Flag Green is Islamic White is Islamic faith Sword meaning justice and the 1 st king of Saudi Arabia White translated meaning "There is no God but Allah and Mohammad is the Prophet of Allah"

Geography It’s ¼ of the size of the United States It’s the 12 th largest country in the world The Red Sea lies in the west The Arabian Gulf ( Persian Gulf ) lies in the east Most mountains lie in the southwest No Major Rivers or Lakes Deserts control the east and south The country is an arid plain of sand and rock that is barren as well as dry The largest desert in the world is Rub’ Al Khali With some green oases and cultivated fields irrigation is possible This country’s natural resources are crude oil, natural gas, iron ore, gold, and copper

Climate Weather here is hot In May and October has the hottest temperatures 110 degrees F In December and January has the coldest temperatures 70 degrees F and at night drops down to freezing Deserts climate have sandstorms, extremes in temperatures and intense heat Temperatures are higher inland compared to the coastal area Inland temperatures are hot with intense heat Coastal areas are a little cooler but greater humidity

Population / Ethnic Facts Saudi Arabia’s population is about 29.2 million About 5.6 million aren’t citizens Most of them come from Islamic countries The country wants to change the non-citizens with citizens Saudi nations are about 80% of the population 90% are Arabs and 10% are Afro-Asian heritage Afro- Asian are from Islamic countries Arabs are from nomadic tribes 82% of the population in live Urban areas Growth rate is 1.75%

Government Divided into 13 regions know as governorates Each are headed by a Prince- Governor As well as Emir who answers to the King King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud who is Prime Minster, head of state, and head of government The king runs the country with a council of ministers After the current King the princes choose the next king out of 500

Health Care Health care is improving quickly There is free medical attention to all citizens and Hajj pilgrims Most hospitals grown in cities and rural places

Language Arabic is the dominate language Other languages include English English is spoken only or solely of the reason of business and educated circles Arabic comes the Qur’an ( Koran ) the scripture of Islam No other languages are included due to the fact that there isn’t enough to make 1%

Religion Islam is the only legal religion is Saudi Arabia Islam is the teaching of Muhammad There are two sacred cities where non-Muslims are not allowed in They are called Makkah and Al Madínah As being religious thousands Muslims complete a pilgrimage ( Hajj ) The Hajj is done seven times Each time the head back and forth to the Ka’abah in Makkah During the Hajj men where a white two piece towel like garment that is called Ihram and women can’t wear a veil The Ka’abah is a stone building that contain a black sacred stone that was there before the advent of Islam There God is Allah

Religion Continued On Friday Muslims go to the mosque to pray Men go and so do women but women sit in areas where there can’t be any men So most women stay home and pray Five Pillars of Islam- Doing five daily prayers A once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage Shahada (Allah) only god Muhammad messenger Zakat giving to the poor Fasting in the month of Ramadan 90% of the Saudi citizens are Muslims including the Royal Family belong to the Sunni branch of Islam 10% are Shi’I Muslims are never to change their religion

Greeting Muslims usually give a handshake and say As-Salaamu 'Alaykum (Peace be upon you) Men will also put their left hand on the right shoulder of the other man Kissing in the right and left cheek is done as well Greetings are different for the person by the relationship and social status When a man is accompanied by a women with a veil he doesn’t introduce her Also he expects that the other man not to handshake her hand Sabah al-Khair means “Good morning” Mesah al-Khair means “Good evening”

Gestures Using the Left hand is very impolite Using the Right hand is okay When passing items use both or right hand very left hand When telling someone to come one puts the palm down and waves the fingers back and forth It is impolite to point a finger and to point one’s foot at an other person It is also rude to have the ankle go over the knee but it’s okay when having the legs crossed

Holidays National Day is on September 23 rd Lunar Calendars tell Islamic Holidays A three day feast is at the Ramadan known as Eid al Fitr Eid al Adha the day of Sacrifice of Abraham’s son and annual Hajj Saudis secretly celebrate the birth of Prophet Muhammad and the Islamic New Year Since they are celebrated by the Saudis it is considered unacceptable During the Eid al Fitr eating, drinking, and smoking is not done in the the day hours only in the predawn and night hours

Rite of Passage Since there is the separation of sexes dating is unheard of But in urban areas both genders can choose their mate An Islamic wedding there is two parties one for men and one for women Men pay dowry and marry extended family members to keep their social status A man can marry up to four women but have only one wife A wife is expected to bring chastity in a marriage The man when married to more than one wife he has to be equal to all and is given consent by his wife’s Saudis hardly intermarry and don’t marry foreigners most of the time

Life Cycle When a baby is born it is time to celebrate When the baby is boy this is especially happy The birth is given at the home or hospital The mother returns to her parents home and stays to recover The baby’s name is given the grandparent’s name Often the baby was already engaged to another but this is no longer done because it is no longer practiced Death is nothing Death to someone is God’s will and the soul’s way to get to paradise Too much mourning is never okay and the body is quickly buried and is given a blank grave stone

Food / Diet Food is mildly spicy Most common food is rice with lamb or chicken Kabsah is rice with meat and is most popular Rice is served with vegetables and with salad Desserts are fruits with dates Drinks is tea and bitter coffee are served before the meal Buttermilk and camel’s milk as well is popular There is a variety of fish making sea food popular in coastal areas Muslims don’t eat pork and don’t drink alcohol

Clothing Male clothing is almost similar to female Men wear garments that is loose and is almost worn like a dress all the way to the ankle Summer clothes are white made of cotton and winter clothes are black made of wool known as Thobe And where a Tagiyah like a cap and has a belt like rope around the waist and scarf to cover the face Women wear Thobe but has designs and wear a veil Wearing trousers under the Thobe that almost completely covers the body

Sports / Recreation Soccer is the most popular sports in Saudi Arabia Men can only play and can only watch in the stands and stadium Young men play volley ball, basketball, swimming, wrestling, and roller skating Horse racing is enjoyed but no betting Falconry hunting for small game Women don’t play sports and don’t do leisure but visit other women Girls play volley ball and other sports in school Women go with their family to family outings DVDs are popular but there are no theaters and there are only certain DVDs due to Islamic laws

Arts Literature and poetry are cherished art Today stories are published and are told orally The Qur’an is the inspiration of everything especially art Other arts are jewelry, embroidery, textiles, architecture, and decoration of weapons Music is vocal Al-mizmar is similar to an oboe Rebaba is a one stringed instrument, and drums The national dance is called al-ardah known as the sword dance for men Jenadriyah Heritage and Culture Festival features camel racing, dancing, music, and poetry

Pictures

Work Cited s.com/world/world_count ry.php?contid=3&wmn=A sia&cid=139&cn=Saudi_A rabia s.com/world/world_count ry.php?contid=3&wmn=A sia&cid=139&cn=Saudi_A rabia main/q031.htm main/q031.htm