2. Saudi Arabia By Caroline Buck and Thomas Turnbull 6 th Grade at Derby Mrs. Hall B1

3. The 13 Provinces of Saudi Arabia

4. Saudi Arabia’s Flag and Seal

5. Population, GDP and more! The GDP of Saudi Arabia is $10,500 per capita. The total literacy rate for women is 69.5% and for the men, it is 84.2%. The current population is 23,513,330 people. The life expectancy rate for women is 70.2 years and for men it is 66.7 years. Saudi Arabia has a monarchy government The infant mortality rate is 49.6% per 1000 births. Saudi Arabia is a rich country.

6. Holidays and Customs Saudi Arabian people have 1 major holiday. It is Ramadan. During Ramadan people may not eat, drink, or smoke when the sun is up. Some of the customs of Saudi Arabians are the Pilgrimage or the Hajj. This is the journey to Mecca. Another custom is you must use your right hand or both hands when passing things. Also when parties are held there are no alcoholic beverages and women are almost never invited. If the wife of the host is there, she may not answer the door. This would be considered an insult. Women and men are clearly treated differently. The Kaaba

7. Clothing The clothing of Saudi Arabia is very old and has long roots in history. The men wear a Tagiyah, which goes under the ghutra, or a headdress which is never removed in public, and an Aba, or a long black robe, with a bishat under it. A pair of thobes, or ankle legnth pants, go under the robe and and an Igal holds the ghutra on. The silk shirt that they wear is called a dishdasha. Women by law must wear clothing that cover their arms and legs. Instead of a ghutra, they wear veils that cover their faces, and they wear dresses, often made of silk. An aabaya which is a long robe that covers their body is worn over. A Saudi Arabian man in traditional clothing.

8. Food The people of Saudi Arabia enjoy many of the same foods as we do. Mostly, they enjoy rice, pork, lamb, chicken, and especially milk and goat cheese. Their staple foods are millets, wheat and barley. Nomads eat many fruits and vegetables. Coffee and tea are favorite beverages among all Saudis. Whenever a guest is over, they will be served a cup of coffee, then a cup of tea, then finally another cup of coffee. Any typical Saudi meal consists of a meat product, with either rice or fruit. Bread is very common as well. Sheep is their main source of meat, and they eat a lot of it!

9. Major Products, and other info The major products of Saudi Arabia are petroleum, oil, and natural gas. The capital city is Riyadh. The population growth rate is 3.1% The total area of Saudi Arabia is 756,981 square miles. The currency of Saudi Arabia is the Riyal.

10. Religion of Saudi Arabia The country of Saudi Arabia has a common religion. Islam to 100%. If you are a citizen in Saudi Arabia, then you MUST be Islamic. All Muslims follow a set of rules. They are called the 5 Pillars of Islam. First is prayer. They must prey 5 times per day facing Mecca. Second is Fasting. During special times, such as Ramadan, no one can eat between sunrise, and sunset. Third is Faith. All Muslims must believe that Allah is the only god. Fourth is Alms. You must give to the poor. Fifth and finally is Pilgrimage. You must travel to Mecca and walk the Kaaba 7 times once in your life. The Al Haram Mosque in Mecca.

11. Government of Saudi Arabia The government of Saudi Arabia is a fairly complex government system. It is a monarchy, which is ruled by one royal family. The king, crowned prince, prime minister, and 1 st deputy form the monarch and then, there is a Chief of State which chooses the Council of Ministers or cabinet. This is the entire executive branch. The legislative branch consists of a Consultative Council which consists of 90 people, and 1 appointed chairman to be in office for 4 years. The judicial branch consists of the Supreme Council of Justice. The Supreme Court

12. Education The education in Saudi Arabia is compulsory starting from the 1 st grade to the 5 th grade although it is not free. Kindergarten is optional and boys and girls attend separate schools. They all follow a certain path. 6 years of elementary, 3 years of middle school and 3 years of high school. After then, boys and girls may follow a literary or a science education. It has been this way ever since 1960. Girls used to only attend school for 5 years, and then they would be done, but now boys and girls have the same educational opportunities. A Saudi Arabian school.

13. Now you know, About Saudi Arabia!