Saudi Arabia Posters, Charts, Maps & Curriculum Resources

Saudi Arabia Map (24º39'0"N 46º46'0"E)

Saudi Arabia Flag Map of Arabian Penisula, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Middle East, Art Print

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the largest country on the Arabian Peninsula, is named after its ruling family, the Saudi's. Saudi Arabia is bordered on the south by Yemen and Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain on the eastern Persian Gulf side, Kuwait and Iraq on the northeast, Jordan on the north, and the Red Sea on the west. Saudi Arabia has 25% of the world's proven oil resources, and with its extensive coastlines on the Red Sea and Persian Gulf, great influence on the world's energy resources.

Muslim Pilgrims Performing the Hajj, at the Afternoon Prayers Inside the Grand Mosque, Mecca, Photographic Print

Saudi Arabia is approximately one fifth the size of the United States. Its terrain is mostly harsh sandy desert with oases. People are concentrated on the east and west coasts and the desert oases. There are no permanent rivers or lakes in Saudi Arabia; plagued by scant water resources, Saudi Arabia is developing seawater desalination facilities. Riyadh, located in the east central desert, is the capital of Saudi Arabia.

The two holiest places for Islam, Mecca and Medina, are in Saudi Arabia. The Qu'ran, Islam's holy book, is the constitution of Saudi Arabia. The rulers of Saudi Arabia must be sons and grandsons of the first king, Abd Al Aziz Al Saud, and have the consensus of the royal family and religious leaders. There are no political parties or national elections, though municipal elections were held for the first time in 2005, with male citiizens age 21 allowed to vote.