16--Middle+East--Saudi+Arabia

toc =Geographical Information= =Economic Information=
 * middle east bordering Persian gulf, North of Yemen
 * 25 00 N 45 00 E
 * 6492 Miles east from Lancaster, PA
 * Much larger than surrounding countries
 * Harsh, dry climate with great temperature extremes
 * Mostly desert
 * Some common food traditions are Fatir, Hawayij, Haysa, Al-Tumreya, Kapsa, Kimaje
 * Capital city is Riyadh
 * Type of government is monarchy
 * King and Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud
 * natural gas and oil
 * wheat, barley, tomatoes, melons, dates, citrus; mutton, chickens, eggs, milk
 * crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals, ammonia, industrial gases, sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), cement, fertilizer, plastics, metals, commercial ship repair, commercial aircraft repair, construction
 * imports machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, motor vehicles, textiles
 * US 12%, China 10.4%, Japan 7.6%, Germany 7.3%, South Korea 5.1%, Italy 4.7%, India 4.5%, UK 4%
 * GDP- $384 billion (2009 est.)
 * GDP per capita- $20,400 (2009 est.)
 * unemployment rate is 11.6%

=Population Information=
 * current population is 29,207,277
 * population density is 11 per km squared
 * 0-14- 38% 15-64-59.5% 65 and over- 2.5%
 * NRI is 25.76
 * It will take 2.71 years for Saudi Arabia to double in size
 * Literacy rate is 78.8%
 * Infant mortality rate is 11.2 deaths per 1,000 live births
 * Life expectancy is 76.51
 * Physical Quality of like is 89.58
 * 90% Arab 10% Afro-Asian
 * 100% Muslim religion
 * Main language is Arabic

=Human Rights Information= =Environmental Information=
 * Saudi Arabia is one of a number of countries where courts continue to impose corporal punishment, including amputations of hands and feet for robbery, and flogging for lesser crimes such as "sexual deviance" and drunkenness.The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ratified the International Convention against Torture in October 1997 according to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.The Human rights of Saudi Arabia are specified in article 26 of the Basic Law of Saudi Arabia.
 * religious and political minorities, homosexuality, and women. Since Saudi Arabia has monarchy as their form of government, it is common for these minorities to be discriminated against. These people do not have the same freedoms as we do in the United States and are forced to face even harsher critcsism than the minorities in the United States. In Saudi Arabia a beating would be acceptable if it was acted upon one of the minorities. It is just
 * desertification; depletion of underground water resources; the lack of perennial rivers or permanent water bodies has prompted the development of extensive seawater desalination facilities; coastal pollution from oil spills. There is also the problem of acidification, acid rain, aerosol, Afforestation, Asbestos, Biodiversity, Bio-indicators, Biomass, Carbon cycle, Catchments, Defoliants, Deforestation, Desertification, Dredging, Water-born diseases, and many more.

=Decision Statement=
 * Saudi Arabia would be the best place to live because the quality of life is pretty high. Many people are literate and the average life span of a person is also high. Saudi Arabia has natural oil and gas along with a large amount of produce. Food supply is high and there is only a 11.6% unemployment rate. Religion is very strong in Saudi Arabia and everyone is Muslim. Since there is such strong culture in this country the feeling of unity would be great. All of these things contribute to a great country to live in and the best choice out of countries in the Middle East.