- published: 13 Feb 2016
- views: 536609
Saudi Arabia (i/ˌsaʊdi əˈreɪbi.ə/ or
i/ˌsɔːdiː əˈreɪbi.ə/; Arabic: السعودية as-Su‘ūdīyah[citation needed] or incorrectly as-Sa‘ūdīyah, officially known as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Arabic: المملكة العربية السعودية al-Mamlakah al-‘Arabīyah as-Su‘ūdīyah
Arabic pronunciation (help·info)), is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab world, after Algeria. It is bordered by Jordan, and Iraq on the north and northeast, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates on the east, Oman on the southeast, and Yemen on the south. The Red Sea lies to its west, and the Persian Gulf lies to the east. Saudi Arabia has an area of approximately 2,250,000 km2 (870,000 sq mi), and it has an estimated population of 27 million, of which 9 million are registered foreign expatriates and an estimated 2 million are illegal immigrants. Saudi nationals comprise an estimated 16 million people.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was founded by Abdul-Aziz bin Saud (known for most of his career as Ibn Saud) in 1932, although the conquests which eventually led to the creation of the Kingdom began in 1902 when he captured Riyadh, the ancestral home of his family, the House of Saud, referred to in Arabic as the Al Saud. The Saudi Arabian government, which has been an absolute monarchy since its inception, refers to its system of government as being Islamic, though this is contested by many due to its strong basis in Salafism, a minority school of thought in Islam. The kingdom is sometimes called "The Land of the Two Holy Mosques" in reference to Al-Masjid al-Haram (in Mecca), and Al-Masjid al-Nabawi (in Medina), the two holiest places in Islam.
Turkey & Saudi Arabia ready to launch ground operation in Syria
BREAKING NEWS:: Yemen Army now invading Saudi Arabia
What's Next With The 350,000 Soldiers, 20,000 Tanks & 2,500 Warplanes Outside of Syria
End Times Saudi Arabia using Cluster&Tactical; Nuclear? Bombs in Yemen Breaking News January 2016
Breaking News May 2015 Saudi Arabia used USA supplied cluster bombs in Yemen
WW3 Russia Surrounded: Turkey & Saudi Arabia To Attack Syria 2016
WW3 RED Alert Putin To Saudi Arabia & Turkey ISIS Any Attack Will Lead To Full Scale War
Why did Saudi Arabia execute 47 people?
Saudi Arabia Threatens Full Out Invasion Of Syria
Russia Saudi Arabia Qatar Venezuela Freeze Oil Output Production Breaking News February 16 2016
What If Saudi Arabia And Iran Went To War?
BREAKING: Saudi Arabia Prepping For Ground Invasion In Syria
China Russia Iran Saudi Arabia Oil Alliance Breaking News January 20 2016
Hajj stampede: At least 717 killed in Saudi Arabia - BBC News