Saudi Arabia

1. Arsh Parmar Mrs. Munro Geography N-7 4-17-12 Special Thanks To www.culture grams.com www.top-10-facts.com Saudi Arabia Middle East

2. My family • Myname is Mohammad and the country I live in is Saudi Arabia. I am the eldest of 2. I have one brother named Kabir. My mom’s name is Nimrah. My dad’s name is Mohammed too. We practice the religion of Islam.

3. Land and climate in my country • My country is one of the driest nations in the world because deserts cover much of the south and east. • We have to deal with sandstorms, intense heat, and dramatic changes in temperature. • The hottest weather occurs between May and October, when temperatures regularly exceed 110°F (43°C) in the interior and 97°F. • In December and January, the coldest months, 70°F (21°C) is the average daily high in the interior, where temperatures may drop to freezing at night. • It covers an area of 830,000 square miles which is only one-fourth the size of the United States

4. The Population of my country • My country has a population of more than 26 million people. • More than 5.5 million of these are foreigners (people who are not citizens) who are allowed to work in the country. • Here Ninety percent of Saudis are Arabs, descendants of tribes who once lived in the region. • Some others are descendants of settlers from Asia and Africa. About 80 percent of Saudi Arabia’s population lives in cities.

5. The language of Saudis Here • Arabic is the official language of the kingdom. • It’s also the language of the Qur’an (Koran), the scripture of Islam. • Arabic is written and read from the right side of the page to the left side.

6. My Religion • The religion that I practice is Islam. • It is the official religion of Saudi Arabia. • Saudis are forbidden from joining other religions. • There are two different branches within Islam, they are Sunni and Shi‘i Muslims. • Each year, hundreds of thousands of Muslims from around the world complete a pilgrimage (journey) called the Hajj to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, as part of their religious duties. (It is right near where I live.) • As part of the Hajj, pilgrims walk around the Ka‘abah seven times.

7. Religion Continued… • On Friday, the day of worship in Islam, people go to the mosque to pray and hear readings from the Qur’an and a speech about daily-life issues or religious practices. • Women stay home and pray. Women who attend the mosque are separate from the men

8. History • In my country the Al Saud family continues to rule Saudi Arabia • It has became a richer nation since the discovery of oil in the 1930s. • A two decades ago, Iraq invaded nearby Kuwait in 1990, the Saudis hosted troops from the United States and other countries. • Saudi Arabia has also been the site of numerous terrorist attacks, including two suicide bombings in 2003 that killed more than 40 people.

9. Games And sports • Soccer is the national and most popular sport in Saudi Arabia, but only men are allowed to play or to watch matches at the stadium. • Saudi men also enjoy horse and camel races, as well as hunting and hawking. Hawking involves hunting for small animals with trained pet falcons. • Young men enjoy volleyball, basketball, swimming, wrestling, and roller-skating. Boys love running races, having mock sword fights, and wrestling.

10. Games And Sports continued… • Women generally aren’t involved in sports, but girls sometimes play volleyball and other sports at school.

11. Holidays • The most important holidays that I celebrate areIslamic holidays. What celebrate in Saudi Arabia include the three-day feast (Eid al Fitr) at the end of Ramadan and the Feast of the Sacrifice (Eid al Adha). • For the entire month of Ramadan, us Muslims do not eat, drink, or smoke from sunrise to sunset each day.(We are not allowed to drink, smoke, or use tobacco, it is forbidden from our religion.) • Meals are eaten in the evening and before the sun comes up. • After Ramadan, families gather for Eid al Fitr, a time of eating and spending time with relatives

12. Religion continued… • We children, receive gifts and get to wear new clothes. • After a few months later we celebrate Eid al Adha. It is a holiday honoring the prophet Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son. It is a time for the family to be together and for people to give to the poor • For religious reasons, we don’t eat pork or drink alcohol.

13. Food • My family and I sit on the floor when we eat our meals. • Also instead of using knives and forks, we eat with our right hands. • We have Kabsah (rice with spiced chicken or lamb) which is a favorite dish throughout the country. • Though rice is commonly served with vegetables and a green salad in my house. • Coffee or tea is served before all meals, but buttermilk and camel’s milk are also popular drinks. • For dessert, we often enjoy a variety of fruits, especially dates.

14. Can You Say It? • Hello Halaa (HA-la) • Good-bye Ma’as salaama (as sa-LAA-ma) • Please Min fadlak (min FAD-lak) • Thank you Shokran(SHUK-ran) • Yes Na’am (nahm) • No La (lah)

15. Some Fascinating Facts • Our government here is a Monarchy. • We are the world’s largest producer of desalinated water. • The prime industry of my country is petroleum. • Instead of a toothbrush, we use the root of the arak tree called a Miswak. • The capital city of my country is Riyadh. • Saudi Arabia is the largest Arab country of the Middle East. • The currency here is the Riyal. • We are one of the driest nations in the world. • My country was declared in 1926. • Muslims think that Mecca, Saudi Arabia is the center of the earth.

16. Quiz!!! • What is the religion I follow? • Answer- Islam • How do You say Hello in my language? • Answer- Ma’as salaama • What can’t Muslims do? • Answer: Drink, smoke, or chew tobacco • What is the holiday where we can’t eat or drink until sunset? • Answer- Ramadan • Who rules my country? • Answer- The Al Saud Family

17. Good-Bye • I hope you guys had a good time learning about my country. Please come back soon! Ma’as salaama