2.  Facts and Statistics Location : The Middle East, bordering Iraq 814 km, Jordan 744 km, Kuwait 222 km, Oman 676 km, Qatar 60 km, UAE 457 km, Yemen 1,458 km Capital : Riyadh Climate : harsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes Population : 25,795,938 including 5,576,076 non-nationals Ethnic Make-up : Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10% To be continued

3.  Religions: Muslim 100% Government : monarchy Language in Saudi Arabia Arabic is the official language of Saudi Arabia, but English is widely spoken. It is used in business and is a compulsory second language in schools. Among the non-Saudi population, many people speak Urdu, the official language of Pakistan, and other Asian languages such as Farsi and Turkish..Muslim ArabicUrduTurkish

4. Meeting Etiquette - Men shake hands. Good friends may greet each other with a handshake and a kiss on each cheek. - Women generally hug and kiss close friends. - Men and women would not greet each other in public I from outside the family. - When Saudis greet each other they take their time and converse about general things.

5.  Most Saudis wear long white thobes. You would be expected to wear a suit.  Dress well if you want to make a good impression.  Business women should make certain that their collarbones and knees are covered and that their clothes are not form-fitting.

6.  The people of Saudi Arabia are very traditional and eat the same foods they have eaten for centuries. The average meal of the Bedouin nomads who remain in Saudi Arabia is much simpler than that of the urban Saudis who make up the majority of Saudi Arabia's population today. However, the basic ingredients are the same: wheat, rice, yogurt, dates, and chicken are staple foods for all Saudis. Saudi Arabia has over 18 million date palms that produce 600 million pounds of dates each year. The main Dish the eat is Kabsa

7.  Mecca  Medina

9.  Location : North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico  Capital : Washington, D.C  Climate : mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida, arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the great plains west of the Mississippi River, and arid in the Great Basin of the southwest..

10.  Population: 317,956,000 Ethnic Make-up:  62.8% White  16.9 Latino  12.3% Balack  5% Asian .7% Native America

11.  Religions: Christianity 73%, Judaism19%, Islam.8%, Buddhism, Hinduism.  Government : Constitution-based federal republic; strong democratic tradition Language in United States of America The United States does not have an official language, but English is spoken by about 82% of the population as a native language. The variety of English spoken in the United States is known as American English; together with Canadian English it makes up the group of dialects known as North American English. Spanish is the second-most common language in the country, spoken by almost 30 million people (or 12% of the population)..

12.  Meeting and Greeting Greetings are casual.  A handshake, a smile, and a 'hello' are all that is needed.  Smile!  Use first names, and be sure to introduce everyone to each other.

13.  What is considered appropriate business attire varies by geographic region, day of the week and industry.  In general, people in the East dress more formally, while people in the West are known for being a bit more casual.  Executives usually dress formally regardless of which part of the country they are in.  Casual Friday is common in many companies. High technology companies often wear casual clothes every day.  For an initial meeting, dressing conservatively is always in good taste. Women can wear business suits, dresses or pantsuits. Men should wear a business suit unless you know the firm to be quite casual.

14.  Culture is defined as the knowledge, beliefs, customs, and habits a group of people share. These are not inherited behaviors, but learned. Culture is passed on from generation to generation. 1 Each ethnic group has its own culturally based foods and food habits. These traditions have been influenced and adapted through contact with the mainstream culture. 1