Page 149 - ABCTE Study Guide_Neat

Saudi Arabia, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, has
become a wealthy nation since the discovery of its massive oil
reserves (one-quarter of the world's total) in the 1950s. A
conservative, theocratic monarchy, Saudi Arabia is an important
regional ally for the US.

The United Kingdom (England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland) is a
relatively small country that has played a major role in the
development of geopolitics. At present, over one billion people speak
English, and number expected to double in the next decade, a result
of the influence of this enterprising nation. England's early history was
characterized by waves of immigrants; even the Celts are believed to
have displaced or absorbed an earlier population. Later invaders
included the Romans, the Saxons, various Scandinavian groups, and
finally, the Normans. Since 1066, however, England's seas have
protected it from invasion. This protection helped it to become a major
industrial and colonial power in the nineteenth and early twentieth
centuries. Manufacturing and agriculture remain important
components of the UK's economy, while the service sector has gained
increasing prominence. A constitutional monarchy, Britain is ruled by
Parliament and its Prime Minister, while Queen Elizabeth II is the
symbolic head of state.