Table of Contents
Introduction
It is the culture of each and every society that makes it unique and distinct from others and also gives it a sense of blessings. Culture shapes every community and a Nation as a whole in that it influences its way of life. This encompasses aspects such as religion, cuisine, dressing, values and beliefs, songs and dances, language and politics amongst others. Notably, Saudi Arabia is one of the countries in the world that has a rich and diverse culture. For example, the region has managed to upheld its religion; Islam, for centuries. In light of this, culture distinguishes Saudi Arabia from other Nations regarding its people, military conflict history, physical geography, weather conditions and civil considerations which give a strong reason as to why it should be observed.
Definition and Characteristics of Culture
Culture has several definitions. For the purpose of this paper, it will be defined as the multifaceted system that consists of morals, art, customs, laws, beliefs, politics, religion, language, knowledge and behaviors adopted by individuals as members of given societies. Of importance is that it is passed from one generation to the other. The first characteristic of culture is that it is learned. In Saudi Arabia, people get to learn about their culture from friends, families, media, organizations and peers. Primarily, Enculturation is the process by which people learn about their culture. Second, culture is shared. That is to say; natives of Saudi Arabia act in certain ways that are socially acceptable in the country. For example, Islam as a religion, language, politics and mode of dressing particularly for women is a perfect example of this characteristic that is highly shared in the region.
Third, it is integrated. Essentially, this means that culture has many parts which are interconnected in such a way that to comprehend it, a person would be required to have a broad knowledge of all the parts. Consecutively, it is founded on symbols which are used as a representation of something else. Taking Saudi Arabia into consideration adorning in jewelry is a symbol of economic and social status while the Arabic language is a symbol of National Unity, identity, and effective communication. Lastly, it is dynamic. In other words, due to interacting with other cultures from other societies, it changes or becomes modified. Again, given that times are changing at a speedy pace, it has to adapt to be flexible to change for it to adapt to the modern advancements.
Arabia’s Physical Geography and Military Conflict History
Saudi Arabia inhabits the vast region of Arabian Peninsula which is the origin of Islam and the Arab people. Hence, the culture of the people here is that of Muslims and Arabs which interconnects them to other people beyond its borders who are of the same religion and origin. Majorly, it occupies approximately 2,250,000 square kilometers in which it borders the Persian Gulf to the East, Yemen, and Oman to the South and the Red Sea on the West. Furthermore, Kuwait, Jordan, and Iraq abound the country to the North. It has a complex terrain which is because it is located in a desert making it be commonly referred to as a desert country (Groucutt and Petraglia 2012). Infrastructure is more developed in the urban areas which are also highly inhabited. The Abraj Al-Bait Towers is one of the key structures here that is greatly regarded in the country and adored by many from across the world. The major lines of communication in the region are Saudi Telecom Company, Integrated Telecom Company, and the United Arab Emirates Telecommunication Company.
Weather Analysis
Saudi Arabia, being a desert country receives minimal annual rainfall. Thus, agricultural activities are not highly practiced except for Asir which receives adequate rainfall fit for agriculture. According to a 2013 census, the country had 28.83 million inhabitants which is considerably a high one considering its geographical location (Crate, 2011). Hence, the effects of weather are not adverse to prompt people to migrate from the country. In regards to the insurgency, the Nation’s climatic conditions has made it possible for it to revolt successfully. The reason being, those involved in a revolt are adapted to the weather and thus becomes it easier for them to defeat those attacking from outside its borders. Smuggling in the region is not easy specifically to outsiders since not many can withstand the hot and humid climatic conditions.
Overview of the Factors of ASCOPE
Arabia is comprised of areas of Hijaz, Najd, Asir and Al-Ahsa regions. In regards to structures, it has many institutions that encompass modern and ancient architectural designs. Most of these structures act as tourist attraction sites and have the capability of housing millions of people at once. A good example is the city of Mecca in which pilgrims converge every year to worship. Subsequently, about organizations, they range from government institutions, non-governmental, private owned and religious ones. These offer various services to the people such as education, health care, financial aid, recreation, worship services and food and drinks amongst much more. Moreover, most citizens of Saudi Arabia are Muslims and of Arabic origin. However, other races and religions can be found in the country specifically due to migration and international relation ties. However, the primary focus will be on the Natives of the Nation.
To the people of Saudi Arabia, dressing is of great significance, and it is expected that people wear according to the Islamic laws and protocols (Castells, 2011). In this regard, in observance and obedience of the Islamic customs, women mostly wear black outer cloaks over their inner dressing and cover their heads using Shayla. On the other hand, men adorn in thawbs and wear ghutra on their heads. People in Arabia are expected to observe the Islamic and Arabic cultures to the letter failure to which may lead to punishments some of which are quite severe such as being beheaded (Castells, 2011). The common language is Arabic. Here, people are divided into social classes in which the wealthy occupy prestigious positions in the society. Leaders are elected to power and possess a lot of authority over their subjects (Castells, 2011). They observe traditional recreational activities like Camel racing and Falconry Sport. In the region, men are considered the heads and thus take up most of the leadership positions.
Saudi Arabia’s Air Defense Capabilities
Saudi Arabia’s strong workforce, naval power, land systems, and resources make it capable to defend its airs without much support from foreigners (Peterson, 2013). It has approximately 1,210 tanks, 524 self-propelled guns, 722 aircraft, 245 interceptors, 204 helicopters, 22 attack helicopters and 221 transport aircraft. Further, within its possession are rich resources that enable it to acquire a lot of finances to aid air defense operations. Thus, the region’s capability is satisfactory. However, just like any other Nation in the world, it is hard to stand alone. It hence receives support from other countries which boosts its air defense capability.
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