Saudi Arabia

Detailed CIA map of a turbulent Saudi Arabia during the late 1970s.

This fascinating political map of Saudi Arabia was published by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency in 1979. The oil-rich nations’ transportation infrastructure is shown in the primary image, with roads, railroads, airfields, and ports noted throughout. Surrounding insets offer a wealth of additional information, including population density, administrative divisions, principal tribes, land utilization, and the oil fields across the Persian Gulf. A visual comparison in the upper left highlights Saudi Arabia’s massive size.

The recent outbreak of the Iranian Revolution had threatened Saudi influence in the Gulf and sharply increased global oil prices. Just a few months after publication of the map (dated 6-79 in the lower left), domestic religious unrest resulted in both the seizure of the Grand Mosque at Mecca and the bloody Qatif Uprising.