Its diverse racial and religious group gives the republic a highly pluralistic and open society, it was the first nation on the Arabian and African continental shelf's to legalize gay marriage and provide health coverage for abortions. While mostly ethnically Arabian, hailing from Palestine, the nations National Census Ministry projects that more then 43% of the nations population is of European descent, most of whom are from Portuguese ancestry. It's blend of Arabian and European culture has allowed the country to come some-what more pro-western then some of its more Islamic influenced brothers.