| Background: |
Kuwait was
attacked and overrun by Iraq on 2 August 1990. Following
several weeks of aerial bombardment, a US-led UN coalition
began a ground assault on 23 February 1991 that completely
liberated Kuwait in four days. Kuwait has spent more than $5
billion to repair oil infrastructure damaged during 1990-91. |
| Location: |
Middle East,
bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
29 30 N, 45 45 E |
| Map
references: |
Middle East |
| Area: |
total:
17,820 sq km
land: 17,820 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly smaller
than New Jersey |
| Land
boundaries: |
total:
464 km
border countries: Iraq 242 km, Saudi Arabia 222
km |
| Maritime
claims: |
territorial
sea: 12 NM |
| Climate: |
dry desert;
intensely hot summers; short, cool winters |
| Terrain: |
flat to slightly
undulating desert plain |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point:
Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 306 m |
| Natural
resources: |
petroleum, fish,
shrimp, natural gas |
| Land
use: |
arable land:
0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 8%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 92% (1993 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
20 sq km (1993
est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
sudden
cloudbursts are common from October to April; they bring
inordinate amounts of rain which can damage roads and
houses; sandstorms and dust storms occur throughout the
year, but are most common between March and August |
| Environment
- current issues: |
limited natural
fresh water resources; some of world's largest and most
sophisticated desalination facilities provide much of the
water; air and water pollution; desertification |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to:
Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone
Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity,
Endangered Species, Marine Dumping |
| Geography
- note: |
strategic
location at head of Persian Gulf |
| Population: |
2,041,961
note: includes 1,159,913 non-nationals (July
2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
28.76% (male 299,080; female 288,125)
15-64 years: 68.82% (male 897,839; female
507,527)
65 years and over: 2.42% (male 31,843; female
17,547) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
3.38% (2001 est.)
note: this rate reflects a return to pre-Gulf
crisis immigration of expatriates |
| Birth
rate: |
21.91
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
2.45 deaths/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
14.31 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth:
1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.77 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.81 male(s)/female
total population: 1.51 male(s)/female (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
11.18
deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 76.27 years
male: 75.42 years
female: 77.15 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
3.2 children
born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
0.12% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
| Nationality: |
noun:
Kuwaiti(s)
adjective: Kuwaiti |
| Ethnic
groups: |
Kuwaiti 45%,
other Arab 35%, South Asian 9%, Iranian 4%, other 7% |
| Religions: |
Muslim 85% (Sunni
45%, Shi'a 40%), Christian, Hindu, Parsi, and other 15% |
| Languages: |
Arabic
(official), English widely spoken |
| Literacy: |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 78.6%
male: 82.2%
female: 74.9% (1995 est.) |
| Country
name: |
conventional
long form: State of Kuwait
conventional short form: Kuwait
local long form: Dawlat al Kuwayt
local short form: Al Kuwayt |
| Government
type: |
nominal
constitutional monarchy |
| Administrative
divisions: |
5 governorates (muhafazat,
singular - muhafazah); Al Ahmadi, Al Farwaniyah, Al 'Asimah,
Al Jahra', Hawalli |
| Independence: |
19 June 1961
(from UK) |
| National
holiday: |
National Day, 25
February (1950) |
| Constitution: |
approved and
promulgated 11 November 1962 |
| Legal
system: |
civil law system
with Islamic law significant in personal matters; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
| Suffrage: |
adult males who
have been naturalized for 30 years or more or have resided
in Kuwait since before 1920 and their male descendants at
age 21
note: only 10% of all citizens are eligible to
vote; in 1996, naturalized citizens who do not meet the
pre-1920 qualification but have been naturalized for 30
years were eligible to vote for the first time |
| Executive
branch: |
chief of
state: Amir JABIR al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al Sabah
(since 31 December 1977)
head of government: Prime Minister and Crown
Prince SAAD al-Abdallah al-Salim Al Sabah (since 8 February
1978); First Deputy Prime Minister SABAH al-Ahmad al-Jabir
Al Sabah (since 17 October 1992); Deputy Prime Ministers
JABIR MUBARAK al-Hamud Al Sabah (since NA) and MUHAMMAD
KHALID al-Hamed Al Sabah (since NA)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the
prime minister and approved by the monarch
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary;
prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the
monarch |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral
National Assembly or Majlis al-Umma (50 seats; members
elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 3 July 1999 (next to be
held NA 2003)
election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats
- independents 50; note - all cabinet ministers are also ex
officio members of the National Assembly |
| Judicial
branch: |
High Court of
Appeal |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
none; formation
of political parties is illegal |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
several political
groups act as de facto parties: Bedouins, merchants, Sunni
and Shi'a activists, and secular leftists and nationalists |
| International
organization participation: |
ABEDA, AfDB,
AFESD, AL, AMF, BDEAC, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM,
OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR,
UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador (vacant)
chancery: 2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC
20008
telephone: [1] (202) 966-0702
FAX: [1] (202) 966-0517 |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador James A. LAROCCO
embassy: Bayan, near the Bayan palace, Kuwait
City
mailing address: P. O. Box 77 Safat, 13001
Safat, Kuwait Unit 69000, APO AE 09880-9000
telephone: [965] 539-5307
FAX: [965] 538-0282 |
| Flag
description: |
three equal
horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a black
trapezoid based on the hoist side |
| Economy
- overview: |
Kuwait is a
small, relatively open economy with proved crude oil
reserves of about 94 billion barrels - 10% of world
reserves. Petroleum accounts for nearly half of GDP, 90% of
export revenues, and 75% of government income. Kuwait's
climate limits agricultural development. Consequently, with
the exception of fish, it depends almost wholly on food
imports. About 75% of potable water must be distilled or
imported. Higher oil prices put the FY99/00 budget into a $2
billion surplus. The FY00/01 budget covers only nine months
because of a change in the fiscal year. The budget for
FY01/02, which begins 1 April, contains higher expenditures
for salaries, construction, and other general categories.
Kuwait continues its discussions with foreign oil companies
to develop fields in the northern part of the country. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power
parity - $29.3 billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
6% (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $15,000 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
0%
industry: 55%
services: 45% (1996) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
3% (2000) |
| Labor
force: |
1.3 million (1998
est.)
note: 68% of the population in the 15-64 age
group is non-national (July 1998 est.) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture NA%,
industry NA%, services NA% |
| Unemployment
rate: |
1.8% (official
1996 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$11.5 billion
expenditures: $17.2 billion, including capital
expenditures of $NA (FY01/02) |
| Industries: |
petroleum,
petrochemicals, desalination, food processing, construction
materials |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
1% (1997 est.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
31.567 billion
kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
29.357 billion
kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
practically no
crops; fish |
| Exports: |
$23.2 billion
(f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
oil and refined
products, fertilizers |
| Exports
- partners: |
Japan 23%, US
12%, Singapore 8%, Netherlands 7% (1999) |
| Imports: |
$7.6 billion
(f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
food,
construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing |
| Imports
- partners: |
US 15%, Japan
10%, UK 7%, Germany 7% (1999) |
| Debt
- external: |
$6.9 billion
(2000 est.) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$27.6 million
(1995) |
| Currency: |
Kuwaiti dinar (KWD) |
| Exchange
rates: |
Kuwaiti dinars
per US dollar - 0.3057 (January 2001), 0.3067 (2000), 0.3044
(1999), 0.3047 (1998), 0.3033 (1997), 0.2994 (1996) |
| Fiscal
year: |
1 April - 31
March |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
412,000 (1997) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
210,000 (1997) |
| Telephone
system: |
general
assessment: the quality of service is excellent
domestic: new telephone exchanges provide a
large capacity for new subscribers; trunk traffic is carried
by microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, open wire, and
fiber-optic cable; a cellular telephone system operates
throughout Kuwait, and the country is well supplied with pay
telephones
international: coaxial cable and microwave
radio relay to Saudi Arabia; linked to Bahrain, Qatar, UAE
via the Fiber-Optic Gulf (FOG) cable; satellite earth
stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean, 2 Indian Ocean), 1
Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean), and 2 Arabsat |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 6, FM 11,
shortwave 1 (1998) |
| Radios: |
1.175 million
(1997) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
13 (plus several
satellite channels) (1997) |
| Televisions: |
875,000 (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.kw |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
3 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
100,000 (2000) |
| Highways: |
total:
4,450 km
paved: 3,590 km
unpaved: 860 km (1999 est.) |
| Pipelines: |
crude oil 877 km;
petroleum products 40 km; natural gas 165 km |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Ash Shu'aybah,
Ash Shuwaykh, Kuwait, Mina' 'Abd Allah, Mina' al Ahmadi,
Mina' Su'ud |
| Merchant
marine: |
total:
45 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,461,072 GRT/3,966,645
DWT
ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 6, container 6,
liquefied gas 7, livestock carrier 5, petroleum tanker 20
(2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
4
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total:
4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 3 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Army, Navy, Air
Force, National Police Force, National Guard, Coast Guard |
| Military
manpower - military age: |
18 years of age |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age
15-49: 780,559 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age
15-49: 466,521 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - reaching military age annually: |
males:
18,309 (2001 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$1.9 billion
(FY00/01) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
8.7% (FY00/01) |
| Disputes
- international: |
in November 1994,
Iraq formally accepted the UN-demarcated border with Kuwait
which had been spelled out in Security Council Resolutions
687 (1991), 773 (1993), and 883 (1993); this formally ends
earlier claims to Kuwait and to Bubiyan and Warbah islands |
|
