Statistical information Kuwait 1992
Kuwait in the World
Kuwait - Introduction 1992
top of pageBackground: 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 dollars to repair oil infrastructure damaged during 1990-91.
Kuwait - Geography 1992
top of pageLocation
Geographic coordinates
Map reference
Area
Total: 17,820 km²
Land: 17,820 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundaries: 462 km; Iraq 240 km, Saudi Arabia 222 km
Coastline: 499 km
Maritime claims
Continental shelf: not specific
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes:
in April 1991 official Iraqi acceptance of UN Security Council
Resolution 687, which demands that Iraq accept the inviolability of the boundary set forth in its 1963 agreement with Kuwait, ending earlier claims to Bubiyan and Warbah Islands or to all of Kuwait; a UN Boundary Demarcation
Commission is demarcating the Iraq-Kuwait boundary persuant to Resolution 687, and, on 17 June 1992, the UN Security Council reaffirmed the finality of the Boundary Demarcation Commission's decisions; ownership of Qaruh and
Umm al Maradim Islands disputed by Saudi Arabia
Resolution 687, which demands that Iraq accept the inviolability of the boundary set forth in its 1963 agreement with Kuwait, ending earlier claims to Bubiyan and Warbah Islands or to all of Kuwait; a UN Boundary Demarcation
Commission is demarcating the Iraq-Kuwait boundary persuant to Resolution 687, and, on 17 June 1992, the UN Security Council reaffirmed the finality of the Boundary Demarcation Commission's decisions; ownership of Qaruh and
Umm al Maradim Islands disputed by Saudi Arabia
Climate: dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters
Terrain: flat to slightly undulating desert plain
Elevation
Natural resources: petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas
Land use
Land use: arable land: NEGL%; permanent crops: 0%; meadows and pastures 8%; forest and woodland NEGL%; other 92%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Irrigated land
Major rivers
Major watersheds area km²
Total water withdrawal
Total renewable water resources
Natural hazards
Geography
Kuwait - People 1992
top of pagePopulation: 1,378,613 (July 1992), growth rate NA (1992)
Nationality: noun - Kuwaiti(s; adjective - Kuwaiti
Ethnic groups: Kuwaiti 50%, other Arab 35%, South Asian 9%, Iranian 4%, other 2%
Languages: Arabic (official; English widely spoken
Religions:
Muslim 85% (Shi`a 30%, Sunni 45%, other 10%), Christian,
Hindu, Parsi, and other 15%
Hindu, Parsi, and other 15%
Demographic profile
Age structure
Age structure
Dependency ratios
Median age
Population growth rate
Birth rate: 32 births/1000 population (1992)
Death rate: 2 deaths/1000 population (1992)
Net migration rate: NA migrants/1000 population (1992)
Population distribution
Urbanization
Major urban areas
Environment
Current issues: some of world's largest and most sophisticated desalination facilities provide most of water; air and water pollution; desertification
Current issues note: strategic location at head of Persian Gulf
Air pollutants
Sex ratio
Mothers mean age at first birth
Maternal mortality ratio
Infant mortality rate: 14 deaths/1000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 76 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate: 4.4 children born/woman (1992)
Contraceptive prevalence rate
Drinking water source
Current health expenditure
Physicians density
Hospital bed density
Sanitation facility access
Hiv/Aids
Major infectious diseases
Obesity adult prevalence rate
Alcohol consumption
Tobacco use
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
Education expenditures
Literacy: 74% (male 78%, female 69%) age 15 and over can read and write (1985)
School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Youth unemployment
Kuwait - Government 1992
top of pageCountry name
Conventional long form: State of Kuwait
Government type: nominal constitutional monarchy
Capital: Kuwait
Administrative divisions: 5 governorates (mu'hafaz'at, singular - muh'afaz'ah; Al Ah'madi, Al Jahrah, Al Kuwayt, 'Hawalli; Farwaniyah
Dependent areas
Independence: 19 June 1961 (from UK)
National holiday: National Day, 25 February
Constitution:
16 November 1962 (some provisions suspended since 29
August 1962)
August 1962)
Legal system: civil law system with Islamic law significant in personal matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
International law organization participation
Citizenship
Suffrage: adult males who resided in Kuwait before 1920 and their male descendants at age 21; note - out of all citizens, only 10% are eligible to vote and only 5% actually vote
National Assembly: dissolved 3 July 1986; new elections are scheduled for October 1992
Executive branch: amir, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: National Assembly (Majlis al `umma) dissolved 3 July 1986; elections for new Assembly scheduled for October 1992
Judicial branch: High Court of Appeal
Political parties and leaders
International organization participation:
ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, BDEAC, CAEU, ESCWA, FAO, G-77,
GATT, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAPEC, OIC,
OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
GATT, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAPEC, OIC,
OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Shaykh Sa`ud Nasir al-SABAH;
Chancery at 2,940 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20,008; telephone (202) 966-0702
Chancery at 2,940 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20,008; telephone (202) 966-0702
US:
Ambassador Edward (Skip) GNEHM, Jr.; Embassy at Bneid al-Gar (opposite the Kuwait International Hotel), Kuwait City (mailing address is
P.O. Box 77 SAFAT, 13,001 SAFAT, Kuwait; APO AE 9,880); telephone 965 242-4,151 through 4,159; FAX 956 244-2,855
P.O. Box 77 SAFAT, 13,001 SAFAT, Kuwait; APO AE 9,880); telephone 965 242-4,151 through 4,159; FAX 956 244-2,855
Diplomatic representation
Flag description
: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a black trapezoid based on the hoist sideNational symbols
National anthem
National heritage
Kuwait - Economy 1992
top of pageEconomy overview:
Up to the invasion by Iraq in August 1990, the oil sector had dominated the economy. Kuwait has the third-largest oil reserves in the world after Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Earnings from hydrocarbons have generated over 90% of both export and government revenues and contributed about 40% to
GDP. Most of the nonoil sector has traditionally been dependent upon oil-derived government revenues. Iraq's destruction of Kuwait's oil industry during the Gulf war has devastated the economy. Iraq destroyed or damaged more than 80% of Kuwait's 950 operating oil wells, as well as sabotaged key surface facilities. Firefighters brought all of the roughly 750 oil well fires and blowouts under control by November 1991. By yearend, production had been brought back to 400,000 barrels per day; it could take two to three years to restore Kuwait's oil production to its prewar level of about 2.0 million barrels per day. Meanwhile, population had been greatly reduced because of the war, from 2.1 million to 1.4 million.
GDP. Most of the nonoil sector has traditionally been dependent upon oil-derived government revenues. Iraq's destruction of Kuwait's oil industry during the Gulf war has devastated the economy. Iraq destroyed or damaged more than 80% of Kuwait's 950 operating oil wells, as well as sabotaged key surface facilities. Firefighters brought all of the roughly 750 oil well fires and blowouts under control by November 1991. By yearend, production had been brought back to 400,000 barrels per day; it could take two to three years to restore Kuwait's oil production to its prewar level of about 2.0 million barrels per day. Meanwhile, population had been greatly reduced because of the war, from 2.1 million to 1.4 million.
GDP: exchange rate conversion - $8.75 billion, per capita $6,200; real growth rate -50% (1991 est.)
Real gdp purchasing power parity
Real gdp growth rate
Real gdp per capita
Gross national saving
Gdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end use
Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture products: virtually none; dependent on imports for food; about 75% of potable water must be distilled or imported
Industries: petroleum, petrochemicals, desalination, food processing, building materials, salt, construction
Industrial production growth rate: growth rate 3% (1988; accounts for 52% of GDP
Labor force: 566,000 (1986); services 45.0%, construction 20.0%, trade 12.0%, manufacturing 8.6%, finance and real estate 2.6%, agriculture 1.9%, power and water 1.7%, mining and quarrying 1.4%; 70% of labor force was non-Kuwaiti
Organized labor: labor unions exist in oil industry and among government personnel
Labor force
Unemployment rate: NA
Youth unemployment
Population below poverty line
Gini index
Household income or consumption by percentage share
Distribution of family income gini index
Budget: revenues $7.1 billion; expenditures $10.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $3.1 billion (FY88)
Taxes and other revenues
Public debt
Revenue
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
Inflation rate consumer prices
Central bank discount rate
Commercial bank prime lending rate
Stock of narrow money
Stock of broad money
Stock of domestic credit
Market value of publicly traded shares
Current account balance
Exports: $11.4 billion (f.o.b., 1989)
Commodoties: oil 90%
Partners: Japan 19%, Netherlands 9%, US 8%, Pakistan 6%
Imports: $6.6 billion (f.o.b., 1989)
Commodoties: food, construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing
Partners: US 15%, Japan 12%, FRG 8%, UK 7%
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
Debt external
Stock of direct foreign investment at home
Stock of direct foreign investment abroad
Exchange rates: Kuwaiti dinars (KD) per US$1 - 0.2950 (March 1992), 0.2843 (1991), 0.2915 (1990), 0.2937 (1989), 0.2790 (1988), 0.2786 (1987)
Kuwait - Energy 1992
top of pageElectricity
Production:
3,100,000 kW available out of 8,290,000 kW capacity due to
Persian Gulf war; 7,300 million kWh produced, 3,311 kWh per capita (1991)
Persian Gulf war; 7,300 million kWh produced, 3,311 kWh per capita (1991)
Coal
Petroleum
Crude oil
Refined petroleum
Natural gas
Carbon dioxide emissions
Energy consumption per capita
Kuwait - Communication 1992
top of pageTelephones
Telephone system
Broadcast media
Internet
Broadband fixed subscriptions
Kuwait - Military 1992
top of pageMilitary expenditures
Percent of gdp:
exchange rate conversion - $9.17 billion, 20.4% of
GDP (1992 budget)
GDP (1992 budget)
Military and security forces
Military service age and obligation
Space program
Terrorist groups
Kuwait - Transportation 1992
top of pageNational air transport system
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
Airports:
7 total, 4 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 4
with runways 2,440-3,659 m; none
with runways 1,220-2,439 m
with runways 2,440-3,659 m; none
with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Heliports
Pipelines: crude oil 877 km; petroleum products 40 km; natural gas 165 km
Railways
Roadways
Waterways
Merchant marine:
29 ships (1,000 GRT or over), totaling 1,196,435
GRT/1,957,216 DWT; includes 2 cargo, 4 livestock carrier, 18 oil tanker, 4 liquefied gas; note - all Kuwaiti ships greater than 1,000 GRT were outside
Kuwaiti waters at the time of the Iraqi invasion; many of these ships transferred to the Liberian flag or to the flags of other Persian Gulf states; only 1 has returned to Kuwaiti flag since the liberation of Kuwait
GRT/1,957,216 DWT; includes 2 cargo, 4 livestock carrier, 18 oil tanker, 4 liquefied gas; note - all Kuwaiti ships greater than 1,000 GRT were outside
Kuwaiti waters at the time of the Iraqi invasion; many of these ships transferred to the Liberian flag or to the flags of other Persian Gulf states; only 1 has returned to Kuwaiti flag since the liberation of Kuwait
Civil air: 9 major transport aircraft
Ports and terminals
Kuwait - Transnational issues 1992
top of pageDisputes international
Refugees and internally displaced persons
Illicit drugs