Map of Kuwait | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

top of page


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 dollars to repair oil infrastructure damaged during 1990-91.


top of page


Location: Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Middle East

Area
Total area total: 17,820 km²
Land: 17,820 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than New Jersey

Land boundaries: total 464 km, Iraq 242 km, Saudi Arabia 222 km

Coastline: 499 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea:12 nm

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
Arable land: 0%
Permanent crops: 0%
Meadows and pastures: 8%
Forest and woodland: 0%
Other: 92%

Irrigated land: 20 km² (1989 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography
Note: strategic location at head of Persian Gulf


top of page


Population: 1,817,397 (July 1995 est.)
Growth rate: 7.46% (1995 est.)
Growth rate note: this rate reflects the continued post-Gulf crisis return of nationals and expatriates

Nationality
Noun: Kuwaiti(s)
Adjective: Kuwaiti

Ethnic groups: Kuwaiti 45%, other Arab 35%, South Asian 9%, Iranian 4%, other 7%

Languages: Arabic (official), English widely spoken

Religions: Muslim 85% (Shi'a 30%, Sunni 45%, other 10%), Christian, Hindu, Parsi, and other 15%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 34% (female 302,908; male 319,659)
15-64 years: 64% (female 467,163; male 697,849)
65 years and over: 2% (female 13,476; male 16,342) (July 1995 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 7.46% (1995 est.)
Note: this rate reflects the continued post-Gulf crisis return of nationals and expatriates

Birth rate: 21.07 births/1000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 2.2 deaths/1000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: 55.71 migrant(s)/1000 population (1995 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

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
Current issues natural hazards: sudden cloudbursts are common from October to April, they bring inordinate amounts of rain which can damage roads and houses; sandstorms and duststorms occur throughout the year, but are most common between March and August
Current issues international agreements: party to - Climate Change, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Marine Dumping

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 11.5 deaths/1000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 75.64 years
Male: 73.33 years
Female: 78.06 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.93 children born/woman (1995 est.)

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: age 15 and over can read and write (1985)
Total population: 74%
Male: 78%
Female: 69%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


top of page


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

Capital: Kuwait

Administrative divisions: 5 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah; Al 'Ahmadi, Al Jahrah, Al Kuwayt, Hawalli, Al Farwaniyah

Dependent areas

Independence: 19 June 1961 (from UK)

National holiday: National Day, 25 February (1948)

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: adult males who resided in Kuwait 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 thirty years will be eligible to vote

Executive branch
Chief of state: Amir Shaykh 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); Deputy Prime Minister SABAH al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al Sabah (since 17 October 1992)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the Prime Minister and approved by the Amir

Legislative branch: unicameral
National Assembly Majlis alumma: dissolved 3 July 1986; new elections were held on 5 October 1992 with a second election in the 14th and 16th constituencies held February 1993

Judicial branch: High Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, BDEAC, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GATT, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador MUHAMMAD al-Sabah al-Salim Al SABAH
In the us chancery: 2,940 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 966-0702
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 966-0517
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Ryan C. CROCKER
From the us embassy: Bneid al-Gar (opposite the Kuwait International Hotel), Kuwait City
From the us mailing address: P.O. Box 77 SAFAT, 13,001 SAFAT, Kuwait; Unit 69,000, Kuwait; APO AE 9,880-9,000
From the us telephone: [965] 2,424,151 through 2,424,159
From the us FAX: [965] 2,442,855

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a black trapezoid based on the hoist side

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


top of page


Economy overview: Kuwait is a small and relatively open economy with proved crude oil reserves of about 94 billion barrels - 10% of world reserves. Kuwait has rebuilt its war-ravaged petroleum sector; its crude oil production reached at least 2.0 million barrels per day by the end of 1993. The government ran a sizable fiscal deficit in 1993. Petroleum accounts for nearly half of GDP and 90% of export and government revenues. Kuwait lacks water and has practically no arable land, thus preventing development of agriculture. With the exception of fish, it depends almost wholly on food imports. About 75% of potable water must be distilled or imported. Because of its high per capita income, comparable with Western European incomes, Kuwait provides its citizens with extensive health, educational, and retirement benefits. Per capita military expenditures are among the highest in the world. The economy improved moderately in 1994, with the growth in industry and finance, and should see further gains in 1995, especially if oil prices go up. The World Bank has urged Kuwait to push ahead with privatization, including in the oil industry, but the government will move slowly on this front.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 9.3% (1994 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $16,900 (1994 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: practically none; extensive fishing in territorial waters and Indian Ocean

Industries: petroleum, petrochemicals, desalination, food processing, building materials, salt, construction

Industrial production growth rate: NA%; accounts for NA% of GDP

Labor force: 566,000 (1986)
By occupation services: 45.0%
By occupation construction: 20.0%
By occupation trade: 12.0%
By occupation manufacturing: 8.6%
By occupation financeandrealestate: 2.6%
By occupation agriculture: 1.9%
By occupation powerandwater: 1.7%
By occupation mining and quarrying: 1.4%
Note: 70% of labor force non-Kuwaiti (1986)

Unemployment rate: NEGL% (1992 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $9 billion
Expenditures: $13 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY92/93)

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: $10.5 billion (f.o.b., 1993)
Commodoties: oil
Partners: France 16%, Italy 15%, Japan 12%, UK 11%

Imports: $6.6 billion (f.o.b., 1993)
Commodoties: food, construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing
Partners: US 35%, Japan 12%, UK 9%, Canada 9%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $7.2 billion (December 1989 est.)
Note: external debt has grown substantially in 1991 and 1992 to pay for restoration of war damage

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Kuwaiti dinars (KD) per US$1 - 0.2991 (January 1995), 0.2976 (1994), 0.3017 (1993), 0.2934 (1992), 0.2843 (1991), 0.2915 (1990)


top of page


Electricity
Capacity: 7,070,000 kW
Production: 11 billion kWh
Production consumption per capita: 6,007 kWh (1993)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


top of page


Telephones

Telephone system: NA telephones; civil network suffered extensive damage as a result of the Gulf war and reconstruction is still under way with some restored international and domestic capabilities
Local: NA
Intercity: NA
International: earth stations destroyed during Gulf war and not rebuilt yet; temporary mobile satellite antennae provide international telecommunications; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; service to Iraq is nonoperational

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


top of page


Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $3.4 billion, 13.3% of GDP (1995)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


top of page


National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 8
With paved runways over 3047 m: 3
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 2
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2438 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1

Heliports

Pipelines: crude oil 877 km; petroleum products 40 km; natural gas 165 km

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 47 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,202,558 GRT/3,618,527 DWT
Ships by type: cargo 9, container 3, liquefied gas tanker 7, livestock carrier 4, oil tanker 24

Ports and terminals


top of page


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; ownership of Qaruh and Umm al Maradim islands disputed by Saudi Arabia

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs