Map of Kuwait | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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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.


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

Geographic coordinates: 29 30 N, 45 45 E

Map reference: Middle East

Area
Total: 17,820 km²
Land: 17,820 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than New Jersey

Land boundaries
Total: 464 km
Border countries: (2) 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
Extremes lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
Extremes 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 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

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

Geography
Note: strategic location at head of Persian Gulf


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Population: 1,991,115 (July 1999 est.)
Note: includes 1,220,935 non-nationals (July 1999 est.)
Growth rate: 3.88% (1999 est.)
Growth rate note: this rate reflects the continued post-Gulf crisis return of expatriates
Below poverty line: NA%

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% (Sunni 45%, Shi'a 40%), Christian, Hindu, Parsi, and other 15%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 32% (male 343,461; female 285,129)
15-64 years: 66% (male 850,689; female 468,618)
65 years and over: 2% (male 26,593; female 16,625) (1999 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 3.88% (1999 est.)
Note: this rate reflects the continued post-Gulf crisis return of expatriates

Birth rate: 20.45 births/1000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 2.31 deaths/1000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: 20.65 migrant(s)/1000 population (1999 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
International agreements party to: Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection
International agreements signed but not ratified: Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Marine Dumping

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.2 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.82 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.6 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.58 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 10.26 deaths/1000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 77.15 years
Male: 75.11 years
Female: 79.3 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.34 children born/woman (1999 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
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 78.6%
Male: 82.2%
Female: 74.9% (1995 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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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 Farwaniyah, Al 'Asimah, Al Jahra', Hawalli

Dependent areas

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

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); Second Deputy Prime Minister SALIM al-Sabah al-Salim Al Sabah (since 7 October 1996)
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 7 October 1996 (next to be held approximately October 2000)
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

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, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

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 James A. LAROCCO
From the us embassy: Bayan, near the Bayan palace, Kuwait City
From the us mailing address: P.O. Box 77 Safat, 13,001 Safat, Kuwait; Unit 69,000, APO AE 9,880-9,000
From the us telephone: [965] 539-5,307 or 539-5,308
From the us 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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Kuwait is a small and 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 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. The economy improved moderately in 1994-97, but in 1998 suffered from the large decline in world oil prices. The Kuwaiti cabinet approved a reform package in January 1999, including reducing subsidies and increasing taxes on large consumer goods. Nevertheless, Kuwait anticipates continuing budget deficits for the next few years. Kuwait is attracting foreign oil companies to develop fields in the northern part of the country.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: -5% (1998 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity: $22,700 (1998 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 0%
Industry: 55%
Services: 45% (1996)

Agriculture products: practically no crops; fish

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

Industrial production growth rate: 1% (1997 est.)

Labor force: 1.1 million (1996 est.)
Note: 68% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (July 1998 est.)
By occupation governmentandsocialservices: 50%
By occupation services: 40%
By occupation industry andagriculture: 10% (1996 est.)

Unemployment rate: 1.8% (official 1996 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $8.1 billion
Expenditures: $14.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $N/A (FY98/99 budget est.)

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: $14.3 billion (f.o.b., 1997)
Commodities: oil and refined products, fertilizers
Partners: Japan 24%, India 16%, US 13%, South Korea 11%, Singapore 8% (1997)

Imports: $7.8 billion (f.o.b., 1996)
Commodities: food, construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing
Partners: US 22%, Japan 15%, UK 13%, Germany 8%, Italy 6% (1997)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $7.3 billion (1997 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Kuwaiti dinars (KD) per US$1_0.3018 (January 1999), 0.3047 (1998), 0.3033 (1997), 0.2994 (1996), 0.2984 (1995), 0.2976 (1994)


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Electricity
Production: 23 billion kWh (1996)
Production by source fossil fuel: 100%
Production by source hydro: 0%
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Production by source other: 0% (1996)
Consumption: 23 billion kWh (1996)
Exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Imports: 0 kWh (1996)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones: 408,000 (1998)

Telephone system: the civil network suffered some damage as a result of the Gulf war, but most of the telephone exchanges were left intact and, by the end of 1994, domestic and international telecommunications had been restored to normal operation; 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 (with approximately 150,000 subscribers in 1996) and the country is well supplied with pay telephones; approximately 15,000 Internet subscribers in 1996
International: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; satellite earth stations_3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean, 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean), and 1 Arabsat

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $2.7035 billion (FY98/99)
Percent of gdp: 7.9% (FY98/99)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 8 (1998 est.)
With paved runways total: 4
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2 (1998 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 4
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 2 (1998 est.)

Heliports: 1 (1998 est.)

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

Railways: 0 km

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 49 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,509,061 GRT/4,046,739 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 10, container 6, liquefied gas tanker 7, livestock carrier 3, oil tanker 22 (1998 est.)

Ports and terminals


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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