Map of Kuwait | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
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Background: Britain oversaw foreign relations and defense for the ruling Kuwaiti AL-SABAH dynasty from 1899 until independence in 1961. 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 liberated Kuwait in four days. Kuwait spent more than $5 billion to repair oil infrastructure damaged during 1990-91. The AL-SABAH family has ruled since returning to power in 1991 and reestablished an elected legislature that in recent years has become increasingly assertive. The country witnessed the historic election in May 2009 of four women to its National Assembly. Amid the 2010-11 uprisings and protests across the Arab world stateless Arabs known as bidun staged small protests in February and March 2011 demanding citizenship jobs and other benefits available to Kuwaiti nationals. Youth activist groups - supported by opposition legislators and the prime minister's rivals within the ruling family - rallied repeatedly in 2011 for an end to corruption and the ouster of the prime minister and his cabinet. Opposition legislators forced the prime minister to resign in late 2011. In October-December 2012 Kuwait witnessed unprecedented protests in response to the Amir's changes to the electoral law by decree reducing the number of votes per person from four to one. The opposition led by a coalition of Sunni Islamists tribalists some liberals and myriad youth groups boycotted the December 2012 legislative election resulting in a historic number of Shia candidates winning seats. Since 2006 the Amir has dissolved the National Assembly on five occasions (the Constitutional Court annulled the Assembly once in June 2012) and reshuffled the cabinet 12 times usually citing political stagnation and gridlock between the legislature and the government.


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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

Area
Rank: 158
Land: 17,818 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than New Jersey

Land boundaries
Border countries: (2) Iraq 240 km; Saudi Arabia 222 km

Coastline: 499 km

Maritime claims

Climate: dry desert; intensely hot summers; short cool winters

Terrain: flat to slightly undulating desert plain

Elevation
Extremes highest point: unnamed elevation 306 m

Natural resources: petroleum fish shrimp natural gas

Land use
Permanent crops: 0.28%
Other: 99.1% (2011)

Irrigated land: 86 km² (2007)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 0.02 km³ (2011)

Natural hazards: sudden cloudbursts are common from October to April and bring heavy 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: 2,695,316 (July 2013 est.)
Rank: 141
Growth rate: 1.79%
Growth rate rank: 69
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Adjective: Kuwaiti

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

Languages: Arabic (official) English widely spoken

Religions: Muslim (official) 85% (Sunni 70% Shia 30%) other (includes Christian Hindu Parsi) 15%

Demographic profile

Age structure
15-24 years: 15.4% (male 228,147/female 187,035)
25-54 years: 52.3% (male 896,693/female 514,196)
55-64 years: 4.5% (male 70,863/female 51,660)
65 years and over: 2.1% (male 27,995/female 29,845) (2013 est.)

Dependency ratios
Youth dependency ratio: 34 %
Elderly dependency ratio: 3.2 %
Potential support ratio: 31.3 (2013)

Median age
Male: 30 years
Female: 26.6 years (2013 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.79%
Rank: 69

Birth rate: 20.61 births/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 83

Death rate: 2.14 deaths/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 224

Net migration rate: -0.59 migrant(s)/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 137

Population distribution

Urbanization
Rate of urbanization: 2.42% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: KUWAIT (capital) 2.23 million (2009)

Environment
Current issues: limited natural freshwater resources; some of world's largest and most sophisticated desalination facilities provide much of the water; air and water pollution; desertification
International agreements signed but not ratified: Marine Dumping

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
0-14 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.22 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.75 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1.4 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.43 male(s)/female (2013 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 159
Male: 7.41 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 7.95 deaths/1000 live births (2013 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 66
Male: 76.24 years
Female: 78.75 years (2013 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.56 children born/woman (2013 est.)
Rank: 79

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 52% (1999)

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 1.79 physicians/1000 population (2009)

Hospital bed density: 2 beds/1000 population (2009)

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2001 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 143
People living with hivaids: NA (2007 est.)
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 42% (2008)
Rank: 10

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 1.7% (2009)
Rank: 122

Education expenditures: 3.8% of GDP (2006)
Rank: 120

Literacy
Total population: 93.9%
Male: 95%
Female: 91.8% (2008 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Male: 13 years
Female: 15 years (2004)

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional short form: Kuwait
Local long form: Dawlat al Kuwayt
Local short form: Al Kuwayt

Government type: constitutional emirate

Capital
Geographic coordinates: 29 22 N 47 58 E
Time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: 6 governorates (muhafazat singular - muhafazah); Al Ahmadi Al 'Asimah Al Farwaniyah Al Jahra' Hawalli Mubarak al Kabir

Dependent areas

Independence: 19 June 1961 (from the UK)

National holiday: National Day 25 February (1950)

Constitution: approved and promulgated 11 November 1962 (2013)

Legal system: mixed legal system consisting of English common law French civil law and Islamic religious law

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship

Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal; note - males in the military or police are by law not allowed to vote; all voters must have been citizens for 20 years

Executive branch
Head of government: Prime Minister JABIR AL-MUBARAK al-Hamad al-Sabah (since 30 November 2011); First Deputy Prime Minister KHALID al-Jarrah al-Sabah; Deputy Prime Ministers MUHAMMAD AL-KHALID al-Hamad al-Sabah SALIM al-Abd al-Aziz al-Saud al-Sabah Mustafa al-Jassim al-SHAMALI
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister and approved by the amir; new cabinet formed in February 2012
Elections: none; the amir is hereditary; the amir appoints the prime minister and deputy prime ministers

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-Umma (65 seats - 50 members elected by popular vote plus 16 cabinet ministers one of whom is also an elected MP appointed by the prime minister as ex officio voting members; elected members serve four-year terms)
Elections: last held 27 July 2013 (next to be held in July 2017)
Election results: percent of vote - NA; seats won - tribal and liberal groups 27 Shiite 8 Sunni 7 other 8

Judicial branch
Judge selection and term of office: all Kuwaiti judges appointed by the Amir upon recommendation of the Supreme Judicial Council a consultative body comprised of Kuwaiti judges and Ministry of Justice officials
Subordinate courts: High Court of Appeal; Court of First Instance; Summary Court

Political parties and leaders: none; while the formation of political parties is not permitted they are not forbidden by law

International organization participation: ABEDA AfDB (nonregional member) AFESD AMF BDEAC CAEU CD FAO G-77 GCC IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC (national committees) ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) LAS MIGA NAM OAPEC OIC OPCW OPEC Paris Club (associate) PCA UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNRWA UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU (NGOs) WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
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) 364-2,868
In the us consulate general: Los Angeles
From the us embassy: Bayan 36,302 Block 13 Al-Masjed Al-Aqsa Street (near the Bayan palace) Kuwait City
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 77 Safat 13,001 Kuwait; or PSC 1280 APO AE 9,880-9,000
From the us telephone: [965] 2,259-1001
From the us FAX: [965] 2,538-0282

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of green (top) white and red with a black trapezoid based on the hoist side; colors and design are based on the Arab Revolt flag of World War I; green represents fertile fields white stands for purity red denotes blood on Kuwaiti swords black signifies the defeat of the enemy

National symbols: golden falcon

National anthem
Lyrics and music: Ahmad MUSHARI al-Adwani/Ibrahim Nasir al-SOULA

National heritage


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Economy overview: Kuwait has a geographically small but wealthy relatively open economy with crude oil reserves of about 102 billion barrels - about 7% of world reserves. Petroleum accounts for nearly half of GDP 95% of export revenues and 95% of government income. Kuwaiti officials have committed to increasing oil production to 4 million barrels per day by 2020. The rise in global oil prices throughout 2011 and 2012 is reviving government consumption and economic growth. Kuwait has experienced a 20% increase in government budget revenue which has led to higher budget expenditures particularly wage hikes for many public sector employees. Kuwait has done little to diversify its economy in part because of this positive fiscal situation and in part due to the poor business climate and the historically acrimonious relationship between the National Assembly and the executive branch which has stymied most movement on economic reforms. In 2010 Kuwait passed an economic development plan that pledges to spend up to $130 billion over five years to diversify the economy away from oil attract more investment and boost private sector participation in the economy.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 61

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 41

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 26

Gross national saving:
Rank: 1

Gdp composition by end use
Government consumption: 14.7%
Investment in fixed capital: 14%
Investment in inventories: 0%
Exports of goods and services: 73.4%
Imports of goods and services: -23.9%: (2012 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Industry: 49.9%
Services: 49.8% (2012 est.)

Agriculture products: fish

Industries: petroleum petrochemicals cement shipbuilding and repair water desalination food processing construction materials

Industrial production growth rate: 9.3% (2012 est.)
Rank: 18

Labor force: 2.304 million
Rank: 116
By occupation industry: NA%
By occupation services: NA%

Unemployment rate: 2.2% (2004 est.)
Rank: 15

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Expenditures: $58.08 billion (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit: 31.7% of GDP (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 1

Taxes and other revenues: 63.6% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 5

Public debt: 7.5% of GDP (2011 est.)
Rank: 149

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices: 4.7% (2011 est.)
Rank: 94

Central bank discount rate: 3% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 105

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 5.2% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 156

Stock of narrow money: $22.85 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 61

Stock of broad money: $99.89 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 52

Stock of domestic credit: $90.64 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 54

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 39

Current account balance: $67.14 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 4

Exports: $102.9 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 35
Commodities: oil and refined products fertilizers
Partners: South Korea 16.1% India 15.7% Japan 13.4% US 11.7% China 9.2% Singapore 4.2% (2012)

Imports: $22.08 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 74
Commodities: food construction materials vehicles and parts clothing
Partners: US 11.8% China 9.2% Saudi Arabia 8.6% Japan 8.2% South Korea 6.9% Germany 5.1% Italy 4.7% India 4.6% UAE 4.4% (2012)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $25.91 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 52

Debt external: $32.02 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 71

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $3.361 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 87

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $45.03 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 37

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 55.55 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Production rank: 47
Consumption: 46.71 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 48
Exports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 92
Imports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 208
Installed generating capacity: 12.68 million kW (2010 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 50
Generation sources fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 19
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 119
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 177
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 189

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 2.797 million bbl/day (2012 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 10
Crude oil exports: 1.395 million bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 13
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 205
Crude oil proven reserves: 104 billion bbl (1 January 2013 es)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 6

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 915,900 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 23
Products consumption: 339,000 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 36
Products exports: 656,100 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 11
Products imports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 212

Natural gas
Production: 13.53 billion m³ (2011 est.)
Production rank: 36
Consumption: 12.62 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 43
Exports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 130
Imports: 688 million m³ (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 64
Proven reserves: 1.798 trillion m³ (1 January 2013 es)
Proven reserves rank: 21

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 82.37 million Mt (2011 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 44

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 510,000 (2012)
Main lines in use rank: 96
Mobile cellular: 5.526 million (2012)
Mobile cellular rank: 105

Telephone system
Domestic: new telephone exchanges provide a large capacity for new subscribers; trunk traffic is carried by microwave radio relay coaxial cable and open-wire and fiber-optic cable; a mobile-cellular telephone system operates throughout Kuwait and the country is well supplied with pay telephones
International: country code - 965; linked to international submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); linked to Bahrain Qatar UAE via the Fiber-Optic Gulf (FOG) cable; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; satellite earth stations - 6 (3 Intelsat - 1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean 1 Inmarsat - Atlantic Ocean and 2 Arabsat) (2011)

Broadcast media: state-owned TV broadcaster operates 4 networks and a satellite channel; several private TV broadcasters have emerged since 2003; satellite TV available with pan-Arab TV stations especially popular; state-owned Radio Kuwait broadcasts on a number of channels in Arabic and English; first private radio station emerged in 2005; transmissions of at least 2 international radio broadcasters are available (2007)

Internet
Country code: .kw
Hosts: 2,771 (2012)
Hosts rank: 156
Users: 1.1 million (2009)
Users rank: 96

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 3.7% of GDP (2012)
Rank: 28

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 17-21 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription suspended (2012)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 7 (2013)
Rank: 168
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2013)
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways: 2 (2013)

Heliports: 4 (2013)

Pipelines: gas 261 km; oil 540 km; refined products 57 km (2013)

Railways

Roadways
Rank: 148

Waterways

Merchant marine
Rank: 82
By type: bulk carrier 2 carrier 3 container 6 liquefied gas 4 petroleum tanker 19
Registered in other countries: 45 (Bahamas 1 Bahrain 5 Comoros 1 Libya 1 Malta 3 Marshall Islands 2 Panama 12 Qatar 6 Saudi Arabia 4 UAE 10) (2010)

Ports and terminals: Ash Shu'aybah Ash Shuwaykh Az Zawr (Mina' Sa'ud) Mina' 'Abd Allah Mina' al Ahmadi


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Disputes international: Kuwait and Saudi Arabia continue negotiating a joint maritime boundary with Iran; no maritime boundary exists with Iraq in the Persian Gulf

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs