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.

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: 462 km
Border countries: (2) Iraq 240 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: 0.73%
Permanent crops: 0.11%
Other: 99.16% (2001)

Irrigated land: 60 km² (1998 est.)

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

Population
Note: includes 1,291,354 non-nationals (July 2005 est.)
Growth rate note: this rate reflects a return to pre-Gulf crisis immigration of expatriates (2005 est.)
Below poverty line: NA

Nationality
Noun: Kuwaiti
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 70% Shi'a 30%) Christian Hindu Parsi and other 15%

Age structure
0-14 years: 27.2% (male 323,382/female 311,700)
15-64 years: 70.1% (male 1,045,589/female 591,243)
65 years and over: 2.7% (male 40,439/female 23,295) (2005 est.)

Median age
Total: 25.86 years
Male: 28.05 years
Female: 22.12 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate
Note: this rate reflects a return to pre-Gulf crisis immigration of expatriates (2005 est.)

Birth rate: 21.88 births/1000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate: 2.42 deaths/1000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate: 14.96 migrant(s)/1000 population (2005 est.)

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: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
International agreements signed but not ratified: Marine Dumping

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.04 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male/female
15-64 years: 1.77 male/female
65 years and over: 1.74 male/female
Total population: 1.52 male/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 9.95 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 10.96 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 8.9 deaths/1000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 77.03 years
Male: 76.01 years
Female: 78.1 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.97 children born/woman (2005 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.12% (2001 est.)
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 83.5%
Male: 85.1%
Female: 81.7% (2003 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

Capital: Kuwait

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
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); Crown Prince SAAD al-Abdullah al-Salim al-Sabah
Head of government: Prime Minister SABAH al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah (since 13 July 2003); First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior NAWWAF al-Ahmad al-Sabah (since 2003); Deputy Prime Ministers JABIR MUBARAK al-Hamad al-Sabah (since 2001) and Muhammad Dayfallah al-SHARAR (since 2003)
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
Elections: last held 6 July 2003 (next to be held NA 2007)
Election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - Islamists 21, government supporters 14, liberals 3, and independents 12; 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

International organization participation: ABEDA AfDB AFESD AMF BDEAC CAEU FAO G-77 GCC IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICCt (signatory) ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC ISO ITU LAS MIGA NAM OAPEC OIC OPCW OPEC PCA UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNITAR UPU WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador SALIM Abdallah al-Jabir 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) 364-2,868
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Richard LEBARON
From the us embassy: Bayan, Area 14, 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] 539-5,307, 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; design which dates to 1961 based on the Arab revolt flag of World War I

Economy overview: Kuwait is a small rich relatively open economy with proved crude oil reserves of about 96 billion barrels - 10% of world reserves. Petroleum accounts for nearly half of GDP 95% of export revenues and 80% 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. Kuwait continues its discussions with foreign oil companies to develop fields in the northern part of the country.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $48 billion (2004 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 6.8% (2004 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $21,300 (2004 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 0.4%
Industry: 60.5%
Services: 39.1% (2004 est.)

Agriculture products: practically no crops; fish

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

Industrial production growth rate: -5% (2002 est.)

Labor force
Note: non-Kuwaitis represent about 80% of the labor force (2004 est.)
By occupation: agriculture NA industries NA services NA

Unemployment rate: 2.2% (2004 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA

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

Budget
Revenues: $35.82 billion
Expenditures: $19.53 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)

Public debt: 29.6% of GDP (2004 est.)

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.3% (2004 est.)

Current account balance: $12.04 billion (2004 est.)

Exports: $27.42 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Commodities: oil and refined products fertilizers
Partners: Japan 20.5% South Korea 13.7% US 12.4% Singapore 11.3% Taiwan 9.9% (2004)

Imports: $11.12 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Commodities: food construction materials vehicles and parts clothing
Partners: US 12.9% Germany 11.9% Japan 7.9% UK 5.5% Saudi Arabia 5.5% Italy 5% France 4.5% China 4.1% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $7.333 billion (2004 est.)

Debt external: $15.02 billion (2004 est.)

Exchange rates: Kuwaiti dinars per US dollar - 0.2947 (2004) 0.298 (2003) 0.3039 (2002) 0.3067 (2001) 0.3068 (2000)

Electricity
Production: 32.43 billion kWh (2002)
Consumption: 30.16 billion kWh (2002)
Exports: 0 kWh (2002)
Imports: 0 kWh (2002)

Natural gas
Production: 8.7 billion m³ (2002 est.)
Consumption: 8.7 billion m³ (2002 est.)
Exports: 0 m³ (2002 est.)
Imports: 0 m³ (2002 est.)
Proven reserves: 1.548 trillion m³ (2004)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 486,900 (2003)
Mobile cellular: 1.42 million (2003)

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, and open-wire and fiber-optic cable; a cellular telephone system operates throughout Kuwait, and the country is well supplied with pay telephones
International: country code - 965; 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

Internet
Country code: .kw
Hosts: 3,437 (2001)
Users: 567,000 (2003)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $2,585 million (2004)
Percent of gdp: 5.3% (2004)

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service (2001)

Airports: 7 (2004 est.)
With paved runways total: 4
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (2004 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 3
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)

Heliports: 3 (2004 est.)

Pipelines: gas 169 km; oil 540 km; refined products 57 km (2004)

Merchant marine
Total: 39 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,319,082 GRT/3,768,828 DWT
By type: bulk carrier 3, container 6, liquefied gas 5, livestock carrier 5, petroleum tanker 20
Registered in other countries: 19 (2005)

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