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 bidoon 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 in March 2011 for an end to corruption and the ouster of the prime minister and his cabinet. Similar protests continued sporadically throughout April and May. In late September 2011 government inquiries of widespread corruption drew more public anger and renewed call

Geographic coordinates: 29 30 N 45 45 E

Map reference: Middle East

Area
Total: 17,818 km²
Rank: 158
Land: 17,818 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 elevation 306 m

Natural resources: petroleum fish shrimp natural gas

Land use
Arable land: 0.84%
Permanent crops: 0.17%
Other: 98.99% (2005)

Irrigated land: 100 km² (2008)

Total renewable water resources: 0.02 km³ (1997)

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: 2,595,628 (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 140
Note: includes 1,291,354 non-nationals
Growth rate: 1.986%
Growth rate rank: 54
Growth rate note: this rate reflects a return to pre-Gulf crisis immigration of expatriates (2011 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 (official) 85% (Sunni 70% Shia 30%) other (includes Christian Hindu Parsi) 15%

Age structure
0-14 years: 25.8%
15-64 years: 72.2% (male 1,153,433/female 720,392)
65 years and over: 2% (male 25,443/female 25,979) (2011 est.)

Median age
Total: 28.5 years
Male: 29.8 years
Female: 26.3 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.986%
Rank: 54
Note: this rate reflects a return to pre-Gulf crisis immigration of expatriates (2011 est.)

Birth rate: 21.32 births/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 81

Death rate: 2.11 deaths/1000 population (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 222

Net migration rate: 0.65 migrant(s)/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 59

Urbanization
Urban population: 98% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 2.1% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

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 party to: Biodiversity Climate Change Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol 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: 1.047 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.79 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.65 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.54 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 8.07 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 160
Male: 7.76 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 8.39 deaths/1000 live births (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 77.09 years
Rank: 66
Male: 75.95 years
Female: 78.3 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.64 children born/woman (2011 est.)
Rank: 77

Drinking water source:

Physicians density: 1.793 physicians/1000 population (2009)
Rank: 74

Sanitation facility access:

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2001 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 136
People living with hivaids: NA (2007 est.)
Deaths: NA

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 28.8% (2000)
Rank: 9

Education expenditures: 3.8% of GDP (2006)
Rank: 111

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 93.3%
Male: 94.4%
Female: 91% (2005 census)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 12 years
Male: 12 years
Female: 13 years (2006)

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: constitutional emirate

Capital
Name: Kuwait City
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

Independence: 19 June 1961 (from the UK)

National holiday: National Day 25 February (1950)

Constitution: approved and promulgated 11 November 1962

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

Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal; note - males in the military or police are not allowed to vote; adult females were allowed to vote as of 16 May 2005; all voters must have been citizens for 20 years

Executive branch
Chief of state: Amir SABAH al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah ; Crown Prince NAWAF al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah (born 25 June 1937)
Head of government: Prime Minister JABIR AL-MUBARAK al-Hamad al-Sabah (since 4 December 2011); Deputy Prime Ministers MUHAMMAD AL-SABAH al-Salim al-Sabah (since 9 February 2006) Muhammad Muhsin al-AFASI SABAH AL-KHALID al-Hamad al-Sabah
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister and approved by the amir; note - the cabinet of Prime Minister NASIR AL-MUHAMMAD al-Ahmad al-Sabah resigned on 28 November 2011 but will continue in a caretaker role
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 (50 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms; all cabinet ministers are also ex officio voting members of the National Assembly)
Elections: last held on 16 May 2009 (next election to be held in 2013)
Election results: percent of vote by bloc - NA; seats by bloc - tribal MPs 25 (all Sunni Muslims and represented primarily by the Al-Mutairi Al-Azmi Al-Ajmi and Al-Rasheedi tribes) Shia Muslims 9 liberals 7 independents 6 Salafi (Sunni) Islamists 3

Judicial branch: High Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders: none; formation of political parties is in practice illegal but is not forbidden by law

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador SALIM al-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
In the us consulate general: Los Angeles
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Matthew H. TUELLER
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
Name: 'Al-Nasheed Al-Watani'
Lyricsmusic: Ahmad MUSHARI al-Adwani/Ibrahim Nasir al-SOULA
Note: adopted 1978; the anthem is only used on formal occasions

Economy overview: Kuwait has a geographically small but wealthy relatively open economy with self-reported crude oil reserves of about 102 billion barrels - about 9% 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 2010 is reviving government consumption and economic growth as Kuwait experiences a 20% increase in government budget revenue. 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 acrimonious relationship between the National Assembly and the executive branch which has stymied most movement on economic reforms. Nonetheless the government in May 2010 passed a privatization bill that allows the government to sell assets to private investors and in January passed an economic development plan that pledges to spend up to $130 billion in five years to diversify the economy away from oil attract more investment and boost private sector participation in the economy. Increasing government expenditures by so large an amount during the planned time frame may be difficult to accomplish.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 60
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 149

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 10
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 0.3%
Industry: 48%
Services: 51.7% (2010 est.)

Agriculture products: fish

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

Industrial production growth rate: 4.8% (2010 est.)
Rank: 87

Labor force: 2.158 million
Rank: 116
Note: non-Kuwaitis represent about 60% of the labor force (2010 est.)
By occupation agriculture: NA%
By occupation industry: NA%
By occupation services: NA%

Unemployment rate: 2.2% (2004 est.)
Rank: 18

Population below poverty line: NA%

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

Budget
Revenues: $75.01 billion
Expenditures: $56.59 billion (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit: 14% of GDP (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 3

Taxes and other revenues: 57.1% of GDP (2010 est.)
Rank: 11

Public debt: 11% of GDP (2009 est.)
Rank: 121

Inflation rate consumer prices: 4% (2009 est.)
Rank: 132

Central bank discount rate: 3% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 100

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 6.2% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 144

Stock of narrow money: $16.44 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 65

Stock of broad money: $86.81 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 54

Stock of domestic credit: $91 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 51

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 42

Current account balance: $25.78 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 10

Exports: $51.69 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 47
Commodities: oil and refined products fertilizers
Partners: Japan 15.5% India 15.3% South Korea 13.5% China 10.1% US 8.4% (2010)

Imports: $17.29 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 73
Commodities: food construction materials vehicles and parts clothing
Partners: US 14.2% China 9.5% Saudi Arabia 7.3% Japan 7.2% Germany 6.1% Italy 4.7% India 4.4% (2010)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $20.38 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 56

Debt external: $45.49 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 60

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $2.048 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 89

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $34.66 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 36

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 49.82 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Production rank: 49
Consumption: 42.58 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 51
Exports: 0 kWh (2009 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2009 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 11.49 billion m³ (2009 est.)
Production rank: 40
Consumption: 12.38 billion m³ (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 42
Exports: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Exports rank: 127
Imports: 890 million m³ (2009 est.)
Imports rank: 60
Proven reserves: 1.798 trillion m³ (1 January 2011 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 21

Telephones
Main lines in use: 566,300 (2010)
Main lines in use rank: 93
Mobile cellular: 4.4 million (2010)
Mobile cellular rank: 108

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 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)

Broadcast media: state-owned TV broadcaster operates 4 networks and a satellite channel; several private TV broadcasters have emerged since 2003; satellite TV is 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: 2,485 (2010)
Hosts rank: 151
Users: 1.1 million (2009)
Users rank: 96

Military expenditures: 5.3% of GDP (2006)
Rank: 15

Military service age and obligation: 18-30 years of age for compulsory and 18-25 years of age for voluntary military service; women age 18-30 may be subject to compulsory military service; conscription suspended in 2001 (2009)

Airports: 7 (2010)
Rank: 169
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 (2010)
With unpaved runways total: 3
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 2 (2010)

Heliports: 4 (2010)

Pipelines: gas 269 km; oil 540 km; refined products 57 km (2010)

Roadways
Total: 5,749 km
Rank: 150
Paved: 4,887 km
Unpaved: 862 km (2004)

Merchant marine
Total: 30
Rank: 84
By type: bulk carrier 1 carrier 3 container 6 liquefied gas 4 petroleum tanker 16
Registered in other countries: 47 (Bahamas 2 Bahrain 5 Comoros 1 Libya 1 Malta 2 Panama 12 Qatar 7 Saint Kitts and Nevis 3 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

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