Kuwait

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

Geographic coordinates: 29 30 N, 45 45 E

Map references: Middle East

Area:

total: 17,820 sq km

land: 17,820 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Area—comparative: slightly smaller than New Jersey

Land boundaries:

total: 464 km

border countries: 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

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 sq km (1993 est.)

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

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

Environment—international agreements:

party to: Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection

signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Marine Dumping

Geography—note: strategic location at head of Persian Gulf

Population: 1,991,115 (July 1999 est.)

note: includes 1,220,935 non-nationals (July 1999 est.)

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.)

Population growth rate: 3.88% (1999 est.)

note: this rate reflects the continued post-Gulf crisis return of expatriates

Birth rate: 20.45 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 2.31 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: 20.65 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

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.)

Infant mortality rate: 10.26 deaths/1,000 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.)

Nationality:

noun: Kuwaiti(s)

adjective: Kuwaiti

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

Religions: Muslim 85% (Sunni 45%, Shi'a 40%), Christian, Hindu, Parsi, and other 15%

Languages: Arabic (official), English widely spoken

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 78.6%

male: 82.2%

female: 74.9% (1995 est.)

Country name:

conventional long form: State of Kuwait

conventional short form: Kuwait

local long form: Dawlat al Kuwayt

local short form: Al Kuwayt

Data code: KU

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: 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: none

Political pressure groups and leaders: several political groups act as de facto parties: Bedouins, merchants, Sunni and Shi'a activists, and secular leftists and nationalists

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

chancery: 2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 966-0702

FAX: [1] (202) 966-0517

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador James A. LAROCCO

embassy: Bayan, near the Bayan palace, Kuwait City

mailing address: P.O. Box 77 Safat, 13001 Safat, Kuwait; Unit 69000, APO AE 09880-9000

telephone: [965] 539-5307 or 539-5308

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

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.

GDP: purchasing power parity—$43.7 billion (1998 est.)

GDP—real growth rate: -5% (1998 est.)

GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity—$22,700 (1998 est.)

GDP—composition by sector:

agriculture: 0%

industry: 55%

services: 45% (1996)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: NA%

highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 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.)

Labor force—by occupation: government and social services 50%, services 40%, industry and agriculture 10% (1996 est.)

Unemployment rate: 1.8% (official 1996 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $8.1 billion

expenditures: $14.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY98/99 budget est.)

Industries: petroleum, petrochemicals, desalinatio, food processing, construction materials, salt, cons

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

Electricity—production: 23 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity—production by source:

fossil fuel: 100%

hydro: 0%

nuclear: 0%

other: 0% (1996)

Electricity—consumption: 23 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity—exports: 0 kWh (1996)

Electricity—imports: 0 kWh (1996)

Agriculture—products: practically no crops; fish

Exports: $14.3 billion (f.o.b., 1997)

Exports—commodities: oil and refined products, fertilizers

Exports—partners: Japan 24%, India 16%, US 13%, South Korea 11%, Singapore 8% (1997)

Imports: $7.8 billion (f.o.b., 1996)

Imports—commodities: food, construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing

Imports—partners: US 22%, Japan 15%, UK 13%, Germany 8%, Italy 6% (1997)

Debt—external: $7.3 billion (1997 est.)

Economic aid—recipient: $27.6 million (1995)

Currency: 1 Kuwaiti dinar (KD) = 1,000 fils

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)

Fiscal year: 1 July—30 June

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

Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 0, shortwave 0

Radios: 720,000 (1992 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 13 (in addition, there are several satellite channels) (1997)

Televisions: 800,000 (1993 est.)

Railways: 0 km

Highways:

total: 4,450 km

paved: 3,587 km

unpaved: 863 km (1996 est.)

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

Ports and harbors: Ash Shu'aybah, Ash Shuwaykh, Kuwait, Mina' 'Abd Allah, Mina' al Ahmadi, Mina' Su'ud

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.)

Airports: 8 (1998 est.)

Airports—with paved runways:

total: 4

over 3,047 m: 2

2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (1998 est.)

Airports—with unpaved runways:

total: 4

1,524 to 2,437 m: 1

914 to 1,523 m: 1

under 914 m: 2 (1998 est.)

Heliports: 1 (1998 est.)

Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police Force, National Guard, Coast Guard

Military manpower—military age: 18 years of age

Military manpower—availability:

males age 15-49: 718,061 (1999 est.)

Military manpower—fit for military service:

males age 15-49: 425,126 (1999 est.)

Military manpower—reaching military age annually:

males: 20,854 (1999 est.)

Military expenditures—dollar figure: $2.7035 billion (FY98/99)

Military expenditures—percent of GDP: 7.9% (FY98/99)

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