2000 Edition

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.

Area

land

17,820 sq km

total

17,820 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than New Jersey

Climate

dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters

Coastline

499 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

unnamed location 306 m

lowest point

Persian Gulf 0 m

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, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Marine Dumping

Geographic coordinates

29 30 N, 45 45 E

Geography - note

strategic location at head of Persian Gulf

Irrigated land

20 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

border countries

Iraq 242 km, Saudi Arabia 222 km

total

464 km

Land use

arable land

0%

forests and woodland

0%

other

92% (1993 est.)

permanent crops

0%

permanent pastures

8%

Location

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

Map references

Middle East

Maritime claims

territorial sea

12 nm

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

Natural resources

petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas

Terrain

flat to slightly undulating desert plain

Age structure

0-14 years: 29.36% (male 295,102; female 284,327) 15-64 years: 68.32% (male 860,318; female 488,004) 65 years and over: 2.32% (male 29,544; female 16,277) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

22.04 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

2.45 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

Infant mortality rate

11.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

Arabic (official), English widely spoken

Life expectancy at birth

female

76.92 years (2000 est.)

male

75.27 years

total population

76.08 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

74.9% (1995 est.)

male

82.2%

total population

78.6%

Nationality

adjective

Kuwaiti

noun

Kuwaiti(s)

Net migration rate

14.77 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

1,973,572

note

includes 1,159,913 non-nationals (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

3.44% (2000 est.)

note

this rate reflects a return to pre-Gulf crisis immigration of expatriates

Religions

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

Sex ratio

at birth

1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.76 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.82 male(s)/female

total population

1.5 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.26 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Administrative divisions

5 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Ahmadi, Al Farwaniyah, Al 'Asimah, Al Jahra', Hawalli

Capital

Kuwait

Constitution

approved and promulgated 11 November 1962

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

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

539-5307 or 539-5308

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador MUHAMMAD al-Sabah al-Salim Al SABAH

telephone

(202) 966-0702

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister and approved by the monarch

chief of state

Amir JABIR al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al Sabah (since 31 December 1977)

elections

none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the monarch

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)

FAX

(202) 966-0517

538-0282

Flag description

three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a black trapezoid based on the hoist side

Government type

nominal constitutional monarchy

Independence

19 June 1961 (from UK)

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, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Judicial branch

High Court of Appeal

Legal system

civil law system with Islamic law significant in personal matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-Umma (50 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

election results

percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 50; note - all cabinet ministers are also ex officio members of the National Assembly

elections

last held 3 July 1999 (next to be held NA 2003)

National holiday

National Day, 25 February (1950)

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

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

Agriculture - products

practically no crops; fish

Budget

expenditures

$13 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)

revenues

$10 billion

Currency

1 Kuwaiti dinar (KD) = 1,000 fils

Debt - external

$9.27 billion (1998 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$27.6 million (1995)

Economy - overview

Kuwait is a small, 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. Higher oil prices reduced the budget deficit from $5.5 billion to $3 billion in 1999, and prices are expected to remain relatively strong throughout 2000. The government is proceeding slowly with reforms. It inaugurated Kuwait's first free-trade zone in 1999 and will continue discussions with foreign oil companies to develop fields in the northern part of the country.

Electricity - consumption

25.105 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

26.995 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

100%

hydro

0%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (1998)

Exchange rates

Kuwaiti dinars (KD) per US$1 - 0.3042 (January 2000), 0.3044 (1999), 0.3047 (1998), 0.3033 (1997), 0.2994 (1996), 0.2984 (1995)

Exports

$13.5 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.)

Exports - commodities

oil and refined products, fertilizers

Exports - partners

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

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

GDP

purchasing power parity - $44.8 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

0%

industry

55%

services

45% (1996)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $22,500 (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

1.1% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$8.1 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.)

Imports - commodities

food, construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing

Imports - partners

US 22%, Japan 15%, UK 13%, Germany 8%, Italy 6% (1997)

Industrial production growth rate

1% (1997 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2% (1999 est.)

Labor force

1.3 million (1998 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.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

1.8% (official 1996 est.)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

2 (1999)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 6, FM 11, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios

1.175 million (1997)

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, 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; 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

Telephones - main lines in use

411,600 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular

150,000 (1996)

Television broadcast stations

13 (plus several satellite channels) (1997)

Televisions

875,000 (1997)

Airports

7 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total

4 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (1999 est.)

Heliports

2 (1999 est.)

Highways

paved

3,590 km

total

4,450 km

unpaved

860 km (1999 est.)

Merchant marine

ships by type

bulk 1, cargo 9, container 6, liquified gas 7, livestock carrier 4, petroleum tanker 21 (1999 est.)

total

48 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,506,448 GRT/4,040,921 DWT

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

Railways

0 km

Military branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police Force, National Guard, Coast Guard

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$2.518 billion (FY99/00)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

8% (FY99/00)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 749,252 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 446,518 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - military age

18 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males

17,919 (2000 est.)

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

KYRGYZSTAN