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Background:
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 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. |
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Location:
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Middle East,
bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia |
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Map references:
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Middle
East |
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Area:
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total:
17,820 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 17,820 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller
than New Jersey |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 462
km
border countries: Iraq 240 km, Saudi Arabia 222 km |
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Coastline:
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499 km |
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Climate:
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dry desert;
intensely hot summers; short, cool winters |
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Terrain:
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flat to slightly
undulating desert plain |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 306 m |
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Natural resources:
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petroleum, fish,
shrimp, natural gas |
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Land use:
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arable land:
0.34%
permanent crops: 0.06%
other: 99.6% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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60 sq km (1998
est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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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 |
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Environment - current issues:
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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 |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of
the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping |
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Geography - note:
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strategic
location at head of Persian Gulf |
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Population:
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2,257,549
note: includes 1,291,354 non-nationals (July 2004 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years:
27.5% (male 316,237; female 304,671)
15-64 years: 69.8% (male 1,007,298; female 569,128)
65 years and over: 2.7% (male 38,408; female 21,807)
(2004 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
25.9 years
male: 28.2 years
female: 22 years (2004 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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3.36%
note: this rate reflects a return to pre-Gulf crisis
immigration of expatriates (2004 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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21.85
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Death rate:
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2.44 deaths/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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14.18 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth:
1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.77 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.76 male(s)/female
total population: 1.52 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
10.26 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 11.27 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 9.22 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 76.84 years
male: 75.86 years
female: 77.86 years (2004 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.12% (2001 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Kuwaiti(s)
adjective: Kuwaiti |
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Ethnic groups:
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Kuwaiti 45%,
other Arab 35%, South Asian 9%, Iranian 4%, other 7% |
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Religions:
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Muslim 85%
(Sunni 70%, Shi'a 30%), Christian, Hindu, Parsi, and other 15% |
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Languages:
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Arabic
(official), English widely spoken |
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Literacy:
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definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 83.5%
male: 85.1%
female: 81.7% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional
long form: State of Kuwait
conventional short form: Kuwait
local short form: Al Kuwayt
local long form: Dawlat al Kuwayt |
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Government type:
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nominal
constitutional monarchy |
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Capital:
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Kuwait |
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Administrative divisions:
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5 governorates (muhafazat,
singular - muhafazah); Al Ahmadi, Al Farwaniyah, Al 'Asimah,
Al Jahra', Hawalli |
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Independence:
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19 June 1961
(from UK) |
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National holiday:
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National Day, 25
February (1950) |
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Constitution:
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approved and
promulgated 11 November 1962 |
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Legal system:
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civil law system
with Islamic law significant in personal matters; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
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Suffrage:
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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 |
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Executive branch:
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chief of
state: Amir JABIR al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al Sabah (since 31
December 1977)
head of government: Prime Minister SABAH al-Ahmad al-Jabir
Al Sabah (since 13 July 2003); First Deputy Prime Minister
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 |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral
National Assembly or Majlis al-Umma (50 seats; members elected
by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
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 |
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Judicial branch:
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High Court of
Appeal |
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Political parties and leaders:
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none; formation
of political parties is illegal |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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several political
groups act as de facto parties: Bedouins, merchants, Sunni and
Shi'a activists, and secular leftists and nationalists |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador Sheikh SALIM al-Abdallah Jabir Al
Sabah
FAX: [1] (202) 966-0517
telephone: [1] (202) 966-0702
chancery: 2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador Richard H. JONES
embassy: Bayan, Area 14, Al-Masjed Al-Aqsa Street (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, ext. 2240
FAX: [965] 538-0282 |
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Economy - overview:
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Kuwait is a
small, rich, relatively open economy with proved crude oil
reserves of about 98 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. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power
parity - $39.54 billion (2003 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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4.4% (2003 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power
parity - $18,100 (2003 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture:
0.5%
industry: 63.3%
services: 36.2% (2001) |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA% |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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1.2% (2003 est.) |
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Labor force:
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1.3 million
note: non-Kuwaitis represent about 80% of the labor
force. (1998 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture NA%,
industries NA%, services NA% |
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Unemployment rate:
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7% (2002 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues:
$11 billion
expenditures: $19.5 billion, including capital
expenditures of $NA (FY03/04) |
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Industries:
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petroleum,
petrochemicals, desalination, food processing, construction
materials |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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-5% (2002 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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31.49 billion kWh
(2001) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel:
100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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29.29 billion kWh
(2001) |
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Oil - production:
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2.27 million
bbl/day (2003 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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293,000 bbl/day
(2003 est.) |
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Natural gas - production:
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8.7 billion cu m
(2002 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption:
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8.7 billion cu m
(2002 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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practically no
crops; fish |
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Exports:
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$22.29 billion
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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oil and refined
products, fertilizers |
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Exports - partners:
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Japan 24.1%,
South Korea 12.8%, US 11.8%, Singapore 10%, Taiwan 7.4%,
Netherlands 4.4%, Pakistan 4.3% (2002) |
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Imports:
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$9.606 billion
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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food,
construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing |
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Imports - partners:
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US 12.8%, Japan
10.9%, Germany 9.7%, Saudi Arabia 6.4%, UK 5.9%, Italy 5.3%,
France 5.1% (2002) |
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Debt - external:
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$11.2 billion
(2003 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$NA (2001) |
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Currency:
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Kuwaiti dinar (KD) |
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Currency code:
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KWD |
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Exchange rates:
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Kuwaiti dinars
per US dollar - 0.3 (2003), 0.3 (2002), 0.31 (2001), 0.31
(2000), 0.3 (1999) |
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Fiscal year:
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1 April - 31
March |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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481,900 (2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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1.227 million
(2002) |
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Telephone system:
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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 |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 6, FM 11,
shortwave 1 (1998) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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13 (plus several
satellite channels) (1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.kw |
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Internet hosts:
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3,261 (2002) |
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Internet users:
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250,000 (2002) |
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Railways:
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0 km |
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Highways:
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total:
4,450 km
paved: 3,587 km
unpaved: 863 km (1999 est.) |
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Waterways:
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none |
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Pipelines:
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gas 169 km; oil
540 km; refined products 57 km (2003) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Ash Shu'aybah,
Ash Shuwaykh, Kuwait, Mina' 'Abd Allah, Mina' al Ahmadi, Mina'
Su'ud |
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Merchant marine:
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total: 38
ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,319,082 GRT/3,768,828 DWT
registered in other countries: 5 (2003 est.)
by type: bulk 1, container 6, liquefied gas 5,
livestock carrier 4, petroleum tanker 21, roll on/roll off 1
foreign-owned: India 1, Saudi Arabia 1 |
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Airports:
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7 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 4
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2003 est.) |
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Heliports:
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3 (2003 est.) |
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Military branches:
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Land Forces,
Navy, Air Force (including Air Defense Force), National Guard |
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Military manpower - military age:
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18 years of age
(2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - availability:
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males age
15-49: 880,461 (2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - fit for military service:
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males age
15-49: 531,556 (2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
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males:
18,849 (2004 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$2,500.4 million
(2003) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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5.8% (2003) |
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Disputes - international:
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Kuwait and Saudi
Arabia continue negotiating a joint maritime boundary with
Iran; no maritime boundary exists with Iraq in the Persian
Gulf |
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
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