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 |
About Kuwait |
|
| Introduction |
|
| 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. |
|
| Geography |
| 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:
462 km
border countries: 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
highest point: unnamed location 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: |
130
sq km (2003) |
| 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 |
| 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: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone
Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping |
| Geography
- note: |
strategic
location at head of Persian Gulf |
|
| People |
| Population: |
2,505,559
note: includes 1,291,354 non-nationals (July
2007 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14
years: 26.7% (male 340,814/female 328,663)
15-64 years: 70.5% (male 1,128,231/female 636,967)
65 years and over: 2.8% (male 44,542/female 26,342)
(2007 est.) |
| Median
age: |
total:
26 years
male: 27.9 years
female: 22.4 years (2007 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
3.561%
note: this rate reflects a return to pre-Gulf
crisis immigration of expatriates (2007 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
21.95
births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
2.39
deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
16.05
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at
birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.037 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.771 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.691 male(s)/female
total population: 1.526 male(s)/female (2007
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
total:
9.47 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 10.48 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 8.42 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 77.36 years
male: 76.25 years
female: 78.52 years (2007 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
2.86
children born/woman (2007 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
0.12%
(2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
NA |
| Nationality: |
noun:
Kuwaiti(s)
adjective: Kuwaiti |
| Ethnic
groups: |
Kuwaiti
45%, other Arab 35%, South Asian 9%, Iranian 4%, other
7% |
| Religions: |
Muslim
85% (Sunni 70%, Shi'a 30%), other (includes Christian,
Hindu, Parsi) 15% |
| Languages: |
Arabic
(official), English widely spoken |
| Literacy: |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.3%
male: 94.4%
female: 91% (2005 census) |
|
| Government
|
| 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
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 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: |
NA
years of age; universal (adult); 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
(since 29 January 2006); Crown Prince NAWAF al-Ahmad
al-Jabir al-Sabah
head of government: Prime Minister NASIR MUHAMMAD
al-Ahmad al-Sabah (since 3 April 2007); First Deputy
Prime Minister JABIR Mubarak al-Hamad al-Sabah (since
9 February 2006); Deputy Prime Ministers MUHAMMAD al-Sabah
al-Salim al-Sabah (since 9 February 2006) and Faysal
al-HAJJI (since 5 April 2007)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the
prime minister and approved by the amir
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 29 June 2006 (next election
to be held in 2010)
election results: percent of vote by bloc - NA;
seats by bloc - Islamic Bloc (Sunni) 17, Popular Bloc
9, National Action Bloc (liberals) 8, independents 16 |
| 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 |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
a number
of political groups act as de facto parties; several
legislative blocs operate in the National Assembly:
tribal groups, merchants, Shi'a activists, Islamists,
secular liberals and pro-government deputies; in mid-2006,
a coalition of Islamists, liberals, and Shia campaigned
successfully for electoral reform to reduce corruption |
| 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, IMSO, Interpol, IOC,
IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC,
OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR,
UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief
of mission: Ambassador SALIM al-Abdallah al-Jabir
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 Richard LEBARON
embassy: Bayan 36302, Area 14, Al-Masjed Al-Aqsa
Street (near the Bayan palace), Kuwait City
mailing address: P. O. Box 77 Safat 13001 Kuwait;
or PSC 1280 APO AE 09880-9000
telephone: [965] 259-1001
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 |
| Economy
- overview: |
Kuwait
is a small, rich, relatively open economy with self-reported
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. High oil
prices in recent years have helped build Kuwait's budget
and trade surpluses and foreign reserves. As a result
of this positive fiscal situation, the need for economic
reforms is less urgent and the government has not earnestly
pushed through new initiatives. |
| GDP
(purchasing power parity): |
$55.96
billion (2006 est.) |
| GDP
(official exchange rate): |
$60.77
billion (2006 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
12.7%
(2006 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
0.4%
industry: 56.9%
services: 42.8% (2006 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
1.168
million
note: non-Kuwaitis represent about 80% of the
labor force (2006 est.) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture:
NA%
industry: 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% |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
3%
(2006 est.) |
| Investment
(gross fixed): |
18.9%
of GDP (2006 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$60.29 billion
expenditures: $35.9 billion (2006 est.) |
| Public
debt: |
8.2%
of GDP (2006 est.) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
practically
no crops; fish |
| Industries: |
petroleum,
petrochemicals, cement, shipbuilding and repair, water
desalination, food processing, construction materials |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
13.1%
(2005 est.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
41.11
billion kWh (2005) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
36.28
billion kWh (2005) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh
(2005) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh
(2005) |
| Oil
- production: |
2.418
million bbl/day (2005 est.) |
| Oil
- consumption: |
335,000
bbl/day (2004 est.) |
| Oil
- exports: |
2.2
million bbl/day (2004) |
| Oil
- imports: |
NA
bbl/day |
| Oil
- proved reserves: |
101.5
billion bbl (1 January 2006) |
| Current
account balance: |
$51
billion (2006 est.) |
| Exports: |
$58.64
billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
oil
and refined products, fertilizers |
| Exports
- partners: |
Japan
20.4%, South Korea 16.2%, Taiwan 10.8%, Singapore 9.7%,
US 9%, Netherlands 5.3%, China 4.1% (2006) |
| Imports: |
$14.35
billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
food,
construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing |
| Imports
- partners: |
US
14.1%, Japan 7.8%, Germany 7.7%, Saudi Arabia 6.8%,
China 5.7%, UK 5.4%, Italy 4.6% (2006) |
| Reserves
of foreign exchange and gold: |
$12.68
billion (2006 est.) |
| Debt
- external: |
$25.26
billion (2006 est.) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$NA
(2004) |
| Currency
(code): |
Kuwaiti
dinar (KD) |
| Exchange
rates: |
Kuwaiti
dinars per US dollar - 0.29 (2006), 0.292 (2005), 0.2947
(2004), 0.298 (2003), 0.3039 (2002) |
| Fiscal
year: |
1 April
- 31 March |
|
| Transportation |
| Airports: |
7 (2007) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
4
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total:
3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2007) |
| Heliports: |
4 (2007) |
| Pipelines: |
gas
269 km; oil 540 km; refined products 57 km (2006) |
| Roadways: |
total:
5,749 km
paved: 4,887 km
unpaved: 862 km (2004) |
| Merchant
marine: |
total:
38 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,195,831 GRT/3,566,308
DWT
by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 1, container 6,
liquefied gas 5, livestock carrier 3, petroleum tanker
21
registered in other countries: 28 (Bahrain 3,
Comoros 1, Liberia 1, Libya 1, Panama 1, Qatar 7, Saudi
Arabia 6, UAE 8) (2007) |
| Ports
and terminals: |
Ash
Shu'aybah, Ash Shuwaykh, Az Zawr (Mina' Sa'ud), Mina'
'Abd Allah, Mina' al Ahmadi |
|
| Military |
| Military
branches: |
Land
Forces, Kuwaiti Navy, Kuwaiti Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya
al-Kuwaitiya), National Guard (2007) |
| Military
service age and obligation: |
18
years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service;
reserve obligation to age 40 with 1 month annual training;
women have served in police forces since 1999 (2006) |
| Manpower
available for military service: |
males
age 18-49: 864,745
females age 18-49: 467,120 (2005 est.) |
| Manpower
fit for military service: |
males
age 18-49: 737,292
females age 18-49: 405,207 (2005 est.) |
| Manpower
reaching military service age annually: |
males
age 18-49: 18,743
females age 18-49: 20,065 (2005 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
5.3%
(2006) |
|
| Transnational
Issues |
| Disputes
- international: |
Kuwait
and Saudi Arabia continue negotiating a joint maritime
boundary with Iran; no maritime boundary exists with
Iraq in the Persian Gulf |
| Trafficking
in persons: |
current
situation: Kuwait is a destination country for men
and women who migrate legally from South and Southeast
Asia for domestic or low-skilled labor, but are subjected
to conditions of involuntary servitude by employers
in Kuwait including conditions of physical and sexual
abuse, non-payment of wages, confinement to the home,
and withholding of passports to restrict their freedom
of movement; Kuwait is reportedly a transit point for
South and East Asian workers recruited for low-skilled
work in Iraq; some of these workers are deceived as
to the true location and nature of this work, and others
are subjected to conditions of involuntary servitude
in Iraq; in past years, Kuwait was also a destination
country for children exploited as camel jockeys, but
this form of trafficking appears to have ceased
tier rating: Tier 3 - insufficient efforts in
2006 to prosecute and punish abusive employers and those
who traffic women for sexual exploitation; the government
failed for the third year in a row to live up to promises
to provide shelter and protective services for victims
of involuntary domestic servitude and other forms of
trafficking |
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