KUWAIT
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KUWAIT
@Kuwait:Geography
Location: Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and
Saudi Arabia
Map references: Middle East
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KUWAIT - MAJOR CITIES
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Latitude, Internat'l Time
Population Longitude Phone Code Zone
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Salmiya 153,000 29.20N, 48.00E 965- GMT+3
Hawalli 145,000 29.20N, 48.00E 965- GMT+3
Jahra 111,000 29.22N, 47.40E 965- GMT+3
KUWAIT 44,000 29.20N, 48.00E 965- GMT+3
Al-Ahmadi N/A 29.05N, 48.04E 965- GMT+3
Mina Al-Ahmadi N/A 29.04N, 48.08E 965- GMT+3
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Area:
total area: 17,820 sq km
land area: 17,820 sq km
comparative area: slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundaries: total 464 km, Iraq 242 km, Saudi Arabia 222 km
Coastline: 499 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: 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
Climate: dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters
Terrain: flat to slightly undulating desert plain
Natural resources: petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 8%
forest and woodland: 0%
other: 92%
Irrigated land: 20 sq km (1989 est.)
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
natural hazards: sudden cloudbursts are common from October to April,
they bring inordinate amounts of rain which can damage roads and
houses; sandstorms and duststorms occur throughout the year, but are
most common between March and August
international agreements: party to - Climate Change, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban,
Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity,
Endangered Species, Marine Dumping
Note: strategic location at head of Persian Gulf
@Kuwait:People
Population: 1,817,397 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 34% (female 302,908; male 319,659)
15-64 years: 64% (female 467,163; male 697,849)
65 years and over: 2% (female 13,476; male 16,342) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 7.46% (1995 est.)
note: this rate reflects the continued post-Gulf crisis return of
nationals and expatriates
Birth rate: 21.07 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 2.2 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 55.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 11.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.64 years
male: 73.33 years
female: 78.06 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.93 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Kuwaiti(s)
adjective: Kuwaiti
Ethnic divisions: Kuwaiti 45%, other Arab 35%, South Asian 9%, Iranian
4%, other 7%
Religions: Muslim 85% (Shi'a 30%, Sunni 45%, other 10%), Christian,
Hindu, Parsi, and other 15%
Languages: Arabic (official), English widely spoken
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1985)
total population: 74%
male: 78%
female: 69%
Labor force: 566,000 (1986)
by occupation: services 45.0%, construction 20.0%, trade 12.0%,
manufacturing 8.6%, finance and real estate 2.6%, agriculture 1.9%,
power and water 1.7%, mining and quarrying 1.4%
note: 70% of labor force non-Kuwaiti (1986)
@Kuwait:Government
Names:
conventional long form: State of Kuwait
conventional short form: Kuwait
local long form: Dawlat al Kuwayt
local short form: Al Kuwayt
Digraph: KU
Type: nominal constitutional monarchy
Capital: Kuwait
Administrative divisions: 5 governorates (muhafazat, singular -
muhafazah); Al 'Ahmadi, Al Jahrah, Al Kuwayt, Hawalli, Al Farwaniyah
Independence: 19 June 1961 (from UK)
National holiday: National Day, 25 February (1948)
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 resided in Kuwait 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 thirty years will be eligible to vote
Executive branch:
chief of state: Amir Shaykh 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); Deputy Prime Minister SABAH
al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al Sabah (since 17 October 1992)
cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the Prime Minister and
approved by the Amir
Legislative branch: unicameral
National Assembly (Majlis al-umma): dissolved 3 July 1986; new
elections were held on 5 October 1992 with a second election in the
14th and 16th constituencies held February 1993
Judicial branch: High Court of Appeal
Political parties and leaders: none
Other political or pressure groups: small, clandestine leftist and
Shi'a fundamentalist groups are active; several groups critical of
government policies are publicly active
Member of: ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, BDEAC, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO,
G-77, GATT, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO
(correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in 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
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ryan C. CROCKER
embassy: Bneid al-Gar (opposite the Kuwait International Hotel),
Kuwait City
mailing address: P.O. Box 77 SAFAT, 13001 SAFAT, Kuwait; Unit 69000,
Kuwait; APO AE 09880-9000
telephone: [965] 2424151 through 2424159
FAX: [965] 2442855
Flag: 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. Kuwait has rebuilt its war-ravaged petroleum sector; its
crude oil production reached at least 2.0 million barrels per day by
the end of 1993. The government ran a sizable fiscal deficit in 1993.
Petroleum accounts for nearly half of GDP and 90% of export and
government revenues. 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. Because of its high per
capita income, comparable with Western European incomes, Kuwait
provides its citizens with extensive health, educational, and
retirement benefits. Per capita military expenditures are among the
highest in the world. The economy improved moderately in 1994, with
the growth in industry and finance, and should see further gains in
1995, especially if oil prices go up. The World Bank has urged Kuwait
to push ahead with privatization, including in the oil industry, but
the government will move slowly on this front.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $30.7 billion (1994
est.)
National product real growth rate: 9.3% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $16,900 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3% (1993)
Unemployment rate: NEGL% (1992 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $9 billion
expenditures: $13 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(FY92/93)
Exports: $10.5 billion (f.o.b., 1993)
commodities: oil
partners: France 16%, Italy 15%, Japan 12%, UK 11%
Imports: $6.6 billion (f.o.b., 1993)
commodities: food, construction materials, vehicles and parts,
clothing
partners: US 35%, Japan 12%, UK 9%, Canada 9%
External debt: $7.2 billion (December 1989 est.)
note: external debt has grown substantially in 1991 and 1992 to pay
for restoration of war damage
Industrial production: growth rate NA%; accounts for NA% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity: 7,070,000 kW
production: 11 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 6,007 kWh (1993)
Industries: petroleum, petrochemicals, desalination, food processing,
building materials, salt, construction
Agriculture: practically none; extensive fishing in territorial waters
and Indian Ocean
Economic aid:
donor: pledged bilateral aid to less developed countries (1979-89),
$18.3 billion
Currency: 1 Kuwaiti dinar (KD) = 1,000 fils
Exchange rates: Kuwaiti dinars (KD) per US$1 - 0.2991 (January 1995),
0.2976 (1994), 0.3017 (1993), 0.2934 (1992), 0.2843 (1991), 0.2915
(1990)
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
@Kuwait:Transportation
Railroads: 0 km
Highways:
total: 4,270 km
paved: bituminous 3,370 km
unpaved: gravel, sand, earth 900 km (est.)
Pipelines: crude oil 877 km; petroleum products 40 km; natural gas 165
km
Ports: Ash Shu'aybah, Ash Shuwaykh, Kuwait, Mina' 'Abd Allah, Mina' al
Ahmadi, Mina' Su'ud
Merchant marine:
total: 47 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,202,558 GRT/3,618,527
DWT
ships by type: cargo 9, container 3, liquefied gas tanker 7, livestock
carrier 4, oil tanker 24
Airports:
total: 8
with paved runways over 3,047 m: 3
with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
with paved runways under 914 m: 2
with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 1
with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1
@Kuwait:Communications
Telephone system: NA telephones; civil network suffered extensive
damage as a result of the Gulf war and reconstruction is still under
way with some restored international and domestic capabilities
local: NA
intercity: NA
international: earth stations destroyed during Gulf war and not
rebuilt yet; temporary mobile satellite antennae provide international
telecommunications; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Saudi
Arabia; service to Iraq is nonoperational
Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 0, shortwave 0
radios: NA
Television:
broadcast stations: 3
televisions: NA
@Kuwait:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police Force, National Guard
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 610,205; males fit for military
service 363,735; males reach military age (18) annually 16,170 (1995
est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $3.4 billion, 13.3%
of GDP (1995)
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