1986 Edition

Agriculture

virtually none; dependent on imports for food; approx. 75% of potable water must be distilled or imported

Airfields

9 total, 4 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m

Branches

Council of Ministers; legislature — National Assembly

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

Budget

(1984/85 actual) revenues, $10.6 billion; expenditures, $12.9 billion

Capital

Kuwait

Civil air

26 major transport aircraft

Communists

insignificant

Elections

National Assembly elected in February 1985 Political parties and leaders: political parties prohibited, some small clandestine groups are active

Electric power

5,335,300 kW capacity (1985); 18.694 billion kWh produced (1985), 10,930 kWh per capita

Exports

$1 1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1985), of which petroleum accounted for about 85%

Fiscal year

1 July-30 June Communications

GDP

$21.8 billion (1984), $13,620 per capita GNP (1984); 5% annual growth rate (1984)

Government leader

Jabir al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al SABAH, Amir (since December 1977)

Highways

2,600 km total; 2,300 km bituminous; 300 km earth, sand, light gravel

Imports

$7.4 billion (f.o.b., 1984); major suppliers — Japan, US, FRG, UK

Labor force

566,000 (1985); 45.0% services, 20.0% construction, 12.0% trade, 8.6% manufacturing, 2.6% finance and real estate, 1.9% agriculture, 1.7% power and water, 1.4% mining and quarrying; 70% of labor force is non-Kuwaiti

Legal system

civil law system with Islamic law significant in personal matters; constitution took effect in 1963; popularly elected 50-man National Assembly (the 15 cabinet members can also vote) reinstated in March 1981 after being suspended in 1976; judicial review of legislative acts not yet determined; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Major industries

crude petroleum production average for 1984, 1.1 million b/d; petroleum refining (capacity approximately 0.5 million b/d); other major industries include petrochemicals, retail trade, and manufacturing; water desalinization capacity 618 million liters per day (1983 prelim.)

Major trading partners

exports — Japan, US, FRG, Italy; imports— Japan, FRG, UK, US

Member of

Arab League, FAO, G-77, GATT, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDE— Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, QIC, OPEC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO Economy

Military budget

operating expenditures for fiscal year ending 30 June 1985, $865 million; 7.3% of central government budget

Military manpower

males 15-49, about 438,000; about 266,000 fit for military ser-

Monetary conversion rate

.29 Kuwaiti dinar=US$l (October 1985)

National holiday

National Day, 25 February

Natural resources

petroleum, fish, shrimp

Official name

State of Kuwait

Organized labor

labor unions, first authorized in 1964, formed in oil industry and among government personnel Government

Other political or pressure groups

large (350,000) Palestinian community

Pipelines

crude oil, 877 km; refined products, 40 km; natural gas, 121 km

Political subdivisions

4 governorates (Kuwait City, Hawalli, Ahmadi, Johra), 25 voting constituencies

Ports

3 major (Ash Shuwaykh, Ash Shu'aybah, MlnS' al Ahmadi), 6 minor

Railroads

none

Suffrage

adult males who resided in Kuwait before 1920 and their male descendents (eligible voters, 8.3% of citizenry)

Telecommunications

excellent international and adequate domestic telecommunication facilities; 258,000 telephones (16 per 100 popl.); 2 AM, 2 FM, 3 TV stations; 1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean satellite stations, 1 INMARSAT satellite station; 1 Arab satellite station; coaxial cable and radio-relay to Iraq and Saudi Arabia Defense Forces

Type

nominal constitutional monarchy