1993 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1993 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
total area: 17,820 km2 land area: 17,820 km2 comparative area: slightly smaller than New Jersey
Climate
dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters
Coastline
499 km
Environment
some of world's largest and most sophisticated desalination facilities provide most of water; air and water pollution; desertification
International disputes
in April 1991 Iraq officially accepted UN Security Council Resolution 687, which demands that Iraq accept the inviolability of the boundary set forth in its 1963 agreement with Kuwait, ending earlier claims to Bubiyan and Warbah Islands, or to all of Kuwait; the 20 May 1993 final report of the UN Iraq/Kuwait Boundary Demarcation Commission was welcomed by the Security Council in Resolution 833 of 27 May 1993, which also reaffirmed that the decisions of the commission on the boundary were final, bringing to a completion the official demarcation of the Iraq-Kuwait boundary; Iraqi officials still make public statements claiming Kuwait; ownership of Qaruh and Umm al Maradim Islands disputed by Saudi Arabia
Irrigated land
20 km2 (1989 est.)
Land boundaries
total 464 km, Iraq 242 km, Saudi Arabia 222 km
Land use
arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 8% forest and woodland: 0% other: 92%
Location
Middle East, at the head of the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia
Map references
Africa, Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World
Maritime claims
continental shelf: not specified territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural resources
petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas
Note
strategic location at head of Persian Gulf
Terrain
flat to slightly undulating desert plain
People and Society
Birth rate
30.29 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate
2.39 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Ethnic divisions
Kuwaiti 45%, other Arab 35%, South Asian 9%, Iranian 4%, other 7%
Infant mortality rate
13.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
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 was non-Kuwaiti (1986)
Languages
Arabic (official), English widely spoken
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 74.62 years male: 72.47 years female: 76.87 years (1993 est.)
Literacy
age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 73% male: 77% female: 67%
Nationality
noun: Kuwaiti(s) adjective: Kuwaiti
Net migration rate
58.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Population
1,698,077 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate
8.67% (1993 est.)
Religions
Muslim 85% (Shi'a 30%, Sunni 45%, other 10%), Christian, Hindu, Parsi, and other 15%
Total fertility rate
4.11 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
5 governorates (mu'hafaz'at, singular - muh'afaz'ah); Al Ah'madi, Al Jahrah, Al Kuwayt, 'Hawalli; Farwaniyah
Capital
Kuwait
Chief of State
Amir Shaykh JABIR al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah (since 31 December 1977)
Constitution
16 November 1962 (some provisions suspended since 29 August 1962)
Digraph
KU
Diplomatic representation in US
chief of mission: Ambassador Muhammad al-Sabah al-Salim al-SABAH chancery: 2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 966-0702
Executive branch
amir, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
FAX
[956] 244-2855
Flag
three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a black trapezoid based on the hoist side
Head of Government
Prime Minister and Crown Prince SA'D al-'Abdallah al-Salim al-Sabah (since 8 February 1978); Deputy Prime Minister SABAH al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah (since 17 October 1992)
Independence
19 June 1961 (from UK)
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 (Majlis al 'umma) dissolved 3 July 1986; elections for new Assembly held 5 October 1992
Member of
ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, BDEAC, CAEU, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GATT, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Names
conventional long form: State of Kuwait conventional short form: Kuwait local long form: Dawlat al Kuwayt local short form: Al Kuwayt
National Assembly
dissolved 3 July 1986; new elections were held on 5 October 1992 with a second election in the 14th and 16th constituencies scheduled for 15 February 1993
National holiday
National Day, 25 February
Other political or pressure groups
40,000 Palestinian community; small, clandestine leftist and Shi'a fundamentalist groups are active; several groups critical of government policies are active
Political parties and leaders
none
Suffrage
adult males who resided in Kuwait before 1920 and their male descendants at age 21 note: out of all citizens, only 10% are eligible to vote and only 5% actually vote
Type
nominal constitutional monarchy
US diplomatic representation
chief of mission: Ambassador Edward (Skip) GNEHM, Jr. embassy: Bneid al-Gar (opposite the Kuwait International Hotel), Kuwait City mailing address: P.O. Box 77 SAFAT, 13001 SAFAT, Kuwait; APO AE 09880 telephone: [965] 242-4151 through 4159
Economy
Agriculture
practically none; dependent on imports for food; about 75% of potable water must be distilled or imported
Budget
revenues $7.1 billion; expenditures $10.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $3.1 billion (FY88)
Currency
1 Kuwaiti dinar (KD) = 1,000 fils
Economic aid
donor - pledged $18.3 billion in bilateral aid to less developed countries (1979-89)
Electricity
6,873,000 kW available out of 7,398,000 kW capacity due to Persian Gulf war; 12,264 million kWh produced, 8,890 kWh per capita (1992)
Exchange rates
Kuwaiti dinars (KD) per US$1 - 0.3044 (January 1993), 0.2934 (1992), 0.2843 (1991), 0.2915 (1990), 0.2937 (1989), 0.2790 (1988)
Exports
$750 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.) commodities: oil partners: France 16%, Italy 15%, Japan 12%, UK 11%
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
Fiscal year
1 July - 30 June
Imports
$4.7 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.) commodities: food, construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing partners: US 35%, Japan 12%, UK 9%, Canada 9%
Industrial production
growth rate NA%; accounts for NA% of GDP
Industries
petroleum, petrochemicals, desalination, food processing, building materials, salt, construction
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
5% (1992 est.)
National product
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $15.3 billion (1992 est.)
National product per capita
$11,100 (1992 est.)
National product real growth rate
80% (1992 est.)
Overview
Kuwait is a small and relatively open economy with proven crude oil reserves of about 94 billion barrels - 10% of world reserves. Kuwait is rebuilding its war-ravaged petroleum sector and the increase in crude oil production to nearly 2.0 million barrels per day by the end of 1992 led to an enormous increase in GDP for the year. The government ran a cumulative fiscal deficit of approximately $70 billion over its last two fiscal years, reducing its foreign asset position and increasing its public debt to roughly $40 billion. Petroleum accounts for nearly half of GDP and over 90% of export and government revenue.
Unemployment rate
NEGL% (1992 est.)
Communications
Airports
total: 7 usable: 4 with permanent-surface runways: 4 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
Highways
3,900 km total; 3,000 km bituminous; 900 km earth, sand, light gravel
Merchant marine
42 ships (1,000 GRT or over), totaling 1,996,052 GRT/3,373,088 DWT; includes 7 cargo, 4 livestock carrier, 24 oil tanker, 4 liquefied gas, 3 container
Pipelines
crude oil 877 km; petroleum products 40 km; natural gas 165 km
Ports
Ash Shu'aybah, Ash Shuwaykh, Mina' al 'Ahmadi
Railroads
none
Telecommunications
civil network suffered extensive damage as a result of Desert Storm and reconstruction is still under way with some restored international and domestic capabilities; broadcast stations - 3 AM, 0 FM, 3 TV; satellite earth stations - destroyed during Persian Gulf War and not rebuilt yet; temporary mobile satellite ground stations provide international telecommunications; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; service to Iraq is nonoperational
Military and Security
Branches
Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police Force, National Guard
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $2.5 billion, 7.3% of GDP (FY92/93)
Manpower availability
males age 15-49 498,254; fit for military service 298,865; reach military age (18) annually 14,459 (1993 est.)