1994 Edition

Administrative divisions

5 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al 'Ahmadi, Al Jahrah, Al Kuwayt, Hawalli, Al Farwaniyah

Agriculture

practically none; dependent on imports for food; about 75% of potable water must be distilled or imported

Airports

total: 7 usable: 4 with permanent-surface runways: 4 with runways over 3,659 m: with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m:

Area

total area: 17,820 sq km land area: 17,820 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than New Jersey

Birth rate

29.43 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Branches

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

Budget

revenues: $9 billion expenditures: $13 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY93)

Capital

Kuwait

Climate

dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters

Coastline

499 km

Constitution

16 November 1962 (some provisions suspended since 29 August 1962)

Currency

1 Kuwaiti dinar (KD) = 1,000 fils

Death rate

2.37 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $2.5 billion, 7.3% of GDP (FY92/93)

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

Economic aid

donor: pledged bilateral aid to less developed countries (1979-89), $18.3 billion

Electricity

capacity: 6,873,000 kW available out of 7,398,000 kW due to Persian Gulf war production: 12.264 billion kWh consumption per capita: 8,890 kWh (1992)

Environment

current issues: some of world's largest and most sophisticated desalination facilities provide much of the water; air and water pollution; desertification natural hazards: NA international agreements: party to - Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Marine Dumping

Ethnic divisions

Kuwaiti 45%, other Arab 35%, South Asian 9%, Iranian 4%, other 7%

Exchange rates

Kuwaiti dinars (KD) per US$1 - 0.2982 (January 1994), 0.3017 (1993), 0.2934 (1992), 0.2843 (1991), 0.2915 (1990), 0.2937 (1989)

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

Exports

$10.5 billion (f.o.b., 1993 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

FAX

(202) 966-0517

[956] 244-2855

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

Flag

three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a black trapezoid based on the hoist side

Highways

total: 3,900 km paved: bituminous 3,000 km unpaved: gravel, sand, earth 900 km

Imports

$6 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: food, construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing partners: US 35%, Japan 12%, UK 9%, Canada 9%

Independence

19 June 1961 (from UK)

Industrial production

growth rate NA%; accounts for NA% of GDP

Industries

petroleum, petrochemicals, desalination, food processing, building materials, salt, construction

Infant mortality rate

12.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3% (1993)

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 refuse to unconditionally recognize Kuwaiti sovereignty of the inviolability of the UN demarcated border; ownership of Qaruh and Umm al Maradim islands disputed by Saudi Arabia

Irrigated land

20 sq km (1989 est.)

Judicial branch

High Court of Appeal

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)

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%

Languages

Arabic (official), English widely spoken

Legal system

civil law system with Islamic law significant in personal matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

unicameral

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 74.99 years male: 72.83 years female: 77.25 years (1994 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) total population: 73% male: 77% female: 67%

Location

Middle East, at the head of the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 537,696; fit for military service 321,767; reach military age (18) annually 15,354 (1994 est.)

Map references

Africa, Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims

continental shelf: not specified territorial sea: 12 nm

Member of

ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, BDEAC, CAEU, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GATT, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, 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

Merchant marine

46 ships (1,000 GRT or over), totaling 2,153,693 GRT/3,561,568 DWT, cargo 10, container 2, liquefied gas 7, livestock carrier 4, oil tanker 23

Names

conventional long form: State of Kuwait conventional short form: Kuwait local long form: Dawlat al Kuwayt local short form: Al Kuwayt

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

National holiday

National Day, 25 February (1948)

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $25.7 billion (1993 est.)

National product per capita

$15,100 (1993 est.)

National product real growth rate

15% (1993 est.)

Nationality

noun: Kuwaiti(s) adjective: Kuwaiti

Natural resources

petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas

Net migration rate

25.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Note

strategic location at head of Persian Gulf

Other political or pressure groups

small, clandestine leftist and Shi'a fundamentalist groups are active; several groups critical of government policies are publicly active

Overview

Kuwait is a small and relatively open economy with proven 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.

Pipelines

crude oil 877 km; petroleum products 40 km; natural gas 165 km

Political parties and leaders

none

Population

1,819,322 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate

5.24% (1994 est.) note: this rate reflects the continued post-Gulf crisis return of nationals and expatriates

Ports

Ash Shu'aybah, Ash Shuwaykh, Mina' al Ahmadi, Mina' 'Abd Allah, Mina' Su'ud

Railroads

none

Religions

Muslim 85% (Shi'a 30%, Sunni 45%, other 10%), Christian, Hindu, Parsi, and other 15%

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

Telecommunications

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; broadcast stations - 3 AM, 0 FM, 3 TV; satellite earth stations - destroyed during 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

Terrain

flat to slightly undulating desert plain

Total fertility rate

4 children born/woman (1994 est.)

Type

nominal constitutional monarchy

Unemployment rate

NEGL% (1992 est.)

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: Ambassador-designate Ryan 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] 242-4151 through 4159