1996 Edition

Description

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

Location

29 30 N, 45 45 E -- Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia Flag ----

Area

comparative area

slightly smaller than New Jersey

land area

17,820 sq km

total area

17,820 sq km

Climate

dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters

Coastline

499 km

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

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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Marine Dumping

natural hazards

sudden cloudbursts are common from October to April, they bring inordinate amounts of rain which can damage roads and houses; sandstorms and dust storms occur throughout the year, but are most common between March and August

Geographic coordinates

29 30 N, 45 45 E

Geographic note

strategic location at head of Persian Gulf

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

Irrigated land

20 sq km (1989 est.)

Land boundaries

border countries

Iraq 242 km, Saudi Arabia 222 km

total

464 km

Land use

arable land

0%

forest and woodland

0%

meadows and pastures

8%

other

92%

permanent crops

0%

Location

Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia

Map references

Middle East

Maritime claims

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural resources

petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas

Terrain

flat to slightly undulating desert plain

highest point

unnamed location 306 m

lowest point

Persian Gulf 0 m

Age structure

0-14 years: 33% (male 334,778; female 317,241) 15-64 years: 65% (male 757,535; female 507,064) 65 years and over: 2% (male 18,459; female 14,970) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

20.28 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

2.2 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

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

Infant mortality rate

11.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

Arabic (official), English widely spoken

Life expectancy at birth

female

78.38 years (1996 est.)

male

73.59 years

total population

75.92 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)

female

74.9%

male

82.2%

total population

78.6%

Nationality

adjective

Kuwaiti

noun

Kuwaiti(s)

Net migration rate

48.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

1,950,047 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

6.65% (1996 est.)

note

this rate reflects the continued post-Gulf crisis return of nationals and expatriates

Religions

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

Sex ratio

all ages

1.32 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years

1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.49 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.23 male(s)/female

Total fertility rate

2.82 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

Kuwait

Constitution

approved and promulgated 11 November 1962

Data code

KU

Diplomatic representation in US

chancery

2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador MUHAMMAD al-Sabah al-Salim Al SABAH

telephone

[1] (202) 966-0702

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers was appointed by the prime minister and approved by the amir

chief of state

Amir JABIR al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al Sabah (since 31 December 1977) is a hereditary monarch of the MUBARAK line of the ruling Sabah family

head of government

Prime Minister and Crown Prince SAAD al-Abdallah al-Salim Al Sabah (since 8 February 1978), First Deputy Prime Minister SABAH al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al Sabah (since 17 October 1992), and Second Deputy Prime Minister Nasir Abdallah al-RUDAN (since NA) were appointed by the Amir

FAX

[1] (202) 966-0517

[965] 2442855

Flag

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

Independence

19 June 1961 (from UK)

International organization participation

ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, BDEAC, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, 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, WToO, WTrO

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

Name of country

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)

elected members serve four-year terms; elections last held 5 October 1992 (next to be held NA September 1996); results - percent of vote NA; seats - (50 total) independents 50; note - all cabinet ministers are also ex officio members of the National Assembly

National holiday

National Day, 25 February (1950)

Other political or pressure groups

several political groups act

as de facto parties

Bedouins, merchants, Sunni and Shi'a activists, and secular leftists and nationalists

Political parties and leaders

none

Suffrage

adult males who have been naturalized for 30 years or more or have resided in Kuwait since 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 30 years will be eligible to vote

Type of government

nominal constitutional monarchy

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 6900, APO AE 09880-9000

telephone

[965] 2424151 through 2424159

Agriculture

practically no crops; extensive fishing in territorial waters

Budget

expenditures

$14.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY95/96 est.)

revenues

$9.7 billion

Currency

1 Kuwaiti dinar (KD) = 1,000 fils

Economic aid

$NA

Economic 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 averaged 2.0 million barrels per day in 1994. The government continues to record large fiscal deficits. Petroleum accounts for nearly half of GDP, 90% of export revenues, and 70% of government income. 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 1994-95, with the growth in industry and finance. 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.

Electricity

capacity

7,070,000 kW

consumption per capita

6,007 kWh (1993)

production

11 billion kWh

Exchange rates

Kuwaiti dinars (KD) per US$1 - 0.2993 (January 1996), 0.2984 (1995), 0.2976 (1994), 0.3017 (1993), 0.2934 (1992), 0.2843 (1991)

Exports

$11.9 billion (f.o.b., 1994)

commodities

oil

partners

US 23%, Japan 13%, Germany 10%, UK 9%, France 8%

External debt

$NA

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

GDP

purchasing power parity - $30.8 billion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture

0%

industry

55%

services

45%

GDP per capita

$17,000 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

3% (1995 est.)

Imports

$6.7 billion (f.o.b., 1994)

commodities

food, construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing

partners

US 14%, Japan 12%, Germany 8%, UK 7%, France 6% (1994 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

1% (1995 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

5% (1994 est.)

Labor force

1 million (1994 est.)

by occupation

industry and agriculture 25.0%, services 25.0%, government and social services 50.0%

note

80% of labor force non-Kuwaiti (1994 est.)

Unemployment rate

NEGL% (1992 est.)

Branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, National Guard, Ministry of Interior Forces, Coast Guard

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $3.5 billion, 12.8% of GDP (FY95/96)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49

658,270

males fit for military service

391,586

males reach military age (18) annually

17,544 (1996 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 3, FM 0, shortwave 0

Radios

720,000 (1992 est.)

Telephone system

the civil network suffered some damage as a result of the Gulf war, but most of the telephone exchanges were left intact and, by the end of 1994, domestic and international telecommunications had been restored to normal operation; the quality of service is excellent

domestic

new telephone exchanges provide a large capacity for new subscribers; trunk traffic is carried by microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, open wire and fiber-optic cable; a cellular telephone system operates throughout Kuwait and the country is well supplied with pay telephones

international

coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean, 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean), and 1 Arabsat

Telephones

548,000 (1991 est.)

Television broadcast stations

3 (1986 est.)

Televisions

800,000 (1993 est.) Defense

Airports

total

4

with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m

1 (1995 est.)

with paved runways over 3 047 m

3

Heliports

1 (1995 est.)

Highways

paved

NA km (including 280 km of expressways) (1989 est.)

total

4,273 km

unpaved

NA km

Merchant marine

ships by type

cargo 10, container 3, liquefied gas tanker 7, livestock carrier 4, oil tanker 21, vehicle carrier 1 (1995 est.)

total

46 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,053,667 GRT/3,242,305 DWT

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

Railways

0 km