1999 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1999 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Area
total: 17,820 sq km land: 17,820 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area--comparative
slightly smaller than New Jersey
Climate
dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters
Coastline
499 km
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m highest point: unnamed location 306 m
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
Environment--international agreements
party to: Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Marine Dumping
Geographic coordinates
29 30 N, 45 45 E
Geography--note
strategic location at head of Persian Gulf
Irrigated land
20 sq km (1993 est.)
Land boundaries
total: 464 km border countries: Iraq 242 km, Saudi Arabia 222 km
Land use
arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 8% forests and woodland: 0% other: 92% (1993 est.)
Location
Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia
Map references
Middle East
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm
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
Natural resources
petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas
Terrain
flat to slightly undulating desert plain
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 32% (male 343,461; female 285,129) 15-64 years: 66% (male 850,689; female 468,618) 65 years and over: 2% (male 26,593; female 16,625) (1999 est.)
Birth rate
20.45 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate
2.31 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Ethnic groups
Kuwaiti 45%, other Arab 35%, South Asian 9%, Iranian 4%, other 7%
Infant mortality rate
10.26 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Languages
Arabic (official), English widely spoken
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 77.15 years male: 75.11 years female: 79.3 years (1999 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 78.6% male: 82.2% female: 74.9% (1995 est.)
Nationality
noun: Kuwaiti(s) adjective: Kuwaiti
Net migration rate
20.65 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Population
1,991,115 (July 1999 est.) note: includes 1,220,935 non-nationals (July 1999 est.)
Population growth rate
3.88% (1999 est.) note: this rate reflects the continued post-Gulf crisis return of expatriates
Religions
Muslim 85% (Sunni 45%, Shi'a 40%), Christian, Hindu, Parsi, and other 15%
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.2 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.82 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.6 male(s)/female total population: 1.58 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate
3.34 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
5 governorates (muhafazat, singular--muhafazah); Al Ahmadi, Al Farwaniyah, Al 'Asimah, Al Jahra', Hawalli
Capital
Kuwait
Constitution
approved and promulgated 11 November 1962
Country name
conventional long form: State of Kuwait conventional short form: Kuwait local long form: Dawlat al Kuwayt local short form: Al Kuwayt
Data code
KU
Executive branch
chief of state: Amir 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); First Deputy Prime Minister SABAH al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al Sabah (since 17 October 1992); Second Deputy Prime Minister SALIM al-Sabah al-Salim Al Sabah (since 7 October 1996) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister and approved by the monarch elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the monarch
Flag description
three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a black trapezoid based on the hoist side
Government type
nominal constitutional monarchy
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, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO, WTrO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador MUHAMMAD al-Sabah al-Salim Al SABAH chancery: 2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador James A. LAROCCO embassy: Bayan, near the Bayan palace, Kuwait City mailing address: P.O. Box 77 Safat, 13001 Safat, Kuwait; Unit 69000, APO AE 09880-9000
Judicial branch
High Court of Appeal Political parties and leaders: none Political pressure groups and leaders: several political groups act as de facto parties: Bedouins, merchants, Sunni and Shi'a activists, and secular leftists and nationalists
Legal system
civil law system with Islamic law significant in personal matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch
unicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-Umma (50 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 7 October 1996 (next to be held approximately October 2000) election results: percent of vote--NA; seats--independents 50; note--all cabinet ministers are also ex officio members of the National Assembly
National holiday
National Day, 25 February (1950)
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 were eligible to vote for the first time
Economy
Agriculture--products
practically no crops; fish
Budget
revenues: $8.1 billion expenditures: $14.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY98/99 budget est.)
Currency
1 Kuwaiti dinar (KD) = 1,000 fils
Debt--external
$7.3 billion (1997 est.)
Economic aid--recipient
$27.6 million (1995)
Economy--overview
Kuwait is a small and relatively open economy with proved crude oil reserves of about 94 billion barrels--10% of world reserves. Petroleum accounts for nearly half of GDP, 90% of export revenues, and 75% 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. The economy improved moderately in 1994-97, but in 1998 suffered from the large decline in world oil prices. The Kuwaiti cabinet approved a reform package in January 1999, including reducing subsidies and increasing taxes on large consumer goods. Nevertheless, Kuwait anticipates continuing budget deficits for the next few years. Kuwait is attracting foreign oil companies to develop fields in the northern part of the country.
Electricity--consumption
23 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports
0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports
0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--production
23 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source
fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)
Exchange rates
Kuwaiti dinars (KD) per US$1--0.3018 (January 1999), 0.3047 (1998), 0.3033 (1997), 0.2994 (1996), 0.2984 (1995), 0.2976 (1994)
Exports
$14.3 billion (f.o.b., 1997)
Exports--commodities
oil and refined products, fertilizers
Exports--partners
Japan 24%, India 16%, US 13%, South Korea 11%, Singapore 8% (1997)
Fiscal year
1 July--30 June
GDP
purchasing power parity--$43.7 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector
agriculture: 0% industry: 55% services: 45% (1996)
GDP--per capita
purchasing power parity?$22,700 (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate
-5% (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports
$7.8 billion (f.o.b., 1996)
Imports--commodities
food, construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing
Imports--partners
US 22%, Japan 15%, UK 13%, Germany 8%, Italy 6% (1997)
Industrial production growth rate
1% (1997 est.)
Industries
petroleum, petrochemicals, desalination, food processing, construction materials, salt, construction
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
1% (1997 est.)
Labor force
1.1 million (1996 est.) note: 68% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (July 1998 est.)
Labor force--by occupation
government and social services 50%, services 40%, industry and agriculture 10% (1996 est.)
Population below poverty line
NA%
Unemployment rate
1.8% (official 1996 est.)
Communications
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 (with approximately 150,000 subscribers in 1996) and the country is well supplied with pay telephones; approximately 15,000 Internet subscribers in 1996 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
408,000 (1998)
Television broadcast stations
13 (in addition, there are several satellite channels) (1997)
Televisions
800,000 (1993 est.)
Transportation
Airports
8 (1998 est.) Airports--with paved runways: total: 4 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (1998 est.) Airports--with unpaved runways: total: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (1998 est.)
Heliports
1 (1998 est.)
Highways
total: 4,450 km paved: 3,587 km unpaved: 863 km (1996 est.)
Merchant marine
total: 49 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,509,061 GRT/4,046,739 DWT ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 10, container 6, liquefied gas tanker 7, livestock carrier 3, oil tanker 22 (1998 est.)
Pipelines
crude oil 877 km; petroleum products 40 km; natural gas 165 km Ports and harbors: Ash Shu'aybah, Ash Shuwaykh, Kuwait, Mina' 'Abd Allah, Mina' al Ahmadi, Mina' Su'ud
Railways
0 km
Military and Security
Military branches
Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police Force, National Guard, Coast Guard
Military expenditures--dollar figure
$2.7035 billion (FY98/99)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP
7.9% (FY98/99)
Military manpower--availability
males age 15-49: 718,061 (1999 est.) Military manpower--fit for military service: males age 15-49: 425,126 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--military age
18 years of age
Military manpower--reaching military age annually
males: 20,854 (1999 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international
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