2003 Edition

Administrative divisions

5 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Ahmadi, Al Farwaniyah, Al 'Asimah, Al Jahra', Hawalli

Age structure

0-14 years: 27.9% (male 310,008; female 298,474) 15-64 years: 69.5% (male 970,282; female 547,753) 65 years and over: 2.6% (male 36,306; female 20,338) (2003 est.)

Agriculture - products

practically no crops; fish

Airports

6 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2002)

total

3

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

3

under 914 m

2 (2002) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1

Area

land

17,820 sq km

total

17,820 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than New Jersey

Background

Britain oversaw foreign relations and defense for the ruling Kuwaiti AL-SABAH dynasty from 1899 until independence in 1961. Kuwait was attacked and overrun by Iraq on 2 August 1990. Following several weeks of aerial bombardment, a US-led, UN coalition began a ground assault on 23 February 1991 that liberated Kuwait in four days. Kuwait spent more than $5 billion to repair oil infrastructure damaged during 1990-91. Geography Kuwait

Birth rate

21.83 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$17.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY 02/03)

revenues

$11 billion

Capital

Kuwait

Climate

dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters

Coastline

499 km

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

Currency

Kuwaiti dinar (KD)

Currency code

KWD

Death rate

2.45 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Debt - external

$10.4 billion (2000 est.)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Richard H. JONES

embassy

Bayan, Area 14, Al-Masjed Al-Aqsa Street (near the Bayan palace), Kuwait City

mailing address

P. O. Box 77 Safat, 13001 Safat, Kuwait Unit 69000, APO AE 09880-9000

telephone

[965] 539-5307, ext. 2240

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Sheikh SALIM al-Abdallah Jabir Al Sabah

Disputes - international

the Kuwait 1994 land and Khawr 'Abd Allah channel boundary demarcation ended Iraqi claims to Kuwait and Bubiyan and Warbah islands; Kuwait and Saudi Arabia are negotiating maritime boundary with Iran This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

Economic aid - recipient

NA

Economy - overview

Kuwait is a small, rich, relatively open economy with proved crude oil reserves of about 98 billion barrels - 10% of world reserves. Petroleum accounts for nearly half of GDP, 95% of export revenues, and 80% of government income. Kuwait's climate limits agricultural development. Consequently, with the exception of fish, it depends almost wholly on food imports. About 75% of potable water must be distilled or imported. Kuwait continues its discussions with foreign oil companies to develop fields in the northern part of the country. Oil production declined by an estimated 8% in 2002 but is expected to return to the 2001 level in 2003.

Electricity - consumption

29.29 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

31.49 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

100%

hydro

0%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

unnamed location 306 m

lowest point

Persian Gulf 0 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

Ethnic groups

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

Exchange rates

Kuwaiti dinars per US dollar - 0.3 (2002), 0.31 (2001), 0.31 (2000), 0.3 (1999), 0.3 (1998)

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister and approved by the monarch

chief of state

Amir JABIR al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al Sabah (since 31 December 1977)

elections

none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the monarch

head of government

Prime Minister SABAH al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al Sabah (since 13 July 2003); First Deputy Prime Minister NAWWAF al-Ahmad Al Sabah (since 2003); Deputy Prime Ministers JABIR MUBARAK al-Hamad Al Sabah (since 2001) and Muhammad Dayfallah al-SHARAR (since 2003)

Exports

$16 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities

oil and refined products, fertilizers

Exports - partners

Japan 24.4%, South Korea 12.9%, US 11.9%, Singapore 10.1%, Taiwan 7%, Netherlands 4.5%, Pakistan 4.4% (2002)

FAX

[1] (202) 966-0517

[965] 538-0282

chancery

2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone

[1] (202) 966-0702

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March Communications Kuwait

Flag description

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

GDP

purchasing power parity - $36.85 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

60%

industry

39.7%

services

0.3% (2000)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $17,500 (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

-2% (2002 est.)

Geographic coordinates

29 30 N, 45 45 E

Geography - note

strategic location at head of Persian Gulf People Kuwait

Government type

nominal constitutional monarchy

Heliports

3 (2002) Military Kuwait

Highways

paved

3,587 km

total

4,450 km

unpaved

863 km (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.12% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

Imports

$7.3 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities

food, construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing

Imports - partners

US 13.1%, Japan 11.1%, Germany 9.7%, Saudi Arabia 6.6%, UK 6%, Italy 5.4%, France 5.2% (2002)

Independence

19 June 1961 (from UK)

Industrial production growth rate

-5% (2002 est.)

Industries

petroleum, petrochemicals, desalination, food processing, construction materials

Infant mortality rate

female

9.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)

male

11.58 deaths/1,000 live births

total

10.57 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2% (2002 est.)

International organization participation

ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, BDEAC, CAEU, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Internet country code

.kw

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

3 (2000)

Internet users

200,000 (2002) Transportation Kuwait

Irrigated land

60 sq km (1998 est.)

Judicial branch

High Court of Appeal

Labor force

1.3 million

note

non-Kuwaitis represent about 80% of the labor force. (1998 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture NA, industries NA, services NA

Land boundaries

border countries

Iraq 240 km, Saudi Arabia 222 km

total

462 km

Land use

arable land

0.34%

other

99.6% (1998 est.)

permanent crops

0.06%

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 National Assembly or Majlis al-Umma (50 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

election results

percent of vote - NA%; seats - Islamists 21, government supporters 14, liberals 3, and independents 12; note - all cabinet ministers are also ex officio members of the National Assembly

elections

last held 6 July 2003 (next to be held NA 2007)

Life expectancy at birth

female

77.62 years (2003 est.)

male

75.72 years

total population

76.65 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

81.7% (2003 est.) Government Kuwait

male

85.1%

total population

83.5%

Location

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

Map references

Middle East

Maritime claims

territorial sea

12 NM

Median age

female

21.8 years (2002)

male

28.4 years

total

25.9 years

Merchant marine

convenience

Monaco 1, Saudi Arabia 1 (2002 est.)

note

includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of

ships by type

bulk 1, cargo 1, container 6, liquefied gas 6, livestock carrier 5, petroleum tanker 19, roll on/roll off 1

total

39 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,273,628 GRT/3,638,645 DWT

Military branches

Army, Navy, Air Force (including Air Defense Force), National Police Force, National Guard, Coast Guard

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$1,967.3 million (FY01)

note

Kuwait is changing its fiscal year; the above figure is for July-March 2001; future budget years will be April-March annually

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

5.5% (FY01) Transnational Issues Kuwait

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49

845,026 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49

508,399 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - military age

18 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males

18,885 (2003 est.)

National holiday

National Day, 25 February (1950)

Nationality

adjective

Kuwaiti

noun

Kuwaiti(s)

Natural gas - consumption

9.5 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - production

9.5 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

1.548 trillion cu m (37257)

Natural hazards

sudden cloudbursts are common from October to April and bring heavy 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

Net migration rate

14.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

273,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

2.117 million bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

97.68 billion bbl (37257)

Pipelines

gas 169 km; oil 540 km; refined products 57 km (2003)

Political parties and leaders

none; formation of political parties is illegal

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

Population

2,183,161

note

includes 1,291,354 non-nationals (July 2003 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Population growth rate

3.34%

note

this rate reflects a return to pre-Gulf crisis immigration of expatriates (2003 est.)

Ports and harbors

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

Radio broadcast stations

AM 6, FM 11, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios

1.175 million (1997)

Railways

0 km

Religions

Muslim 85% (Sunni 70%, Shi'a 30%), Christian, Hindu, Parsi, and other 15%

Sex ratio

at birth

1.04 male(s)/female

total population

1.52 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

under 15 years

1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.77 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.79 male(s)/female

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

Telephone system

domestic

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

general assessment

the quality of service is excellent

international

coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; linked to Bahrain, Qatar, UAE via the Fiber-Optic Gulf (FOG) cable; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean, 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean), and 2 Arabsat

Telephones - main lines in use

412,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular

210,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations

13 (plus several satellite channels) (1997)

Televisions

875,000 (1997)

Terrain

flat to slightly undulating desert plain

Total fertility rate

3.08 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate

7% (2002 est.)

Waterways

none