Kuwait

nominal constitutional monarchyIndependence 19 June 1961 (from UK)

Kuwait as the 1992 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 73 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalKuwait

Area17,820 km2

Populationas each edition published it

1.38 million July 1992 · 2.12m in 1990

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 8.67% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 25.9 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 74.62 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

4.4 children per woman 1992 · 3.7 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

14 deaths per 1,000 live births 1992 · 15 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $11,100 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 80% in 1993

Geography

13 fields

Total area

17,820km2

Comparative area: slightly smaller than New Jersey

Coastline

499km

Continental shelf: not specificTerritorial sea: 12 nm

Land boundaries

462km

Iraq 240 km, Saudi Arabia 222 km

Disputes

in April 1991 official Iraqi acceptance of 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;
a UN Boundary Demarcation Commission is demarcating the Iraq-Kuwait boundary persuant to Resolution 687, and, on 17 June 1992, the UN Security Council reaffirmed the finality of the Boundary Demarcation Commission's decisions;
ownership of Qaruh and Umm al Maradim Islands disputed by Saudi Arabia

Climate

dry desert;
intensely hot summers;
short, cool winters

Terrain

flat to slightly undulating desert plain

Land use

arable land NEGL%;
permanent crops 0%;
meadows and pastures 8%;
forest and woodland NEGL%;
other 92%;
includes irrigated NEGL%

Environment

some of world's largest and most sophisticated desalination facilities provide most of water;
air and water pollution;
desertification

Note

strategic location at head of Persian Gulf

People

14 fields

Population

1,378,613

(July 1992), growth rate NA (1992)

Per 1,000 population(1992)

Birth

32Death

Ethnic divisions

Kuwaiti 50%other Arab 35%South Asian 9%Iranian 4%other 2%

Literacy

74%

(male 78%, female 69%) age 15 and over can read and write (1985)

Religions

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

Languages

Arabic (official); English widely spoken

Labor force

566,000 (1986);
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%;
70% of labor force was non-Kuwaiti

Organized labor

labor unions exist in oil industry and among government personnel

Government

Nominal constitutional monarchy

19 fields

Administrative divisions

5 governorates (mu'hafaz'at, singular - muh'afaz'ah);
Al Ah'madi, Al Jahrah, Al Kuwayt, 'Hawalli;
Farwaniyah

Constitution

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

Legal system

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

Executive branch

amir, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Legislative branch

National Assembly (Majlis al `umma) dissolved 3 July 1986; elections for new Assembly scheduled for October 1992

Leaders

Chief of State:: Amir Shaykh JABIR al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah (since 31 December 1977)
Head of Government:: Prime Minister and Crown Prince SA`UD al-`Abdallah al-Salim al-Sabah (since 8 February 1978); Deputy Prime Minister SALIM al-Sabah al-Salim al-Sabah

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

Elections

National Assembly: dissolved 3 July 1986; new elections are scheduled for October 1992

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

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

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Shaykh Sa`ud Nasir al-SABAH;
Chancery at 2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008;
telephone (202) 966-0702

US:: Ambassador Edward (Skip) GNEHM, Jr.;
Embassy at Bneid al-Gar (opposite the Kuwait International Hotel), Kuwait City (mailing address is P.O. Box 77 SAFAT, 13001 SAFAT, Kuwait; APO AE 09880);
telephone [965] 242-4151 through 4159;
FAX [956] 244-2855

Flag

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

Economy

Up to the invasion by Iraq in August 1990, the oil sector had dominated the | economy.

16 fields

External debt

$7.2billion

(December 1989 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$7.1 billionExpenditures

$10.5 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $3.1 billion (FY88)

Overview

Up to the invasion by Iraq in August 1990, the oil sector had dominated the economy. Kuwait has the third-largest oil reserves in the world after Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Earnings from hydrocarbons have generated over 90% of both export and government revenues and contributed about 40% to GDP. Most of the nonoil sector has traditionally been dependent upon oil-derived government revenues.

Iraq's destruction of Kuwait's oil industry during the Gulf war has devastated the economy. Iraq destroyed or damaged more than 80% of Kuwait's 950 operating oil wells, as well as sabotaged key surface facilities. Firefighters brought all of the roughly 750 oil well fires and blowouts under control by November 1991.

By yearend, production had been brought back to 400,000 barrels per day; it could take two to three years to restore Kuwait's oil production to its prewar level of about 2.0 million barrels per day. Meanwhile, population had been greatly reduced because of the war, from 2.1 million to 1.4 million.

GDP

exchange rate conversion - $8.75 billion, per capita $6,200; real growth rate -50% (1991 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Unemployment rate

Exports

$11.4 billion (f.o.b., 1989)

commodities:: oil 90%
partners:: Japan 19%, Netherlands 9%, US 8%, Pakistan 6%

Imports

$6.6 billion (f.o.b., 1989)

commodities:: food, construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing
partners:: US 15%, Japan 12%, FRG 8%, UK 7%

Industrial production

growth rate 3% (1988); accounts for 52% of GDP

Electricity

3,100,000 kW available out of 8,290,000 kW capacity due to Persian Gulf war; 7,300 million kWh produced, 3,311 kWh per capita (1991)

Industries

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

Agriculture

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

Economic aid

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

Currency

Kuwaiti dinar (plural - dinars); 1 Kuwaiti dinar (KD) = 1,000 fils

Exchange rates

Kuwaiti dinars (KD) per US$1 - 0.2950 (March 1992), 0.2843 (1991), 0.2915 (1990), 0.2937 (1989), 0.2790 (1988), 0.2786 (1987)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

Communications

8 fields

Airports, 7 total, 4 usable

permanent-surface runways

4runways over | 3,659 m

nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m

4runways 1,220-2,439 m

none

Networkskm

Highways

3,900Railroads

6,456

Highways: ; 3,000 km bituminous; 900 km earth, sand, light gravel · Railroads: (1990); over 700 km double track; government owned

Railroads

6,456 km total track length (1990);
over 700 km double track;
government owned

Highways

3,900 km total;
3,000 km bituminous;
900 km earth, sand, light gravel

Pipelines

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

Ports

Ash Shu`aybah, Ash Shuwaykh, Mina' al 'Ahmadi

Merchant marine

29 ships (1,000 GRT or over), totaling 1,196,435 GRT/1,957,216 DWT;
includes 2 cargo, 4 livestock carrier, 18 oil tanker, 4 liquefied gas;
note - all Kuwaiti ships greater than 1,000 GRT were outside Kuwaiti waters at the time of the Iraqi invasion;
many of these ships transferred to the Liberian flag or to the flags of other Persian Gulf states;
only 1 has returned to Kuwaiti flag since the liberation of Kuwait

Civil air

9 major transport aircraft

Telecommunications

civil network suffered extensive damage as a result of Desert Storm;
reconstruction is 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;
temporary mobile satellite ground stations provide international telecommunications;
coaxial cable and radio relay to Saudi Arabia;
service to Iraq is nonoperational