Kuwait

State of KuwaitDawlat al Kuwayt

nominal constitutional monarchyIndependence 19 June 1961 (from UK)

Kuwait as the 1993 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 77 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

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

Populationas each edition published it

1.7 million July 1993 est. · 2.12m in 1990

Population growth% a year

8.67% 1993 est. · 1.07% in 2025

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 25.9 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

74.62 years 1993 est. · 79.6 yrs in 2025

Fertility ratechildren per woman

4.11 children per woman 1993 est. · 3.7 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

13.1 deaths per 1,000 live births 1993 est. · 15 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$11,100 1992 est. · $45,400 in 2025

GDP real growth% a year

80% 1992 est. · -2.6% in 2025

Geography

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

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Land useshare of 17,820 km2

permanent crops 0%meadows and pastures 8%forest and woodland 0%other 92%arable land 0% in all · irrigated 20 km2 (1989 est.)

Area

17,820km2

land area: 17,820 km2comparative area: slightly smaller than New Jersey

Coastline

499km

continental shelf: not specifiedterritorial sea: 12 nm

Land boundaries

464km

total · Iraq 242 km, Saudi Arabia 222 km

Location

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

Map references

Africa, Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World

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 make public statements claiming Kuwait;
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

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

1,698,077

(July 1993 est.)growth rate: 8.67% (1993 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1993 est.)

Birth

30.29Death

2.39Net migration

58.74

Male · female(1993 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years74.62

72.47 · 76.87

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy73%

77% · 67%

MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1990)

Ethnic divisions

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

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 was non-Kuwaiti (1986)

Infant mortality rate

13.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.11 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Kuwaiti(s)
adjective:: Kuwaiti

Religions

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

Languages

Arabic (official), English widely spoken

Government

Nominal constitutional monarchy

21 fields

Names

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

Digraph

Type

nominal constitutional monarchy

Capital

Kuwait

Administrative divisions

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

Independence

19 June 1961 (from UK)

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

National holiday

National Day, 25 February

Political parties and leaders

none

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

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 were held on 5 October 1992 with a second election in the 14th and 16th constituencies scheduled for 15 February 1993

Executive branch

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

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly (Majlis al 'umma) dissolved 3 July 1986; elections for new Assembly held 5 October 1992

Judicial branch

High Court of Appeal

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'D al-'Abdallah al-Salim al-Sabah (since 8 February 1978);
Deputy Prime Minister SABAH al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah (since 17 October 1992)

Member of

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 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

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:: Ambassador Edward (Skip) GNEHM, Jr.
embassy:: Bneid al-Gar (opposite the Kuwait International Hotel), Kuwait City
mailing address:: 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

Kuwait is a small and relatively open economy with proven crude oil reserves | of about 94 billion barrels - 10% of world reserves.

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GDP per capita, PPP

$11,100

(1992 est.)

Real growth rate

80%

(1992 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate NA%; accounts for NA% of GDP

Inflation, consumer prices

(1992 est.)

Unemployment rate

1992est.)

NEGL% (

Budget

Revenues

$7.1 billionExpenditures

$10.5 billion

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

Overview

Kuwait is a small and relatively open economy with proven crude oil reserves of about 94 billion barrels - 10% of world reserves. Kuwait is rebuilding its war-ravaged petroleum sector and the increase in crude oil production to nearly 2.0 million barrels per day by the end of 1992 led to an enormous increase in GDP for the year.

The government ran a cumulative fiscal deficit of approximately $70 billion over its last two fiscal years, reducing its foreign asset position and increasing its public debt to roughly $40 billion. Petroleum accounts for nearly half of GDP and over 90% of export and government revenue.

National product

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $15.3 billion (1992 est.)

Exports

$750 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.)

commodities:: oil
partners:: France 16%, Italy 15%, Japan 12%, UK 11%

Imports

$4.7 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)

commodities:: food, construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing
partners:: US 35%, Japan 12%, UK 9%, Canada 9%

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

Electricity

6,873,000 kW available out of 7,398,000 kW capacity due to Persian Gulf war; 12,264 million kWh produced, 8,890 kWh per capita (1992)

Industries

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

Agriculture

practically 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

1 Kuwaiti dinar (KD) = 1,000 fils

Exchange rates

Kuwaiti dinars (KD) per US$1 - 0.3044 (January 1993), 0.2934 (1992), 0.2843 (1991), 0.2915 (1990), 0.2937 (1989), 0.2790 (1988)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

Communications

7 fields

Merchant marine, 42 ships by typeone square, one ship

cargo 7livestock carrier 4oil tanker 24liquefied gas 4container 342 ships (1,000 GRT or over), totaling 1,996,052 GRT/3,373,088 DWT

Railroads

none

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

Airports

total:: 7
usable:: 4
with permanent-surface runways:: 4
with runways over 3,659 m:: 0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:: 4
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:: 0

Telecommunications

civil network suffered extensive damage as a result of Desert Storm 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 Persian 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