Kuwait

nominal constitutional monarchyIndependence 19 June 1961 (from UK)

Kuwait as the 1994 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 122 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

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CapitalKuwait
LocationMiddle East, at the head of the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi
1994

Every edition of Kuwait

Populationas each edition published it
1.82 million July 1994 est. · 2.12m in 1990
Population growth% a year
5.24% 1994 est. · 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 children per woman 1994 est. · 3.7 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
12.5 deaths per 1,000 live births 1994 est. · 15 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$15,100 1993 est. · $11,100 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
15% 1993 est. · 80% in 1993

Geography

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

23 fields
Land boundaries
464km
total · Iraq 242 km, Saudi Arabia 222 km
Irrigated land
20sq km
(1989 est.)

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

total area

17,820 sq km

land area

17,820 sq km

comparative area

slightly smaller than New Jersey

continental shelf

not specified

territorial sea

12 nm

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 refuse to unconditionally recognize Kuwaiti sovereignty of the inviolability of the UN demarcated border;
  • 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

Natural resources

petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas

arable land

0%

permanent crops

0%

meadows and pastures

8%

forest and woodland

0%

other

92%

current issues

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

natural hazards

NA

international agreements

  • party to - Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection;
  • signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Marine Dumping

Note

strategic location at head of Persian Gulf

People

23 fields
Population
1,819,322
(July 1994 est.)growth rate: 5.24% (1994 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1994 est.)

Birth
29.43Death
2.37Net migration
25.35

Ethnic divisions

Kuwaiti 45%other Arab 35%South Asian 9%Iranian 4%other 7%
Labor force
566,000
(1986)
Literacy
15and over can read and write
age · (1990 est.)

note

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

Infant mortality rate

12.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

total population

74.99 years

male

72.83 years

female

77.25 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate

4 children born/woman (1994 est.)

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

total population

73%

male

77%

female

67%

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 non-Kuwaiti (1986)

Government

Nominal constitutional monarchy

33 fields

conventional long form

State of Kuwait

conventional short form

Kuwait

local long form

Dawlat al Kuwayt

local short form

Al Kuwayt

Type

nominal constitutional monarchy

Capital

Kuwait

Administrative divisions

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

Independence

19 June 1961 (from UK)

National holiday

National Day, 25 February (1948)

Constitution

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

Suffrage

adult males who resided in Kuwait before 1920 and their male descendants at age 21

note

only 10% of all citizens are eligible to vote

chief of state

Amir Shaykh 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);
  • Deputy Prime Minister SABAH al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al Sabah (since 17 October 1992)

cabinet

Council of Ministers; appointed by the Prime Minister and approved by the Amir

National Assembly (Majlis al-umma)

dissolved 3 July 1986; new elections were held on 5 October 1992 with a second election in the 14th and 16th constituencies held February 1993

Judicial branch

High Court of Appeal

Other political or pressure groups

small, clandestine leftist and Shi'a fundamentalist groups are active; several groups critical of government policies are publicly active

Member of

ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, BDEAC, CAEU, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GATT, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, 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

chief of mission

Ambassador MUHAMMAD al-Sabah al-Salim al-Sabah

chancery

2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone

(202) 966-0702

FAX

(202) 966-0517

chief of mission

Ambassador-designate Ryan CROCKER

embassy

Bneid al-Gar (opposite the Kuwait International Hotel), Kuwait City

mailing address

  • P.O. Box 77 SAFAT, 13001 SAFAT, Kuwait;
  • Unit 69000, Kuwait;
  • APO AE 09880-9000

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.

26 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$15,100
(1993 est.)
Real growth rate
15%
(1993 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate NA%; accounts for NA% of GDP
Unemployment rate
1992est.)
NEGL% (

Overview

Kuwait is a small and relatively open economy with proven crude oil reserves of about 94 billion barrels - 10% of world reserves. Kuwait has rebuilt its war-ravaged petroleum sector; its crude oil production reached at least 2.0 million barrels per day by the end of 1993. The government ran a sizable fiscal deficit in 1993. Petroleum accounts for nearly half of GDP and 90% of export and government revenues.

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $25.7 billion (1993 est.)

revenues

$9 billion

expenditures

$13 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY93)

Exports

$10.5 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)

commodities

oil

partners

France 16%, Italy 15%, Japan 12%, UK 11%

Imports

$6 billion (f.o.b., 1993 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

capacity

6,873,000 kW available out of 7,398,000 kW due to Persian Gulf war

production

12.264 billion kWh

consumption per capita

8,890 kWh (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

donor

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

Currency

1 Kuwaiti dinar (KD) = 1,000 fils

Exchange rates

Kuwaiti dinars (KD) per US$1 - 0.2982 (January 1994), 0.3017 (1993), 0.2934 (1992), 0.2843 (1991), 0.2915 (1990), 0.2937 (1989)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

Communications

14 fields

total

3,900 km

paved

bituminous 3,000 km

unpaved

gravel, sand, earth 900 km

Pipelines

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

Ports

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

Merchant marine

46 ships (1,000 GRT or over), totaling 2,153,693 GRT/3,561,568 DWT, cargo 10, container 2, liquefied gas 7, livestock carrier 4, oil tanker 23

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 the Gulf war 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 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

Defense Forces

Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police Force, National Guard

3 fields

Branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police Force, National Guard

Manpower availability

  • males age 15-49 537,696;
  • fit for military service 321,767;
  • reach military age (18) annually 15,354 (1994 est.)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $2.5 billion, 7.3% of GDP (FY92/93)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Kuwait.” The World Factbook 1994. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/kuwait/1994.

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