Kuwait

State of KuwaitDawlat al Kuwayt

nominal constitutional monarchyIndependence 19 June 1961 (from UK)

Kuwait as the 1995 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 81 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 sq km

LocationMiddle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and

Populationas each edition published it

1.82 million July 1995 est. · 2.12m in 1990

Population growth% a year

7.46% 1995 est. · 8.67% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 25.9 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

75.64 years 1995 est. · 74.62 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.93 children per woman 1995 est. · 3.7 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

11.5 deaths per 1,000 live births 1995 est. · 15 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$16,900 1994 est. · $11,100 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

9.3% 1994 est. · 80% in 1993

Geography

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

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Land useshare of 17,820 sq km

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

Area

17,820sq km

land area: 17,820 sq kmcomparative area: slightly smaller than New Jersey

Coastline

499km

territorial sea: 12 nm

Land boundaries

464km

total · Iraq 242 km, Saudi Arabia 222 km

Location

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

International disputes

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

Climate

dry desert;
intensely hot summers;
short, cool winters

Terrain

flat to slightly undulating desert plain

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
natural hazards:: sudden cloudbursts are common from October to April, they bring inordinate amounts of rain which can damage roads and houses;
sandstorms and duststorms occur throughout the year, but are most common between March and August
international agreements:: party to - Climate Change, 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

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Population

1,817,397

(July 1995 est.)growth rate: 7.46% (1995 est.)note: this rate reflects the continued post-Gulf crisis return of nationals and expatriates

Per 1,000 population(1995 est.)

Birth

21.07Death

2.2Net migration

55.71

Male · female(1995 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years75.64

73.33 · 78.06

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy74%

78% · 69%

MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1985)

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 non-Kuwaiti (1986)

Age structure

0-14 years:: 34% (female 302,908; male 319,659)
15-64 years:: 64% (female 467,163; male 697,849)
65 years and over:: 2% (female 13,476; male 16,342) (July 1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate

11.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.93 children born/woman (1995 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; Amir Shaykh JABIR al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al Sabah (since 31 December 1977); Prime Minister and Crown Prince SAAD al-Abdallah al-Salim Al Sabah (since 8 February 1978)

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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 (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

approved and promulgated 11 November 1962

Legal system

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

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; in 1996, naturalized citizens who do not meet the pre-1920 qualification but have been naturalized for thirty years will be eligible to vote

Executive branch

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

Legislative branch

unicameral

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

Political parties and leaders

none

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, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GATT, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, 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:: [1] (202) 966-0702

FAX

[1] (202) 966-0517

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:: Ambassador Ryan C. 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] 2424151 through 2424159

FAX

[965] 2442855

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 proved | crude oil reserves of about 94 billion barrels - 10% of world | reserves.

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GDP per capita, PPP

$16,900

(1994 est.)

Real growth rate

9.3%

(1994 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate NA%; accounts for NA% of GDP

Inflation, consumer prices

(1993)

Unemployment rate

1992est.)

NEGL% (

Budget

Revenues

$9 billionExpenditures

$13 billion

expenditures including capital expenditures of $NA (FY92/93)

Installed generating capacity, 7,070,000 kW

Electricity production

11 billionElectricity consumption per capita

6,007 (1993)

Overview

Kuwait is a small and relatively open economy with proved 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. 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.

Because of its high per capita income, comparable with Western European incomes, Kuwait provides its citizens with extensive health, educational, and retirement benefits. Per capita military expenditures are among the highest in the world. The economy improved moderately in 1994, with the growth in industry and finance, and should see further gains in 1995, especially if oil prices go up.

The World Bank has urged Kuwait to push ahead with privatization, including in the oil industry, but the government will move slowly on this front.

National product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $30.7 billion (1994 est.)

Exports

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

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

Imports

$6.6 billion (f.o.b., 1993)

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

Industries

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

Agriculture

practically none; extensive fishing in territorial waters and Indian Ocean

Economic aid

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 - 0.2991 (January 1995), 0.2976 (1994), 0.3017 (1993), 0.2934 (1992), 0.2843 (1991), 0.2915 (1990)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

Transportation

6 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 8 in all

over 3,047 m

2,438 to 3,047 m

under 914 m

1,524 to 2,438 m

914 to 1,523 m

PavedUnpaved

Networkskm

Highways

4,270Railroads

Highways: paved: bituminous 3,370 km · unpaved: gravel, sand, earth 900 km (est.)

Highways

total:: 4,270 km
paved:: bituminous 3,370 km
unpaved:: gravel, sand, earth 900 km (est.)

Pipelines

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

Ports

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

Merchant marine

total:: 47 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,202,558 GRT/3,618,527 DWT
ships by type:: cargo 9, container 3, liquefied gas tanker 7, livestock carrier 4, oil tanker 24

Communications

3 fields

Telephone system

NA telephones; 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

local:: NA
intercity:: NA
international:: earth stations destroyed during Gulf war and not rebuilt yet;
temporary mobile satellite antennae provide international telecommunications;
coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia;
service to Iraq is nonoperational