Kuwait

State of KuwaitDawlat al Kuwayt

nominal constitutional monarchyIndependence 19 June 1961 (from UK)

Kuwait as the 1999 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 106 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

Position29 30 N, 45 45 E

Area17,820 sq km

LocationMiddle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq

Populationas each edition published it

1.99 million July 1999 est. · 2.12m in 1990

Population growth% a year

3.88% 1999 est. · 8.67% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 25.9 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

77.15 years 1999 est. · 74.62 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

3.34 children per woman 1999 est. · 3.7 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

10.26 deaths per 1,000 live births 1999 est. · 15 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$22,700 1998 est. · $11,100 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

-5% 1998 est. · 80% in 1993

Geography

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

18 fields

Land useshare of 17,820 sq km

permanent crops 0%permanent pastures 8%forests and woodland 0%other 92% (1993 est.)arable land 0% in all · irrigated 20 sq km (1993 est.)

Area

17,820sq km

land: 17,820 sq kmwater: 0 sq kmslightly smaller than New Jersey

Coastline

499km

territorial sea: 12 nm

Highest point

306m

unnamed locationlowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m

Land boundaries

464km

border countries: Iraq 242 km, Saudi Arabia 222 km

Location

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

Climate

dry desert;
intensely hot summers;
short, cool winters

Terrain

flat to slightly undulating desert plain

Natural hazards

sudden cloudbursts are common from October to April;
they bring inordinate amounts of rain which can damage roads and houses;
sandstorms and dust storms occur throughout the year, but are most common between March and August

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

Geography--note

strategic location at head of Persian Gulf

People

15 fields

Population

1,991,115

(July 1999 est.)note: includes 1,220,935 non-nationals (July 1999 est.)growth rate: 3.88% (1999 est.)note: this rate reflects the continued post-Gulf crisis return of expatriates

Per 1,000 population(1999 est.)

Birth

20.45Death

2.31Net migration

20.65

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (1999 est.)77.15

75.11 · 79.3

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (1995 est.)78.6%

82.2% · 74.9%

MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

Ethnic groups

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

Age structure

0-14 years:: 32% (male 343,461; female 285,129)
15-64 years:: 66% (male 850,689; female 468,618)
65 years and over:: 2% (male 26,593; female 16,625) (1999 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years:: 1.2 male(s)/female
15-64 years:: 1.82 male(s)/female
65 years and over:: 1.6 male(s)/female
total population:: 1.58 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate

10.26 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Kuwaiti(s)
adjective:: Kuwaiti

Religions

Muslim 85% (Sunni 45%, Shi'a 40%), Christian, Hindu, Parsi, and other 15%

Languages

Arabic (official), English widely spoken

Government

Nominal constitutional monarchy; Amir 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)

19 fields

Legislature, 50 seats, elected 7 October 1996one dot, one seat

-independents 50

Country name

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

Administrative divisions

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

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

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

Executive branch

chief of state:: Amir 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);
First Deputy Prime Minister SABAH al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al Sabah (since 17 October 1992);
Second Deputy Prime Minister SALIM al-Sabah al-Salim Al Sabah (since 7 October 1996)
cabinet:: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister and approved by the monarch
elections:: none;
the monarch is hereditary;
prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the monarch

Legislative branch

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

elections:: last held 7 October 1996 (next to be held approximately October 2000)
election results:: percent of vote--NA;
seats--independents 50;
note--all cabinet ministers are also ex officio members of the National Assembly

Judicial branch

High Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders

none

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

International organization participation

ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, BDEAC, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador MUHAMMAD al-Sabah al-Salim Al SABAH
chancery:: 2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador James A. LAROCCO
embassy:: Bayan, near the Bayan palace, Kuwait City
mailing address:: P.O. Box 77 Safat, 13001 Safat, Kuwait; Unit 69000, APO AE 09880-9000

Flag description

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.

31 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$22,700

purchasing power parity? · (1998 est.)

Real growth rate

-5%

(1998 est.)industrial production growth: 1% (1997 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

(1997 est.)

Unemployment rate

1.8%

(official 1996 est.)

GDP--composition by sector(1996)

agriculture 0%industry 55%services 45% (1996)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

24%

Japan

15%

13%

22%

16%

India

13%

11%

South Korea

Singapore

Germany

Italy

Exports $14.3 billion (f.o.b., 1997)Imports $7.8 billion (f.o.b., 1996)(1997)

Budget

Revenues

$8.1 billionExpenditures

$14.5 billion

expenditures including capital expenditures of $NA (FY98/99 budget est.)

Electricity

fossil fuel 100%hydro 0% · nuclear 0% · other 0%

Electricity production

23 billion (1996)Electricity consumption

23 billion (1996)

Economy--overview

Kuwait is a small and relatively open economy with proved crude oil reserves of about 94 billion barrels--10% of world reserves. Petroleum accounts for nearly half of GDP, 90% of export revenues, and 75% of government income. 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. The economy improved moderately in 1994-97, but in 1998 suffered from the large decline in world oil prices. The Kuwaiti cabinet approved a reform package in January 1999, including reducing subsidies and increasing taxes on large consumer goods.

Nevertheless, Kuwait anticipates continuing budget deficits for the next few years. Kuwait is attracting foreign oil companies to develop fields in the northern part of the country.

GDP

purchasing power parity--$43.7 billion (1998 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Labor force

1.1 million (1996 est.) note: 68% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (July 1998 est.)

Labor force--by occupation

government and social services 50%, services 40%, industry and agriculture 10% (1996 est.)

Industries

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

Agriculture--products

practically no crops; fish

Exports

$14.3 billion (f.o.b., 1997)

Exports--commodities

oil and refined products, fertilizers

Imports

$7.8 billion (f.o.b., 1996)

Imports--commodities

food, construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing

Debt--external

$7.3 billion (1997 est.)

Economic aid--recipient

$27.6 million (1995)

Currency

1 Kuwaiti dinar (KD) = 1,000 fils

Exchange rates

Kuwaiti dinars (KD) per US$1--0.3018 (January 1999), 0.3047 (1998), 0.3033 (1997), 0.2994 (1996), 0.2984 (1995), 0.2976 (1994)

Fiscal year

1 July--30 June

Communications

6 fields

Fixed lines

408,000

(1998)

Telephone system

the civil network suffered some damage as a result of the Gulf war, but most of the telephone exchanges were left intact and, by the end of 1994, domestic and international telecommunications had been restored to normal operation; the quality of service is excellent

domestic:: new telephone exchanges provide a large capacity for new subscribers;
trunk traffic is carried by microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, open wire and fiber-optic cable;
a cellular telephone system operates throughout Kuwait (with approximately 150,000 subscribers in 1996) and the country is well supplied with pay telephones;
approximately 15,000 Internet subscribers in 1996
international:: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia;
satellite earth stations--3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean, 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean), and 1 Arabsat

Transportation

9 fields

Merchant marine, 49 ships by typeone square, one ship · (1998 est.)

bulk 1cargo 10container 6liquefied gas tanker 7livestock carrier 3oil tanker 22

Airports by runway lengthunpaved only

under 914 m

total: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1

Networkskm

Highways

4,450Railways

Highways: paved: 3,587 km · unpaved: 863 km (1996 est.)

Highways

total:: 4,450 km
paved:: 3,587 km
unpaved:: 863 km (1996 est.)

Pipelines

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

total:: 4
over 3,047 m:: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (1998 est.)

Heliports

1 (1998 est.)

Military

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

7 fields

Military expenditures--percent of GDP

7.9%

(FY98/99)

Transnational Issues

1 field

Disputes--international

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

Central Intelligence Agency. “Kuwait.” The World Factbook 1999. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/kuwait/1999.

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