World Facts

conventional long form: State of Kuwait
Capital: Kuwait
Type of Government: nominal constitutional monarchy-
Administrative Divisions: 5 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Ahmadi, Al Farwaniyah, Al 'Asimah, Al Jahra', Hawalli
Age Structure: 0-14 years: 27.2% (male 323,382/female 311,700)
Agriculture: practically no crops; fish
Airports: 7 (2004 est.)
With Paved Runways: total: 4
With Unpaved Runways:
Area: total: 17,820 sq km. slightly smaller than New Jersey
Background: Britain oversaw foreign relations and defense for the ruling Kuwaiti AL-SABAH dynasty from 1899 until independence in 1961. Kuwait was attacked and overrun by Iraq on 2 August 1990. Following several weeks of aerial bombardment, a US-led, UN coalition began a ground assault on 23 February 1991 that liberated Kuwait in four days. Kuwait spent more than $5 billion to repair oil infrastructure damaged during 1990-91.
Birth rate: 21.88 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget: revenues: $47.21 billion
Coastline: 499 km-
Climate: dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters
Communications:
Constitution: approved and promulgated 11 November 1962
Currency: Kuwaiti dinar (KD)
Current account balance: $31.51 billion (2005 est.)
Death rate: 2.42 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external: $14.93 billion (2005 est.)-
Dependency status: -
Dependent areas:
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Richard LEBARON
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador SALIM Abdallah al-Jabir al-Sabah
Disputes - international: Kuwait and Saudi Arabia continue negotiating a joint maritime boundary with Iran; no maritime boundary exists with Iraq in the Persian Gulf-
Distribution of family income: -
Economic aid - donor:
Economic aid - recipient: NA (2001)
Economy - overview: Kuwait is a small, rich, relatively open economy with proved crude oil reserves of about 96 billion barrels - 10% of world reserves. Petroleum accounts for nearly half of GDP, 95% of export revenues, and 80% of government income. Kuwait's climate limits agricultural development. Consequently, with the exception of fish, it depends almost wholly on food imports. About 75% of potable water must be distilled or imported. Kuwait continues its discussions with foreign oil companies to develop fields in the northern part of the country.
Electricity - consumption:
Electricity - exports:
Electricity - imports:
Electricity - production:
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
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: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
Ethnic groups: Kuwaiti 45%, other Arab 35%, South Asian 9%, Iranian 4%, other 7%
Exchange rates: Kuwaiti dinars per US dollar - 0.29 (2005), 0.2947 (2004), 0.298 (2003), 0.3039 (2002), 0.3067 (2001)
Executive branch: chief of state: Amir JABIR al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah (since 31 December 1977); Crown Prince SAAD al-Abdullah al-Salim al-Sabah
Exports: $44.43 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - partners: Japan 20.5%, South Korea 13.7%, US 12.4%, Singapore 11.3%, Taiwan 9.9% (2004)
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a black trapezoid based on the hoist side; design, which dates to 1961, based on the Arab revolt flag of World War I
GDP (official exchange rate): $56.62 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (purchasing power parity): $51.62 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 0.5%
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $22,100 (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 4.5% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates: 29 30 N, 45 45 E
Geography - note: strategic location at head of Persian Gulf-
Government - note:
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.12% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA
Heliports: 4 (2005 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA-
Illicit drugs:
Imports: $12.23 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - partners: US 12.9%, Germany 11.9%, Japan 7.9%, UK 5.5%, Saudi Arabia 5.5%, Italy 5%, France 4.5%, China 4.1% (2004)
Independence: 19 June 1961 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate: -5% (2002 est.)
Industries: petroleum, petrochemicals, cement, shipbuilding and repair, desalination, food processing, construction materials
Infant mortality rate: total: 9.95 deaths/1,000 live births
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.5% (2005 est.)
International organization participation: ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, BDEAC, CAEU, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Internet country code: .kw
Internet hosts: 3,437 (2001)
Internet users: 567,000 (2003)
Investment (gross fixed): 6.6% of GDP (2005 est.)
Irrigated land: 60 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch: High Court of Appeal
Labor force: 1.67 million
Labor force - by occupation:
Land boundaries: total: 462 km
Land use: arable land: 0.73%
Languages: Arabic (official), English widely spoken
Legal system: civil law system with Islamic law significant in personal matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch:
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 77.03 years
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Location: Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia-
Major infectious diseases:
Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 864,745 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 737,292 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually: males: 18,743 (2005 est.)
Map references: Middle East
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm
Median age: total: 25.86 years
Merchant marine: total: 39 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,319,082 GRT/3,768,828 DWT-
Military - note:
Military branches: Land Forces, Navy, Air Force (includes Air Defense Force), National Guard (2002)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $2,584.5 million (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 5.3% (2004)
Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service (2001)
National holiday: National Day, 25 February (1950)
Nationality: noun: Kuwaiti(s)
Natural gas - consumption: 8.7 billion cu m (2002 est.)
Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2002 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
Natural gas - production: 8.7 billion cu m (2002 est.)-
Natural gas - proved reserves:
Natural hazards: sudden cloudbursts are common from October to April and bring heavy rain, which can damage roads and houses; sandstorms and dust storms occur throughout the year, but are most common between March and August
Natural resources: petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas
Net migration rate: 14.96 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption: 305,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports: 1.97 million bbl/day (2003)
Oil - imports: NA (2003)
Oil - production: 2.418 million bbl/day (2005 est.)-
Oil - proved reserves: -
People - note:
Political parties and leaders: none; formation of political parties is illegal
Political pressure groups and leaders: several political groups act as de facto parties with legislative blocs in the Assembly: Bedouins, merchants, Sunni and Shi'a activists, and secular leftists and nationalists
Population: 2,335,648
Population below poverty line: NA
Population growth rate: 3.44%
Ports and terminals: Ash Shu'aybah, Ash Shuwaykh, Mina' 'Abd Allah, Mina' al Ahmadi, Mina' Su'ud
Public debt: 17.6% of GDP (2005 est.)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 6, FM 11, shortwave 1 (1998)-
Railways: -
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
Religions: Muslim 85% (Sunni 70%, Shi'a 30%), Christian, Hindu, Parsi, and other 15%
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $9.296 billion (2005 est.)
Roadways: total: 4,450 km
Sex ratio:
Suffrage: 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
Telephone system: general assessment: the quality of service is excellent
Telephones - main lines in use: 486,900 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 1.42 million (2003)
Television broadcast stations: 13 (plus several satellite channels) (1997)
Terrain: flat to slightly undulating desert plain
Total fertility rate: 2.97 children born/woman (2005 est.)-
Transportation - note:
Unemployment rate: 2.2% (2004 est.)-
Waterways: