Kuwait

Airports

8 total, 4 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; none with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air

19 major transport aircraft

Highways

3,000 km total; 2,500 km bituminous; 500 km earth, sand, light gravel

Merchant marine

51 ships (1,000 GRT or over), totaling 1,862,010 GRT/2,935,007 DWT; includes 18 cargo, 5 container, 5 livestock carrier, 18 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 5 liquefied gas

Pipelines

crude oil, 877 km; refined products, 40 km; natural gas, 165 km

Ports

Ash Shuwaykh, Ash Shuaybah, Mina al Ahmadi

Telecommunications

excellent international, adequate domestic facilities; 258,000 telephones; stations--3 AM, 2 FM, 3 TV; satellite earth stations--1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, and 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT; 1 INMARSAT, 1 ARABSAT; coaxial cable and radio relay to Iraq and Saudi Arabia

Branches

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

Defense expenditures

5.8% of GDP, or $1.2 billion (FY89)

Military manpower

males 15-49, about 688,516; about 411,742 fit for military service; 18,836 reach military age (18) annually

Agriculture

virtually none; dependent on imports for food; about 75% of potable water must be distilled or imported

Aid

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

Budget

revenues $7.1 billion; expenditures $10.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $3.1 billion (FY88)

Currency

Kuwaiti dinar (plural--dinars); 1 Kuwaiti dinar (KD) = 1,000 fils

Electricity

8,287,000 kW capacity; 21,500 million kWh produced, 10,710 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates

Kuwaiti dinars (KD) per US$1--0.2915 (January 1990), 0.2937 (1989), 0.2790 (1988), 0.2786 (1987), 0.2919 (1986), 0.3007 (1985)

Exports

$7.1 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--oil 90%; partners--Japan, Italy, FRG, US

External debt

$7.2 billion (December 1989 est.)

Fiscal year

1 July-30 June

GDP

$20.5 billion, per capita $10,500; real growth rate 5.0% (1988)

Imports

$5.2 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--food, construction material, vehicles and parts, clothing; partners--Japan, US, FRG, UK

Industrial production

growth rate 3% (1988)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.5% (1988)

Overview

The oil sector dominates the economy. Of the countries in the Middle East, Kuwait has oil reserves second only to those of Saudi Arabia. Earnings from hydrocarbons generate over 90% of both export and government revenues and contribute about 40% to GDP. Most of the nonoil sector is dependent upon oil-derived government revenues to provide infrastructure development and to promote limited industrial diversification. The economy is heavily dependent upon foreign labor--Kuwaitis account for less than 20% of the labor force. The early years of the Iran-Iraq war pushed Kuwait's GDP well below its 1980 peak; however, during the period 1986-88, GDP increased each year, rising to 5% in 1988.

Unemployment rate

0%

Climate

dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters

Coastline

499 km

Comparative area

slightly smaller than New Jersey

Continental shelf

not specific;

Disputes

ownership of Warbah and Bubiyan islands disputed by Iraq; ownership of Qaruh and Umm al Maradim Islands disputed by Saudi Arabia

Environment

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

Land boundaries

462 km total; Iraq 240 km, Saudi Arabia 222 km

Land use

NEGL% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 8% meadows and pastures; NEGL% forest and woodland; 92% other; includes NEGL% irrigated

Natural resources

petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas

Note

strategic location at head of Persian Gulf

Terrain

flat to slightly undulating desert plain

Territorial sea

12 nm

Total area

17,820 km2; land area: 17,820 km2

Administrative divisions

4 governorates (muhafazat, singular--muhafazah); Al Ahmadi, Al Jahrah, Al Kuwayt, Hawalli; note--there may be a new governorate of Farwaniyyah

Capital

Kuwait

Communists

insignificant

Constitution

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

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Shaikh Saud Nasir AL-SABAH; Chancery at 2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 966-0702; US--Ambassador W. Nathaniel HOWELL; Embassy at Bneid al-Gar (opposite the Hilton Hotel), Kuwait City (mailing address is P. O. Box 77 Safat, 13001 Safat, Kuwait City); telephone [965] 242-4151 through 4159

Executive branch

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

Flag

three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a black trapezoid based on the hoist side

Independence

19 June 1961 (from UK)

Judicial branch

High Court of Appeal Chief of State--Amir Sheikh Jabir al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al SABAH (since 31 December 1977); Head of Government--Prime Minister and Crown Prince Sad Abdallah al-Salim Al SABAH (since 8 February 1978)

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

National Assembly (Majlis al Umma) dissolved 3 July 1986

Long-form name

State of Kuwait

Member of

Arab League, FAO, G-77, GATT, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO

National holiday

National Day, 25 February

Other political or pressure groups

large (350,000) Palestinian community; several small, clandestine leftist and Shia fundamentalist groups are active

Political parties and leaders

none

Suffrage

adult males who resided in Kuwait before 1920 and their male descendants at age 21; note--out of all citizens, only 8.3% are eligible to vote and only 3.5% actually vote National Assembly--dissolved 3 July 1986 and no elections are planned

Type

nominal constitutional monarchy

Birth rate

29 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate

2 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Ethnic divisions

27.9% Kuwaiti, 39% other Arab, 9% South Asian, 4% Iranian, 20.1% other

Infant mortality rate

15 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Labor force

566,000 (1986); 45.0% services, 20.0% construction, 12.0% trade, 8.6% manufacturing, 2.6% finance and real estate, 1.9% agriculture, 1.7% power and water, 1.4% mining and quarrying; 70% of labor force is non-Kuwaiti

Language

Arabic (official); English widely spoken

Life expectancy at birth

72 years male, 76 years female (1990)

Literacy

71% (est.)

Nationality

noun--Kuwaiti(s); adjective--Kuwaiti

Net migration rate

11 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Organized labor

labor unions exist in oil industry and among government personnel

Population

2,123,711 (July 1990), growth rate 3.8% (1990)

Religion

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

Total fertility rate

3.7 children born/woman (1990)