Kuwait

Internet country code

.kw

Internet hosts

3,437 (2001)

Internet users

567,000 (2003)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 6, FM 11, shortwave 1 (1998)

Telephone system

general assessment: 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, and open-wire and fiber-optic cable; a cellular telephone system operates throughout Kuwait, and the country is well supplied with pay telephones international: country code - 965; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; linked to Bahrain, Qatar, UAE via the Fiber-Optic Gulf (FOG) cable; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean, 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean), and 2 Arabsat

Telephones - main lines in use

486,900 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular

1.42 million (2003)

Television broadcast stations

13 (plus several satellite channels) (1997)

Agriculture - products

practically no crops; fish

Budget

revenues: $35.82 billion expenditures: $19.53 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)

Currency (code)

Kuwaiti dinar (KD)

Current account balance

$12.04 billion (2004 est.)

Debt - external

$15.02 billion (2004 est.)

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

30.16 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - production

32.43 billion kWh (2002)

Exchange rates

Kuwaiti dinars per US dollar - 0.2947 (2004), 0.298 (2003), 0.3039 (2002), 0.3067 (2001), 0.3068 (2000)

Exports

$27.42 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities

oil and refined products, fertilizers

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

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$48 billion (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 0.4% industry: 60.5% services: 39.1% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $21,300 (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

6.8% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA

Imports

$11.12 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities

food, construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing

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)

Industrial production growth rate

-5% (2002 est.)

Industries

petroleum, petrochemicals, cement, shipbuilding and repair, desalination, food processing, construction materials

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.3% (2004 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

8% of GDP (2004 est.)

Labor force

1.42 million note: non-Kuwaitis represent about 80% of the labor force (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture NA, industries NA, services NA

Natural gas - consumption

8.7 billion cu m (2002 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2002 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2002 est.)

Natural gas - production

8.7 billion cu m (2002 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

1.548 trillion cu m (2004)

Oil - consumption

293,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports

1.97 million bbl/day (2003)

Oil - imports

NA

Oil - production

2.319 million bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

96.5 billion bbl (2004 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA

Public debt

29.6% of GDP (2004 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$7.333 billion (2004 est.)

Unemployment rate

2.2% (2004 est.)

Area

total: 17,820 sq km land: 17,820 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than New Jersey

Climate

dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters

Coastline

499 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m highest point: unnamed location 306 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 signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping

Geographic coordinates

29 30 N, 45 45 E

Geography - note

strategic location at head of Persian Gulf

Irrigated land

60 sq km (1998 est.)

Land boundaries

total: 462 km border countries: Iraq 240 km, Saudi Arabia 222 km

Land use

arable land: 0.73% permanent crops: 0.11% other: 99.16% (2001)

Location

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

Map references

Middle East

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm

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

Terrain

flat to slightly undulating desert plain

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

Kuwait

Constitution

approved and promulgated 11 November 1962

Country name

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Richard LEBARON embassy: Bayan, Area 14, Al-Masjed Al-Aqsa Street (near the Bayan palace), Kuwait City mailing address: P. O. Box 77 Safat 13001 Kuwait; or PSC 1280 APO AE 09880-9000 telephone: [965] 539-5307, 5308 FAX: [965] 538-0282

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador SALIM Abdallah al-Jabir al-Sabah chancery: 2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 966-0702 FAX: [1] (202) 364-2868

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 head of government: Prime Minister SABAH al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah (since 13 July 2003); First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior NAWWAF al-Ahmad al-Sabah (since 2003); Deputy Prime Ministers JABIR MUBARAK al-Hamad al-Sabah (since 2001) and Muhammad Dayfallah al-SHARAR (since 2003) 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

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

Government type

nominal constitutional monarchy

Independence

19 June 1961 (from UK)

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

Judicial branch

High Court of Appeal

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-Umma (50 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 6 July 2003 (next to be held NA 2007) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - Islamists 21, government supporters 14, liberals 3, and independents 12; note - all cabinet ministers are also ex officio members of the National Assembly

National holiday

National Day, 25 February (1950)

Political parties and leaders

none; formation of political parties is illegal

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

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 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

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.

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.)

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)

Age structure

0-14 years: 27.2% (male 323,382/female 311,700) 15-64 years: 70.1% (male 1,045,589/female 591,243) 65 years and over: 2.7% (male 40,439/female 23,295) (2005 est.)

Birth rate

21.88 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate

2.42 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.12% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Infant mortality rate

total: 9.95 deaths/1,000 live births male: 10.96 deaths/1,000 live births female: 8.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Languages

Arabic (official), English widely spoken

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 77.03 years male: 76.01 years female: 78.1 years (2005 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 83.5% male: 85.1% female: 81.7% (2003 est.)

Median age

total: 25.86 years male: 28.05 years female: 22.12 years (2005 est.)

Nationality

noun: Kuwaiti(s) adjective: Kuwaiti

Net migration rate

14.96 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Population

2,335,648 note: includes 1,291,354 non-nationals (July 2005 est.)

Population growth rate

3.44% note: this rate reflects a return to pre-Gulf crisis immigration of expatriates (2005 est.)

Religions

Muslim 85% (Sunni 70%, Shi'a 30%), Christian, Hindu, Parsi, and other 15%

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.77 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.74 male(s)/female total population: 1.52 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.97 children born/woman (2005 est.)

Disputes - international

Kuwait and Saudi Arabia continue negotiating a joint maritime boundary with Iran; no maritime boundary exists with Iraq in the Persian Gulf

Airports

7 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 4 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)

Heliports

3 (2004 est.)

Highways

total: 4,450 km paved: 3,587 km unpaved: 863 km (1999 est.)

Merchant marine

total: 39 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,319,082 GRT/3,768,828 DWT by type: bulk carrier 3, container 6, liquefied gas 5, livestock carrier 5, petroleum tanker 20 registered in other countries: 19 (2005)

Pipelines

gas 169 km; oil 540 km; refined products 57 km (2004)

Ports and harbors

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