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. The AL-SABAH family has ruled since returning to power in 1991, and reestablished an elected legislature that in recent years has become increasingly assertive.
Location
Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia
Geographic coordinates
29 30 N, 45 45 E
Map references
Middle East
Area
total
17,820 sq km
land
17,820 sq km
water
0 sq km
Area - comparative
slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundaries
total
462 km
border countries
Iraq 240 km, Saudi Arabia 222 km
Coastline
499 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate
dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters
Terrain
flat to slightly undulating desert plain
Elevation extremes
lowest point
Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point
unnamed location 306 m
Natural resources
petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas
Land use
arable land
0.84%
permanent crops
0.17%
other
98.99% (2005)
Irrigated land
130 sq km (2003)
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
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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified
Marine Dumping
Geography - note
strategic location at head of Persian Gulf
Population
2,505,559
note: includes 1,291,354 non-nationals (July 2007 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
26.7% (male 340,814/female 328,663)
15-64 years
70.5% (male 1,128,231/female 636,967)
65 years and over
2.8% (male 44,542/female 26,342) (2007 est.)
Median age
total
26 years
male
27.9 years
female
22.4 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate
3.561%
note: this rate reflects a return to pre-Gulf crisis immigration of expatriates (2007 est.)
Birth rate
21.95 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate
2.39 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate
16.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years
1.037 male(s)/female
15-64 years
1.771 male(s)/female
65 years and over
1.691 male(s)/female
total population
1.526 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total
9.47 deaths/1,000 live births
male
10.48 deaths/1,000 live births
female
8.42 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population
77.36 years
male
76.25 years
female
78.52 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate
2.86 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
0.12% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths
NA
Nationality
noun
Kuwaiti(s)
adjective
Kuwaiti
Ethnic groups
Kuwaiti 45%, other Arab 35%, South Asian 9%, Iranian 4%, other 7%
Religions
Muslim 85% (Sunni 70%, Shi'a 30%), other (includes Christian, Hindu, Parsi) 15%
Languages
Arabic (official), English widely spoken
Literacy
definition
age 15 and over can read and write
total population
93.3%
male
94.4%
female
91% (2005 census)
Country name
conventional long form
State of Kuwait
conventional short form
Kuwait
local long form
Dawlat al Kuwayt
local short form
Al Kuwayt
Government type
constitutional emirate
Capital
name
Kuwait
geographic coordinates
29 20 N, 47 59 E
time difference
UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions
6 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Ahmadi, Al 'Asimah, Al Farwaniyah, Al Jahra', Hawalli, Mubarak Al Kabir
Independence
19 June 1961 (from UK)
National holiday
National Day, 25 February (1950)
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
NA years of age; universal (adult); note - males in the military or police are not allowed to vote; adult females were allowed to vote as of 16 May 2005; all voters must have been citizens for 20 years
Executive branch
chief of state
Amir SABAH al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah (since 29 January 2006); Crown Prince NAWAF al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah
head of government
Prime Minister NASIR MUHAMMAD al-Ahmad al-Sabah (since 3 April 2007); First Deputy Prime Minister JABIR Mubarak al-Hamad al-Sabah (since 9 February 2006); Deputy Prime Ministers MUHAMMAD al-Sabah al-Salim al-Sabah (since 9 February 2006) and Faysal al-HAJJI (since 5 April 2007)
cabinet
Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister and approved by the amir
elections
none; the amir is hereditary; the amir appoints the prime minister and deputy prime ministers
Legislative branch
unicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-Umma (50 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms; all cabinet ministers are also ex officio voting members of the National Assembly)
elections: last held 29 June 2006 (next election to be held in 2010)
election results: percent of vote by bloc - NA; seats by bloc - Islamic Bloc (Sunni) 17, Popular Bloc 9, National Action Bloc (liberals) 8, independents 16
Judicial branch
High Court of Appeal
Political parties and leaders
none; formation of political parties is in practice illegal, but is not forbidden by law
Political pressure groups and leaders
a number of political groups act as de facto parties; several legislative blocs operate in the National Assembly: tribal groups, merchants, Shi'a activists, Islamists, secular liberals and pro-government deputies; in mid-2006, a coalition of Islamists, liberals, and Shia campaigned successfully for electoral reform to reduce corruption
Bayan 36302, 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] 259-1001
FAX
[965] 538-0282
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
Economy - overview
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$55.91 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$60.72 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
12.6% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$23,100 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture
0.4%
industry
48.3%
services
51.3% (2006 est.)
Labor force
1.136 million
note: non-Kuwaitis represent about 80% of the labor force (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture
NA%
industry
NA%
services
NA%
Unemployment rate
2.2% (2004 est.)
Population below poverty line
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%
NA%
highest 10%
NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
3% (2006 est.)
Investment (gross fixed)
26.4% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget
revenues
$59.58 billion
expenditures
$33.62 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)
Public debt
8.1% of GDP (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products
practically no crops; fish
Industries
petroleum, petrochemicals, cement, shipbuilding and repair, water desalination, food processing, construction materials
Industrial production growth rate
13.1% (2005 est.)
Electricity - production
40.37 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel
100%
hydro
0%
nuclear
0%
other
0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption
37.54 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports
0 kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports
0 kWh (2004)
Oil - production
2.418 million bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption
335,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - exports
1.97 million bbl/day (2003)
Oil - imports
NA bbl/day
Oil - proved reserves
96.5 billion bbl (2006 est.)
Natural gas - production
9.7 billion cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - consumption
9.7 billion cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - exports
0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - imports
0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves
1.572 trillion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)
Current account balance
$40.75 billion (2006 est.)
Exports
$56.06 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Exports - commodities
oil and refined products, fertilizers
Exports - partners
Japan 20.2%, South Korea 16%, Taiwan 11.5%, Singapore 9.6%, US 8.9%, Netherlands 5.1%, China 4.1% (2006)
Imports
$19.12 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Imports - commodities
food, construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing
Imports - partners
US 14.1%, Japan 7.8%, Germany 7.7%, Saudi Arabia 6.8%, China 5.7%, UK 5.4%, Italy 4.6% (2006)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$11.08 billion (2006 est.)
Debt - external
$19.7 billion (2006 est.)
Economic aid - recipient
$NA
Currency (code)
Kuwaiti dinar (KD)
Currency code
KWD
Exchange rates
Kuwaiti dinars per US dollar - 0.29 (2006), 0.292 (2005), 0.2947 (2004), 0.298 (2003), 0.3039 (2002)
Fiscal year
1 April - 31 March
Telephones - main lines in use
510,300 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular
2.536 million (2006)
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
Radio broadcast stations
AM 6, FM 11, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios
1.175 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations
13 (plus several satellite channels) (1997)
Televisions
875,000 (1997)
Internet country code
.kw
Internet hosts
2,310 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
3 (2000)
Internet users
700,000 (2005)
Airports
7 (2006)
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 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total
3
1,524 to 2,437 m
1
under 914 m
2 (2006)
Heliports
5 (2006)
Pipelines
gas 269 km; oil 540 km; refined products 57 km (2006)
Roadways
total
5,749 km
paved
4,887 km
unpaved
862 km (2004)
Merchant marine
total
38 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,424,983 GRT/3,996,755 DWT
28 (Bahrain 3, Comoros 1, Liberia 1, Libya 1, Panama 2, Qatar 7, Saudi Arabia 5, UAE 8) (2006)
Ports and terminals
Ash Shu'aybah, Ash Shuwaykh, Az Zawr (Mina' Sa'ud), Mina' 'Abd Allah, Mina' al Ahmadi
Military branches
Land Forces, Kuwaiti Navy, Kuwaiti Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Kuwaitiya), National Guard (2007)
Military service age and obligation
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; 1 month annual training to age 40; women have served in police forces since 1999 (2001)
Manpower available for military service
males age 18-49
864,745
females age 18-49
467,120 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service
males age 18-49
737,292
females age 18-49
405,207 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually
males age 18-49
18,743
females age 18-49
20,065 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
5.3% (2006)
Disputes - international
Kuwait and Saudi Arabia continue negotiating a joint maritime boundary with Iran; no maritime boundary exists with Iraq in the Persian Gulf
Trafficking in persons
current situation
Kuwait is a destination country for men and women who migrate legally from South and Southeast Asia for domestic or low-skilled labor, but are subjected to conditions of involuntary servitude by employers in Kuwait including conditions of physical and sexual abuse, non-payment of wages, confinement to the home, and withholding of passports to restrict their freedom of movement; Kuwait is reportedly a transit point for South and East Asian workers recruited for low-skilled work in Iraq; some of these workers are deceived as to the true location and nature of this work, and others are subjected to conditions of involuntary servitude in Iraq; in past years, Kuwait was also a destination country for children exploited as camel jockeys, but this form of trafficking appears to have ceased
tier rating
Tier 2 Watch List - Kuwait is placed on the Tier 2 Watch List based largely on pledges of future actions
