Kuwait

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.

Kuwait

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

29 30 N, 45 45 E

Middle East

total: 17,820 sq km

land: 17,820 sq km

water: 0 sq km

slightly smaller than New Jersey

total: 462 km

border countries: Iraq 240 km, Saudi Arabia 222 km

499 km

territorial sea: 12 nm

dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters

flat to slightly undulating desert plain

lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m

highest point: unnamed location 306 m

petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas

arable land: 0.84%

permanent crops: 0.17%

other: 98.99% (2005)

130 sq km (2003)

0.02 cu km (1997)

total: 0.44 cu km/yr (45%/2%/52%)

per capita: 164 cu m/yr (2000)

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

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

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

strategic location at head of Persian Gulf

Kuwait

2,596,799

note: includes 1,291,354 non-nationals (July 2008 est.)

0-14 years: 26.6% (male 351,057/female 338,634)

15-64 years: 70.6% (male 1,172,460/female 659,927)

65 years and over: 2.9% (male 46,770/female 27,951) (2008 est.)

total: 26.1 years

male: 28 years

female: 22.6 years (2008 est.)

3.59%

note: this rate reflects a return to pre-Gulf crisis immigration of expatriates (2008 est.)

21.9 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

2.37 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

16.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.78 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 1.67 male(s)/female

total population: 1.53 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

total: 9.22 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 10.2 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 8.21 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

total population: 77.53 years

male: 76.38 years

female: 78.73 years (2008 est.)

2.81 children born/woman (2008 est.)

0.12% (2001 est.)

NA

NA

noun: Kuwaiti(s)

adjective: Kuwaiti

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

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

Arabic (official), English widely spoken

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 93.3%

male: 94.4%

female: 91% (2005 census)

total: 13 years

male: 12 years

female: 13 years (2006)

3.8% (2006)

Kuwait

conventional long form: State of Kuwait

conventional short form: Kuwait

local long form: Dawlat al Kuwayt

local short form: Al Kuwayt

constitutional emirate

name: Kuwait

geographic coordinates: 29 22 N, 47 58 E

time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

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

19 June 1961 (from UK)

National Day, 25 February (1950)

approved and promulgated 11 November 1962

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

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

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

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 17 May 2008 (next election to be held in 2012)

election results: percent of vote by bloc - NA; seats by bloc - Sunni 21, Islamic Salafi Alliance 10, Liberals 7, Shiites 5, Popular Action Bloc 4, Islamic Constitutional Movement 3

High Court of Appeal

none; formation of political parties is in practice illegal but is not forbidden by law

other: Islamists; merchants; political groups; secular liberals and pro-governmental deputies; Shia activists; tribal groups

ABEDA, AfDB (nonregional members), AFESD, AMF, BDEAC, CAEU, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

chief of mission: Ambassador SALIM al-Abdallah al-Jabir al-Sabah

chancery: 2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 966-0702

FAX: [1] (202) 966-0517

chief of mission: Ambassador Deborah K. JONES

embassy: 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

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

Kuwait

Kuwait is a small, rich, relatively open economy with self-reported crude oil reserves of about 104 billion barrels - 10% of world reserves. Petroleum accounts for nearly half of GDP, 95% of export revenues, and 80% of government income. High oil prices in recent years have helped build Kuwait's budget and trade surpluses and foreign reserves. As a result of this positive fiscal situation, the need for economic reforms is less urgent and the government has not earnestly pushed through new initiatives. Despite its vast oil reserves, Kuwait experienced power outages during the summer months in 2006 and 2007 because demand exceeded power generating capacity. Power outages are likely to worsen, given its high population growth rates, unless the government can increase generating capacity. In May 2007 Kuwait changed its currency peg from the US dollar to a basket of currencies in order to curb inflation and to reduce its vulnerability to external shocks.

$130.1 billion (2007 est.)

$111.3 billion (2007 est.)

4.6% (2007 est.)

$39,300 (2007 est.)

agriculture: 0.3%

industry: 51.5%

services: 48.1% (2007 est.)

2.093 million

note: non-Kuwaitis represent about 80% of the labor force (2007 est.)

agriculture: NA%

industry: NA%

services: NA%

2.2% (2004 est.)

NA%

lowest 10%: NA%

highest 10%: NA%

5% (2007 est.)

21.4% of GDP (2007 est.)

revenues: $84.76 billion

expenditures: $36.8 billion (2007 est.)

7.8% of GDP (2007 est.)

practically no crops; fish

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

2.2% (2007 est.)

41.11 billion kWh (2005)

fossil fuel: 100%

hydro: 0%

nuclear: 0%

other: 0% (2001)

36.28 billion kWh (2005)

0 kWh (2005)

0 kWh (2005)

2.669 million bbl/day (2005 est.)

333,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)

2.2 million bbl/day (2004)

2,611 bbl/day (2004)

101.5 billion bbl (2007 est.)

11.8 billion cu m (2005 est.)

11.8 billion cu m (2005 est.)

0 cu m (2005 est.)

0 cu m (2005)

1.521 trillion cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

$52.73 billion (2007 est.)

$61.43 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

oil and refined products, fertilizers

Japan 19.5%, South Korea 17.4%, Taiwan 10.4%, Singapore 9.7%, US 8.2%, Netherlands 4.6%, China 4.6% (2006)

$19.4 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

food, construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing

US 12.9%, Japan 8.7%, Germany 7.5%, China 7.1%, Saudi Arabia 6.4%, Italy 5.9%, UK 4.7%, India 4%, South Korea 4% (2006)

$2.6 million (2004)

$16.78 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

$34.67 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

$963 million (2007 est.)

$19.88 billion (2007 est.)

$128.9 billion (2006)

Kuwaiti dinar (KD)

KWD

Kuwaiti dinars per US dollar - 0.2844 (2007), 0.29 (2006), 0.292 (2005), 0.2947 (2004), 0.298 (2003)

1 April - 31 March

Kuwait

510,300 (2005)

2.774 million (2007)

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; linked to international submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); linked to Bahrain, Qatar, UAE via the Fiber-Optic Gulf (FOG) cable; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; satellite earth stations - 6 (3 Intelsat - 1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean, 1 Inmarsat - Atlantic Ocean, and 2 Arabsat)

AM 6, FM 11, shortwave 1 (1998)

1.175 million (1997)

13 (plus several satellite channels) (1997)

875,000 (1997)

.kw

2,013 (2007)

3 (2000)

816,700 (2006)

Kuwait

7 (2007)

total: 4

over 3,047 m: 1

2,438 to 3,047 m: 2

1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)

total: 3

1,524 to 2,437 m: 1

under 914 m: 2 (2007)

4 (2007)

gas 269 km; oil 540 km; refined products 57 km (2007)

total: 5,749 km

paved: 4,887 km

unpaved: 862 km (2004)

total: 40 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,460,319 GRT/4,037,282 DWT

by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 1, carrier 3, container 7, liquefied gas 4, petroleum tanker 23

registered in other countries: 31 (Bahrain 3, Comoros 1, Libya 1, Panama 2, Qatar 7, Saudi Arabia 6, St Kitts and Nevis 1, UAE 10) (2008)

Ash Shu'aybah, Ash Shuwaykh, Az Zawr (Mina' Sa'ud), Mina' 'Abd Allah, Mina' al Ahmadi

Kuwait

Land Forces, Kuwaiti Navy, Kuwaiti Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Kuwaitiya), National Guard (2007)

18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; reserve obligation to age 40 with 1 month annual training; women have served in police forces since 1999 (2006)

males age 16-49: 1,032,408

females age 16-49: 568,657 (2008 est.)

males age 16-49: 892,816

females age 16-49: 500,540 (2008 est.)

males age 16-49: 17,737

females age 16-49: 18,519 (2008 est.)

5.3% (2006)

Kuwait

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

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

tier rating: Tier 3 - insufficient efforts in 2007 to prosecute and punish abusive employers and those who traffic women for sexual exploitation; the government failed for the fourth year in a row to live up to promises to provide shelter and protective services for victims of involuntary domestic servitude and other forms of trafficking (2008)