| The local time
in Kuwait is: |
05:12 |
| Dialing Country Code: |
The international dialing code for Kuwait is: +965 |
|
Geography
|
|
| Location:
|
Middle East, bordering the Arabian 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, USA |
| 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 est.) |
| Irrigated land: |
130 sq km (2003 est.) |
| 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 |
| Geography - note: |
strategic location at head of Arabian Gulf |
|
People
|
|
| Population: |
About 3.4 million, including over 2 million non-nationals (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: |
6.8%
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.) |
| 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) |
Government
|
|
| Country name: |
conventional long form: State of Kuwait
conventional short form: Kuwait
local long form: Dawlat Al-Kuwait
local short form: Al-Kuwait |
| Government type: |
nominal constitutional monarchy |
| Capital: |
Kuwait |
| Independence: |
19 June 1961 (from UK as a former protectorate state) |
| National holiday: |
National Day February 25 & Liberation Day February 26 |
| 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 |
| Executive branch: |
Head of State: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah;
Crown Prince: His Highness Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
Prime Minister: His Highness Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
and approved by the Amir |
| Legislative branch: |
Unicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-Umma (50 seats;
members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) |
| |
elections: last held June 29, 2006 (next to be held in 2010) |
| Judicial branch: |
High Court of Appeal |
| Political parties and leaders: |
none; no law regulating formation of political parties |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: |
Several political groups act as de facto parties from different religious and social backgrounds |
| 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
|
|
| 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. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power parity - $138.6 billion (2007 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate: |
5.6% (2007 est.) |
| GDP - per capita: |
$55,300 (2007 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector: |
Agriculture: 0.4%
Industry: 54.7%
Services: 44.9% (2009 est.) |
| Labor force: |
1.167 million
note: non-Kuwaitis represent about 80% of the labor force
(2007 est.) |
| Unemployment rate: |
5.17% (2007 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
7.2% (2007 est.) |
| Industries: |
Petroleum, petrochemicals, cement, shipbuilding and
repair, desalination, food processing, construction materials |
| Oil - production: |
2.665 million bbl/day (2007 est.) |
| Oil - consumption: |
263,000 barrels per-day (2006 est.) |
| Oil - exports: |
1.723 million barrels per-day (2006 est.) |
| Oil - proved reserves: |
101.5 billion barrels (2006 est.) |
| Natural gas - marketed production: |
12.9 billion cu. m. (2006 est.) |
| Natural gas - proved reserves: |
1.572 trillion cu m (2007 est.) |
| Exports: |
$65.2 billion (2007 est.) |
| Exports - commodities: |
oil and refined products, fertilizers |
| Exports - partners: |
Japan 20.4%, South Korea 16.2%, Taiwan 10.8%, Singapore 9.7%, US 9%, Netherlands 5.3%, China 4.1% (2006 est.) |
| Imports: |
$15.2 billion (2007 est.) |
| Imports - commodities: |
food, construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing |
| Imports - partners: |
US 14.1%, Germany 7.9%, Japan 7.8%, Saudi Arabia 6.8%, China 5.7%, UK 5.4%, Italy 4.6% (2006 est.) |
| Fiscal year: |
Begins April 1 and ends March 31 |
