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| Background: |
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 completely liberated Kuwait in four days. Kuwait has spent more than $5 billion to repair oil infrastructure damaged during 1990-91.
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| Location: |
Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia
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| Geographic coordinates: |
29 30 N, 45 45 E
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| Map references: |
Middle East
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| Area: |
total:
17,820 sq km
land:
17,820 sq km
water:
0 sq km
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| Area - comparative: |
slightly smaller than New Jersey
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| Land boundaries: |
total:
464 km
border countries:
Iraq 242 km, Saudi Arabia 222 km
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| Maritime claims: |
territorial sea:
12 NM
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| Climate: |
dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters
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| Terrain: |
flat to slightly undulating desert plain
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| Elevation extremes: |
lowest point:
Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point:
unnamed location 306 m
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| Natural resources: |
petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas
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| Land use: |
arable land:
0%
permanent crops:
0%
permanent pastures:
8%
forests and woodland:
0%
other:
92% (1993 est.)
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| Irrigated land: |
20 sq km (1993 est.)
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| Natural hazards: |
sudden cloudbursts are common from October to April; they bring inordinate amounts of rain which can damage roads and houses; sandstorms and dust storms occur throughout the year, but are most common between March and August
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| 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
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| Environment - international agreements: |
party to:
Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified:
Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Marine Dumping
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| Geography - note: |
strategic location at head of Persian Gulf
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| Population: |
2,041,961
note:
includes 1,159,913 non-nationals (July 2001 est.)
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| Age structure: |
0-14 years:
28.76% (male 299,080; female 288,125)
15-64 years:
68.82% (male 897,839; female 507,527)
65 years and over:
2.42% (male 31,843; female 17,547) (2001 est.)
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| Population growth rate: |
3.38% (2001 est.)
note:
this rate reflects a return to pre-Gulf crisis immigration of expatriates
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| Birth rate: |
21.91 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
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| Death rate: |
2.45 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
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| Net migration rate: |
14.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
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| 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:
1.81 male(s)/female
total population:
1.51 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
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| Infant mortality rate: |
11.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
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| Life expectancy at birth: |
total population:
76.27 years
male:
75.42 years
female:
77.15 years (2001 est.)
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| Total fertility rate: |
3.2 children born/woman (2001 est.)
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| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: |
0.12% (1999 est.)
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| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA
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| Nationality: |
noun:
Kuwaiti(s)
adjective:
Kuwaiti
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| Ethnic groups: |
Kuwaiti 45%, other Arab 35%, South Asian 9%, Iranian 4%, other 7%
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| Religions: |
Muslim 85% (Sunni 45%, Shi'a 40%), Christian, Hindu, Parsi, and other 15%
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| Languages: |
Arabic (official), English widely spoken
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| Literacy: |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
78.6%
male:
82.2%
female:
74.9% (1995 est.)
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| Country name: |
conventional long form:
State of Kuwait
conventional short form:
Kuwait
local long form:
Dawlat al Kuwayt
local short form:
Al Kuwayt
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| Government type: |
nominal constitutional monarchy
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| Administrative divisions: |
5 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Ahmadi, Al Farwaniyah, Al 'Asimah, Al Jahra', Hawalli
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| Independence: |
19 June 1961 (from UK)
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| National holiday: |
National Day, 25 February (1950)
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| Constitution: |
approved and promulgated 11 November 1962
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| Legal system: |
civil law system with Islamic law significant in personal matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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| 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
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| Executive branch: |
chief of state:
Amir JABIR al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al Sabah (since 31 December 1977)
head of government:
Prime Minister and Crown Prince SAAD al-Abdallah al-Salim Al Sabah (since 8 February 1978); First Deputy Prime Minister SABAH al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al Sabah (since 17 October 1992); Deputy Prime Ministers JABIR MUBARAK al-Hamud Al Sabah (since NA) and MUHAMMAD KHALID al-Hamed Al Sabah (since NA)
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
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| Legislative branch: |
unicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-Umma (50 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections:
last held 3 July 1999 (next to be held NA 2003)
election results:
percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 50; note - all cabinet ministers are also ex officio members of the National Assembly
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| Judicial branch: |
High Court of Appeal
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| Political parties and leaders: |
none; formation of political parties is illegal
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| 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
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| International organization participation: |
ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, BDEAC, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
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| Diplomatic representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador (vacant)
chancery:
2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
[1] (202) 966-0702
FAX:
[1] (202) 966-0517
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| Diplomatic representation from the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Richard H. JONES
embassy:
Bayan, near the Bayan palace, Kuwait City
mailing address:
P. O. Box 77 Safat, 13001 Safat, Kuwait Unit 69000, APO AE 09880-9000
telephone:
[965] 539-5307, ext. 2240
FAX:
[965] 538-0282
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| Flag description: |
three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a black trapezoid based on the hoist side
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| Economy - overview: |
Kuwait is a small, relatively open economy with proved crude oil reserves of about 94 billion barrels - 10% of world reserves. Petroleum accounts for nearly half of GDP, 90% of export revenues, and 75% 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. Higher oil prices put the FY99/00 budget into a $2 billion surplus. The FY00/01 budget covers only nine months because of a change in the fiscal year. The budget for FY01/02, which begins 1 April, contains higher expenditures for salaries, construction, and other general categories. Kuwait continues its discussions with foreign oil companies to develop fields in the northern part of the country.
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| GDP: |
purchasing power parity - $29.3 billion (2000 est.)
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| GDP - real growth rate: |
6% (2000 est.)
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| GDP - per capita: |
purchasing power parity - $15,000 (2000 est.)
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| GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture:
0%
industry:
55%
services:
45% (1996)
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| Population below poverty line: |
NA%
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| Household income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
NA%
highest 10%:
NA%
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| Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
3% (2000)
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| Labor force: |
1.3 million (1998 est.)
note:
68% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (July 1998 est.)
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| Labor force - by occupation: |
agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%
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| Unemployment rate: |
1.8% (official 1996 est.)
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| Budget: |
revenues:
$11.5 billion
expenditures:
$17.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY01/02)
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| Industries: |
petroleum, petrochemicals, desalination, food processing, construction materials
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| Industrial production growth rate: |
1% (1997 est.)
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| Electricity - production: |
31.567 billion kWh (1999)
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| Electricity - production by source: |
fossil fuel:
100%
hydro:
0%
nuclear:
0%
other:
0% (1999)
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| Electricity - consumption: |
29.357 billion kWh (1999)
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| Electricity - exports: |
0 kWh (1999)
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| Electricity - imports: |
0 kWh (1999)
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| Agriculture - products: |
practically no crops; fish
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| Exports: |
$23.2 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
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| Exports - commodities: |
oil and refined products, fertilizers
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| Exports - partners: |
Japan 23%, US 12%, Singapore 8%, Netherlands 7% (1999)
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| Imports: |
$7.6 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
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| Imports - commodities: |
food, construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing
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| Imports - partners: |
US 15%, Japan 10%, UK 7%, Germany 7% (1999)
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| Debt - external: |
$6.9 billion (2000 est.)
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| Economic aid - recipient: |
$27.6 million (1995)
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| Currency: |
Kuwaiti dinar (KWD)
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| Exchange rates: |
Kuwaiti dinars per US dollar - 0.3057 (January 2001), 0.3067 (2000), 0.3044 (1999), 0.3047 (1998), 0.3033 (1997), 0.2994 (1996)
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| Fiscal year: |
1 April - 31 March
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| Telephones - main lines in use: |
412,000 (1997)
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| Telephones - mobile cellular: |
210,000 (1997)
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| 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, open wire, and fiber-optic cable; a cellular telephone system operates throughout Kuwait, and the country is well supplied with pay telephones
international:
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
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| Radio broadcast stations: |
AM 6, FM 11, shortwave 1 (1998)
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| Radios: |
1.175 million (1997)
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| Television broadcast stations: |
13 (plus several satellite channels) (1997)
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| Televisions: |
875,000 (1997)
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| Internet country code: |
.kw
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| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): |
3 (2000)
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| Internet users: |
100,000 (2000)
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| Highways: |
total:
4,450 km
paved:
3,590 km
unpaved:
860 km (1999 est.)
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| Pipelines: |
crude oil 877 km; petroleum products 40 km; natural gas 165 km
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| Ports and harbors: |
Ash Shu'aybah, Ash Shuwaykh, Kuwait, Mina' 'Abd Allah, Mina' al Ahmadi, Mina' Su'ud
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| Merchant marine: |
total:
45 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,461,072 GRT/3,966,645 DWT
ships by type:
bulk 1, cargo 6, container 6, liquefied gas 7, livestock carrier 5, petroleum tanker 20 (2000 est.)
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| Airports - with paved runways: |
total:
4
over 3,047 m:
2
2,438 to 3,047 m:
2 (2000 est.)
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| Airports - with unpaved runways: |
total:
4
1,524 to 2,437 m:
1
under 914 m:
3 (2000 est.)
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| Military branches: |
Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police Force, National Guard, Coast Guard
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| Military manpower - military age: |
18 years of age
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| Military manpower - availability: |
males age 15-49:
780,559 (2001 est.)
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| Military manpower - fit for military service: |
males age 15-49:
466,521 (2001 est.)
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| Military manpower - reaching military age annually: |
males:
18,309 (2001 est.)
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| Military expenditures - dollar figure: |
$1.9 billion (FY00/01)
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| Military expenditures - percent of GDP: |
8.7% (FY00/01)
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| Disputes - international: |
in November 1994, Iraq formally accepted the UN-demarcated border with Kuwait which had been spelled out in Security Council Resolutions 687 (1991), 773 (1993), and 883 (1993); this formally ends earlier claims to Kuwait and to Bubiyan and Warbah islands
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