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Communications

Airports [time series]

total: 7 usable: 4 with permanent-surface runways: 4 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 0

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 3,900 km paved: bituminous 3,000 km unpaved: gravel, sand, earth 900 km

Merchant marine [time series]

46 ships (1,000 GRT or over), totaling 2,153,693 GRT/3,561,568 DWT, cargo 10, container 2, liquefied gas 7, livestock carrier 4, oil tanker 23

Pipelines [time series]

crude oil 877 km; petroleum products 40 km; natural gas 165 km

Ports [time series]

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

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

none

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

civil network suffered extensive damage as a result of the Gulf war and reconstruction is still under way with some restored international and domestic capabilities; broadcast stations - 3 AM, 0 FM, 3 TV; satellite earth stations - destroyed during Gulf war and not rebuilt yet; temporary mobile satellite ground stations provide international telecommunications; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; service to Iraq is nonoperational

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police Force, National Guard

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $2.5 billion, 7.3% of GDP (FY92/93)

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49 537,696; fit for military service 321,767; reach military age (18) annually 15,354 (1994 est.)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

practically none; dependent on imports for food; about 75% of potable water must be distilled or imported

Budget [time series]

revenues: $9 billion expenditures: $13 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY93)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 Kuwaiti dinar (KD) = 1,000 fils

Economic aid [time series]

donor: pledged bilateral aid to less developed countries (1979-89), $18.3 billion

Electricity [time series]

capacity: 6,873,000 kW available out of 7,398,000 kW due to Persian Gulf war production: 12.264 billion kWh consumption per capita: 8,890 kWh (1992)

Exchange rates [time series]

Kuwaiti dinars (KD) per US$1 - 0.2982 (January 1994), 0.3017 (1993), 0.2934 (1992), 0.2843 (1991), 0.2915 (1990), 0.2937 (1989)

Exports [time series]

$10.5 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: oil partners: France 16%, Italy 15%, Japan 12%, UK 11%

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$7.2 billion (December 1989 est.) note: external debt has grown substantially in 1991 and 1992 to pay for restoration of war damage

Fiscal year [time series]

1 July - 30 June

Imports [time series]

$6 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: food, construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing partners: US 35%, Japan 12%, UK 9%, Canada 9%

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate NA%; accounts for NA% of GDP

Industries [time series]

petroleum, petrochemicals, desalination, food processing, building materials, salt, construction

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

3% (1993)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (National product) [time series]

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $25.7 billion (1993 est.)

Real GDP per capita (National product per capita) [time series]

$15,100 (1993 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (National product real growth rate) [time series]

15% (1993 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

Kuwait is a small and relatively open economy with proven crude oil reserves of about 94 billion barrels - 10% of world reserves. Kuwait has rebuilt its war-ravaged petroleum sector; its crude oil production reached at least 2.0 million barrels per day by the end of 1993. The government ran a sizable fiscal deficit in 1993. Petroleum accounts for nearly half of GDP and 90% of export and government revenues.

Unemployment rate [time series]

NEGL% (1992 est.)

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 17,820 sq km land area: 17,820 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than New Jersey

Climate [time series]

dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters

Coastline [time series]

499 km

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

current issues: some of world's largest and most sophisticated desalination facilities provide much of the water; air and water pollution; desertification natural hazards: NA international agreements: party to - Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Marine Dumping

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

in April 1991 Iraq officially accepted UN Security Council Resolution 687, which demands that Iraq accept the inviolability of the boundary set forth in its 1963 agreement with Kuwait, ending earlier claims to Bubiyan and Warbah islands, or to all of Kuwait; the 20 May 1993 final report of the UN Iraq/Kuwait Boundary Demarcation Commission was welcomed by the Security Council in Resolution 833 of 27 May 1993, which also reaffirmed that the decisions of the commission on the boundary were final, bringing to a completion the official demarcation of the Iraq-Kuwait boundary; Iraqi officials still refuse to unconditionally recognize Kuwaiti sovereignty of the inviolability of the UN demarcated border; ownership of Qaruh and Umm al Maradim islands disputed by Saudi Arabia

Irrigated land [time series]

20 sq km (1989 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

total 464 km, Iraq 242 km, Saudi Arabia 222 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 8% forest and woodland: 0% other: 92%

Location [time series]

Middle East, at the head of the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia

Map references [time series]

Africa, Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims [time series]

continental shelf: not specified territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources [time series]

petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas

Note [time series]

strategic location at head of Persian Gulf

Terrain [time series]

flat to slightly undulating desert plain

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

5 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al 'Ahmadi, Al Jahrah, Al Kuwayt, Hawalli, Al Farwaniyah

Capital [time series]

Kuwait

Constitution [time series]

16 November 1962 (some provisions suspended since 29 August 1962)

Digraph [time series]

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation in US) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador MUHAMMAD al-Sabah al-Salim al-Sabah chancery: 2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 966-0702

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: Amir Shaykh 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); Deputy Prime Minister SABAH al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al Sabah (since 17 October 1992) cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the Prime Minister and approved by the Amir

Diplomatic representation in the US (FAX) [time series]

(202) 966-0517

Diplomatic representation in the US (FAX) [time series]

[956] 244-2855

Flag [time series]

three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a black trapezoid based on the hoist side

Independence [time series]

19 June 1961 (from UK)

Judicial branch [time series]

High Court of Appeal

Legal system [time series]

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

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, BDEAC, CAEU, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GATT, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO

Country name (Names) [time series]

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

Legislative branch (National Assembly (Majlis al-umma)) [time series]

dissolved 3 July 1986; new elections were held on 5 October 1992 with a second election in the 14th and 16th constituencies held February 1993

National holiday [time series]

National Day, 25 February (1948)

Political parties (Other political or pressure groups) [time series]

small, clandestine leftist and Shi'a fundamentalist groups are active; several groups critical of government policies are publicly active

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

none

Suffrage [time series]

adult males who resided in Kuwait before 1920 and their male descendants at age 21 note: only 10% of all citizens are eligible to vote

Government type (Type) [time series]

nominal constitutional monarchy

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador-designate Ryan CROCKER embassy: Bneid al-Gar (opposite the Kuwait International Hotel), Kuwait City mailing address: P.O. Box 77 SAFAT, 13001 SAFAT, Kuwait; Unit 69000, Kuwait; APO AE 09880-9000 telephone: [965] 242-4151 through 4159

People

Birth rate [time series]

29.43 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate [time series]

2.37 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

12.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Labor force [time series]

566,000 (1986) by occupation: services 45.0%, construction 20.0%, trade 12.0%, manufacturing 8.6%, finance and real estate 2.6%, agriculture 1.9%, power and water 1.7%, mining and quarrying 1.4% note: 70% of labor force non-Kuwaiti (1986)

Languages [time series]

Arabic (official), English widely spoken

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 74.99 years male: 72.83 years female: 77.25 years (1994 est.)

Literacy [time series]

age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) total population: 73% male: 77% female: 67%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Kuwaiti(s) adjective: Kuwaiti

Net migration rate [time series]

25.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Population [time series]

1,819,322 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

5.24% (1994 est.) note: this rate reflects the continued post-Gulf crisis return of nationals and expatriates

Religions [time series]

Muslim 85% (Shi'a 30%, Sunni 45%, other 10%), Christian, Hindu, Parsi, and other 15%

Total fertility rate [time series]

4 children born/woman (1994 est.)