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Kuwait
Background :
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. The country witnessed the historic election in May 2009 of four women to its National Assembly.
Location :
Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia
Geographic Coordinates Center :
29 30 N, 45 45 E (Latitude, Longtitude)
Geographic Coordinates Rectangle :
| West | 46.56 |
| North | 30.10 |
| East | 48.43 |
| South | 28.52 |
Map references :
Middle East
Area :
| total | 17 818 | square km |
| land | 17 818 | square km |
| water | 0 | square km |
Land boundaries :
| total | 462 | km |
| Iraq (iq) | 240 | km |
| Saudi Arabia (sa) | 222 | km |
Coastline :
499.00 km
Climate :
dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters
Terrain :
flat to slightly undulating desert plain
Elevation extremes :
| lowest point | 0 | metres |
| highest point | 306 | metres |
Natural resources :
| fish | natural gas |
| petroleum | shrimp |
Land use :
| arable land | 0.84 | % |
| permanent crops | 0.17 | % |
| other | 98.99 | % |
Irrigated land :
130 square km
Total renewable water resources :
0 cubic km
Natural hazards :
| dust storms | heavy rain |
| torms |
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
international agreements :
| Biodiversity | Climate Change |
| Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol | Desertification |
| Endangered Species | Environmental Modification |
| Hazardous Wastes | Law of the Sea |
| Marine Dumping | Ozone Layer Protection |
Population :
2 692 526
Indicators :
| Growth rate | 3.55 | % |
| Birth rate | 21.79 | births/1,000 population |
| Total fertility rate | 2.76 | children born/woman |
| Death rate | 2.31 | deaths/1,000 population |
| Net migration rate | 16.01 | migrant(s)/1,000 population |
Age structure :
| 0-14 years | 26.40 | % |
| 15-64 years | 70.70 | % |
| 65 years and over | 3.00 | % |
Median age :
| total | 26.20 | years |
| male | 28.10 | years |
| female | 22.70 | years |
Sex ratio :
| 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 | 1.66 | male(s)/female |
| total population | 1.54 | male(s)/female |
Health :
| Infant mortality rate | 8.97 | deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life expectancy at birth - total population | 77.71 | years |
| Life expectancy at birth - male | 76.51 | years |
| Life expectancy at birth - female | 78.96 | years |
| HIV-AIDS adult prevalence rate | 0.12 | % |
Religions :
| Muslim | 85.00 | % |
| other | 15.00 | % |
Languages :
| Arabic | |
| English widely spoken |
Literacy :
| total population | 93.30 | % |
| male | 94.40 | % |
| female | 91.00 | % |
Country name :
| conventional long form | State of Kuwait |
| conventional short form | Kuwait |
| local long form | Dawlat al Kuwayt |
| local short form | Al Kuwayt |
Country Codes :
| ISO 3166 | KW |
| ISO Numeric | 414 |
| ISO3 | KWT |
| FIPS | KU |
| ccTLD | kw |
| English | Kuwait |
Administrative divisions :
6 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Ahmadi, Al 'Asimah, Al Farwaniyah, Al Jahra', Hawalli, Mubarak al Kabir
Capital :
| name | Kuwait City |
| geographic coordinates | 29 22 N, 47 58 E |
| time difference | 3.00 |
International organization participation :
| ABEDA | AFESD |
| AMF | AfDB (nonregional member) |
| BDEAC | CAEU |
| FAO | G-77 |
| GCC | IAEA |
| IBRD | ICAO |
| ICC | ICCt (signatory) |
| ICRM | IDA |
| IDB | IFAD |
| IFC | IFRCS |
| IHO | ILO |
| IMF | IMO |
| IMSO | IOC |
| IPU | ISO |
| ITSO | ITU |
| ITUC | Interpol |
| LAS | MIGA |
| NAM | OAPEC |
| OIC | OPCW |
| OPEC | PCA |
| Paris Club (associate) | UN |
| UNCTAD | UNESCO |
| UNIDO | UNWTO |
| UPU | WCO |
| WFTU | WHO |
| WIPO | WMO |
| WTO |
Independence :
1961-06-19
National holiday :
National Day
1950-02-25
Executive branch :
| Prime Minister NASIR AL-MUHAMMAD al-Ahmad al-Sabah |
GDP - Gross Domestic product :
| PPP - Purchasing Power Parity | 148 700 000 000 | $ |
| Official Exchange Rate | 114 900 000 000 | |
| RGR - Real Growth rate | -1.70 | % |
| PPP - per capita | 55 800 | $ |
GDP Composition by sector :
| agriculture | 0.30 | % |
| industry | 48.30 | % |
| services | 51.40 | % |
Other Indicators :
| Labor force | 2 040 000 | people |
| Unemployment rate | 2.20 | % |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 9.90 | % |
| Investment (gross fixed) | 31.40 | % of GDP |
| Current account balance | 27 640 000 000 | $ |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | 19 420 000 000 | $ |
| Debt external | 32 500 000 000 | $ |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad | 33 110 000 000 | $ |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - at home | 1 099 000 000 | $ |
| Market value of publicly traded shares | 107 200 000 000 | $ |
| Military expenditures | 5.30 | % of GDP |
| Public debt | 8.30 | % of GDP |
Budget :
| revenues | 70 230 000 000 | $ |
| expenditures | 58 430 000 000 | $ |
Industries :
| cement | construction materials |
| food processing | petrochemicals |
| petroleum | repair |
| shipbuilding | water desalination |
Energy :
| Electricity Production | 45 830 000 000 | kWh |
| Electricity Consumption | 40 210 000 000 | kWh |
| Oil Production | 2 274 000 | bbl/day |
| Oil Consumption | 325 000 | bbl/day |
| Oil Exports | 2 349 000 | bbl/day |
| Oil Proved reserves | 101 500 000 000 | bbl |
| Natural gas Production | 12 700 000 000 | cubic metres |
| Natural gas Consumption | 12 700 000 000 | cubic metres |
| Natural gas Imports | 300 000 000 | cubic metres |
| Electricity Exports | 1 794 000 000 000 | cubic metres |
Value :
49 770 000 000 $
Partners :
| Japan (jp) | 18.50 | % |
| South Korea | 14.70 | % |
| India (in) | 10.90 | % |
| Tawian | 9.80 | % |
| United States (us) | 9.00 | % |
| Singapore (sg) | 8.00 | % |
| China (cn) | 6.10 | % |
Commodities :
| fertilizers | oil and refined products |
Value :
20 800 000 000 $
Partners :
| United States (us) | 11.70 | % |
| Japan (jp) | 9.10 | % |
| Germany (de) | 8.00 | % |
| China (cn) | 7.50 | % |
| Saudi Arabia (sa) | 6.90 | % |
| Italy (it) | 4.70 | % |
| United Kingdom (gb) | 4.20 | % |
Commodities :
| clothing | construction materials |
| food | vehicles and parts |
Currency-name :
Kuwaiti dinar
Communications :
| Telephons Main lines in use | 541 000 | |
| Telephons Mobile, Cellular | 2 907 000 | |
| FM Radio broadcast stations | 11 | |
| Television broadcast stations | 13 | |
| Internet Country code (ccTLD) | kw | |
| Internet Hosts | 2 305 | |
| Internet Users | 1 000 000 |
Transportation :
| Airports with paved runways | 4 | |
| Heliports | 4 | |
| Pipelines - gas | 269 | km |
| Pipelines - oil | 540 | km |
| Pipelines - refined products | 57 | km |
| Roadways - total | 5 749 | km |
| Roadways - paved | 4 887 | km |
| Roadways - unpaved | 862 | km |
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