251 lines
20 KiB
Plaintext
251 lines
20 KiB
Plaintext
|
KUWAIT
|
|||
|
|
GEOGRAPHY
|
|||
|
|
Total area: 17,820 km2; land area: 17,820 km2
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Comparative area: slightly smaller than New Jersey
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Land boundaries: 462 km total; Iraq 240 km, Saudi Arabia 222 km
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Coastline: 499 km
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Maritime claims:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Continental shelf: not specific;
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Territorial sea: 12 nm
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Disputes: Iraqi forces invaded and occupied Kuwait from
|
|||
|
|
2 August 1990 until 27 February 1991; in April 1991 official Iraqi
|
|||
|
|
acceptance of UN Security Council Resolution 687, which demands that Iraq
|
|||
|
|
accept its internationally recognized border with Kuwait, ended earlier
|
|||
|
|
claims to Bubiyan and Warbah Islands or to all of Kuwait; ownership
|
|||
|
|
of Qaruh and Umm al Maradim Islands disputed by Saudi Arabia
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Climate: dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Terrain: flat to slightly undulating desert plain
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Natural resources: petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Land use: arable land NEGL%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and
|
|||
|
|
pastures 8%; forest and woodland NEGL%; other 92%; includes irrigated
|
|||
|
|
NEGL%
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Environment: some of world's largest and most sophisticated
|
|||
|
|
desalination facilities provide most of water; air and water pollution;
|
|||
|
|
desertification
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Note: strategic location at head of Persian Gulf
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
PEOPLE
|
|||
|
|
Population: 2,204,400 (July 1991), growth rate 3.6% (1991)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Birth rate: 29 births/1,000 population (1991)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Death rate: 2 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Net migration rate: 10 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Infant mortality rate: 15 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 76 years female (1991)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Total fertility rate: 3.7 children born/woman (1991)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Nationality: noun--Kuwaiti(s); adjective--Kuwaiti
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Ethnic divisions: Kuwaiti 27.9%, other Arab 39%, South Asian 9%,
|
|||
|
|
Iranian 4%, other 20.1%
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Religion:
|
|||
|
|
Muslim 85% (Shia 30%, Sunni 45%, other 10%), Christian, Hindu, Parsi,
|
|||
|
|
and other 15%
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Language: Arabic (official); English widely spoken
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Literacy: 74% (male 78%, female 69%) age 15 and over can
|
|||
|
|
read and write (1985)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Labor force: 566,000 (1986); 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%; 70% of
|
|||
|
|
labor force was non-Kuwaiti
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Organized labor: labor unions exist in oil industry and among
|
|||
|
|
government personnel
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
GOVERNMENT
|
|||
|
|
Long-form name: State of Kuwait
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Type: nominal constitutional monarchy
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Capital: Kuwait
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Administrative divisions: 4 governorates (muhafazat,
|
|||
|
|
singular--muhafazah); Al Ahmadi, Al Jahrah, Al Kuwayt,
|
|||
|
|
Hawalli; note--there may be a new governorate of Farwaniyyah
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Independence: 19 June 1961 (from UK)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Constitution: 16 November 1962 (some provisions suspended since 29
|
|||
|
|
August 1962)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Legal system: civil law system with Islamic law significant in
|
|||
|
|
personal matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
National holiday: National Day, 25 February
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Executive branch: amir, prime minister, deputy prime minister,
|
|||
|
|
Council of Ministers (cabinet)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Legislative branch: National Assembly (Majlis al Umma) dissolved
|
|||
|
|
3 July 1986
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Judicial branch: High Court of Appeal
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Leaders:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Chief of State--Amir Shaykh Jabir al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-SABAH
|
|||
|
|
(since 31 December 1977);
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Head of Government--Prime Minister and Crown Prince Sad
|
|||
|
|
al-Abdallah al-Salim al-SABAH (since 8 February 1978); Deputy
|
|||
|
|
Prime Minister Salim al-Sabah al-Salim al-SABAH
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Political parties and leaders: none
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Suffrage: adult males who resided in Kuwait before 1920 and their
|
|||
|
|
male descendants at age 21; note--out of all citizens, only 8.3% are
|
|||
|
|
eligible to vote and only 3.5% actually vote
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Elections:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
National Assembly--dissolved 3 July 1986; new elections are
|
|||
|
|
scheduled for October 1992
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Communists: insignificant
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Other political or pressure groups: large (150,000) Palestinian
|
|||
|
|
community; several small, clandestine leftist and Shia fundamentalist
|
|||
|
|
groups are active; prodemocracy opposition
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Member of: 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
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Shaykh Saud Nasir al-SABAH;
|
|||
|
|
Chancery at 2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington DC 20008;
|
|||
|
|
telephone (202) 966-0702;
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
US--Ambassador Edward (Skip) GNEHM; Embassy at Bneid al-Gar
|
|||
|
|
(opposite the Hilton Hotel), Kuwait City (mailing address is P. O. Box 77
|
|||
|
|
Safat, 13001 Safat, Kuwait City); telephone 965 242-4151 through 4159
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and
|
|||
|
|
red with a black trapezoid based on the hoist side
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
ECONOMY
|
|||
|
|
Overview: Up to the invasion by Iraq in August 1990, the oil
|
|||
|
|
sector had dominated the economy. Kuwait has the third-largest
|
|||
|
|
oil reserves in the world after Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Earnings from
|
|||
|
|
hydrocarbons generated over 90% of both export and government revenues
|
|||
|
|
and contributed about 40% to GDP. Most of the nonoil sector has
|
|||
|
|
traditionally been dependent upon oil-derived government revenues.
|
|||
|
|
Iraq's destruction of Kuwait's oil industry during the Gulf war
|
|||
|
|
has devastated the economy. Iraq destroyed or damaged more than 80%
|
|||
|
|
of Kuwait's 950 operating oil wells, as well as sabotaging key surface
|
|||
|
|
facilities. Western firefighters had brought about 140 of the 600
|
|||
|
|
oil well fires and blowouts under control as of early June 1991.
|
|||
|
|
It could take two to three years to restore Kuwait's oil production to
|
|||
|
|
its prewar level of about 2.0 million barrels per day.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
GDP: $19.8 billion, per capita $9,700; real growth rate 3.5%
|
|||
|
|
(1989)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.3% (1989)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Unemployment rate: 0% (1989)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Budget: revenues $7.1 billion; expenditures $10.5 billion,
|
|||
|
|
including capital expenditures of $3.1 billion (FY88)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Exports: $11.5 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
commodities--oil 90%;
|
|||
|
|
partners--Japan, Italy, FRG, US
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Imports: $6.3 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
commodities--food, construction materials, vehicles and parts,
|
|||
|
|
clothing;
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
partners--Japan, US, FRG, UK
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
External debt: $7.2 billion (December 1989 est.)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Industrial production: growth rate 3% (1988); accounts for
|
|||
|
|
52% of GDP
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Electricity: 8,290,000 kW capacity; 10,000 million kWh produced,
|
|||
|
|
5,000 kWh per capita (1989)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Industries: petroleum, petrochemicals, desalination, food
|
|||
|
|
processing, salt, construction
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Agriculture: virtually none; dependent on imports for food; about
|
|||
|
|
75% of potable water must be distilled or imported
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Economic aid: donor--pledged $18.3 billion in bilateral aid to less
|
|||
|
|
developed countries (1979-89)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Currency: Kuwaiti dinar (plural--dinars);
|
|||
|
|
1 Kuwaiti dinar (KD) = 1,000 fils
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Exchange rates: Kuwaiti dinars (KD) per US$1--0.2915 (January
|
|||
|
|
1990), 0.2937 (1989), 0.2790 (1988), 0.2786 (1987), 0.2919 (1986), 0.3007
|
|||
|
|
(1985)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
COMMUNICATIONS
|
|||
|
|
Highways: 3,000 km total; 2,500 km bituminous; 500 km earth, sand,
|
|||
|
|
light gravel
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Pipelines: crude oil, 877 km; refined products, 40 km; natural gas,
|
|||
|
|
165 km
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Ports: Ash Shuaybah, Ash Shuwaykh, Mina al Ahmadi
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Merchant marine: 31 ships (1,000 GRT or over), totaling 1,332,159
|
|||
|
|
GRT/2,099,303 DWT; includes 1 cargo, 4 livestock carrier,
|
|||
|
|
20 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 5 liquefied gas, 1 bulk;
|
|||
|
|
note--all Kuwaiti ships greater than 1,000 GRT were outside Kuwaiti
|
|||
|
|
waters at the time of the Iraqi invasion; many of these ships transferred
|
|||
|
|
to the Liberian flag or to the flags of other Persian Gulf states;
|
|||
|
|
Kuwaiti tankers are currently managed from London and Kuwaiti cargo and
|
|||
|
|
container ships are managed from Dubai
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Civil air: 19 major transport aircraft
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Airports: 7 total, 4 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways;
|
|||
|
|
none with runways over 3,659 m; 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;
|
|||
|
|
none with runways 1,220-2,439 m
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Telecommunications: excellent international, adequate domestic
|
|||
|
|
facilities; 258,000 telephones; stations--3 AM, 2 FM, 3 TV; satellite
|
|||
|
|
earth stations--1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, and 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT; 1
|
|||
|
|
INMARSAT, 1 ARABSAT; coaxial cable and radio relay to Iraq and Saudi
|
|||
|
|
Arabia
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
DEFENSE FORCES
|
|||
|
|
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police Force, National
|
|||
|
|
Guard
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Manpower availability: males 15-49, 738,812; 441,611 fit for
|
|||
|
|
military service; 19,452 reach military age (18) annually
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Defense expenditures: $1.1 billion, 4.8% of GDP (1990)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|