| Geographical Information |
| Map Location |
Middle East |
| Geographical Location |
29° 30' North Latitude
45° 45' East Longitude |
| Surface Area |
17,820 sq km |
| Climate |
Dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters |
| Natural Resources |
Petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas |
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| Political Information |
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| Country Name |
State of Kuwait |
| Capital City |
Kuwait |
| Government Type |
Nominal constitutional monarchy |
| Administrative Divisions |
5 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Ahmadi, Al Farwaniyah, Al 'Asimah, Al Jahra', Hawalli |
| Independence Day |
19 June 1961 (from UK) |
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| Demographical Information |
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| Population |
2,335,648
Note: includes 1,291,354 non-nationals (July 2005 est.) |
| Nationality |
Kuwaiti |
| Ethnic Groups |
Kuwaiti 45%, other Arab 35%, South Asian 9%, Iranian 4%, other 7% |
| Religion |
Muslim 85% (Sunni 70%, Shi'a 30%), Christian, Hindu, Parsi, and other 15% |
| Languages |
Arabic (official), English widely spoken |
| Population Growth Rate |
3.44% |
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| Economical Information |
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| Currency |
Kuwaiti dinar (KD) |
| Industries |
Petroleum, petrochemicals, cement, shipbuilding and repair, desalination, food processing, construction materials |
| Labor Force |
1.42 million
Note: non-Kuwaitis represent about 80% of the labor force (2004 est.) |
| Labor Force by Sectors |
Agriculture NA, industries NA, services NA |
| Agriculture Products |
Practically no crops; fish |
| Export Commodities |
Oil and refined products, fertilizers |
| Export Partners |
Japan 22.6%, US 13.4%, South Korea 13.4%, Singapore 12.4%, Taiwan 8.4%, Netherlands 4.1% (2004) |
| Import Commodities |
Food, construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing |
| Import Partners |
US 13.1%, Germany 12.7%, Japan 8.2%, China 5.9%, Italy 5.4%, UK 5.4%, Saudi Arabia 4.7%, France 4.6% (2004) |
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| Transportation |
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| Railways |
- |
| Highways |
4,450 km |
| Pipelines |
Gas 169 km; oil 540 km; refined products 57 km (2004) |
| Airports |
7 (2004 est.) |
| Ports and Harbors |
Ash Shu'aybah, Ash Shuwaykh, Kuwait, Mina' 'Abd Allah, Mina' al Ahmadi, Mina' Su'ud |
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| Communication |
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| Phone Code |
+965 |
| Internet Abbreviation |
.kw |
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| Other |
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| Short History |
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. |
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