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From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
Kuwait
noun
1: a seaport on the Persian Gulf and capital of Kuwait [syn: {Kuwait City}, {Koweit}, {capital of Kuwait}]
2: an Arab kingdom in Asia on the northwestern coast of the Persian Gulf; a major source of petroleum [syn: {State of Kuwait}, {Koweit}]
1 definition found From CIA World Factbook 2002 [world02]: Kuwait Introduction Kuwait ------------------- 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. Geography Kuwait ---------------- Location: Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia Geographic coordinates: 29 30 N, 45 45 E Map references: Middle East Area: total: 17,820 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 17,820 sq km Area - comparative: slightly smaller than New Jersey Land boundaries: total: 462 km border countries: Iraq 240 km, Saudi Arabia 222 km Coastline: 499 km Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 NM Climate: dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters Terrain: flat to slightly undulating desert plain Elevation extremes: lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m highest point: unnamed location 306 m Natural resources: petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas Land use: arable land: 0.34% permanent crops: 0.06% other: 99.61% (1998 est.) Irrigated land: 60 sq km (1998 est.) Natural hazards: sudden cloudbursts are common from October to April; they bring heavy rain which can damage roads and houses; sandstorms and dust storms occur throughout the year, but are most common between March and August 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 Environment - international party to: Climate Change, agreements: Desertification, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Marine Dumping Geography - note: strategic location at head of Persian Gulf People Kuwait ------------- Population: 2,111,561 note: includes 1,159,913 non- nationals (July 2002 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 28.3% (male 304,200; female 292,900) 15-64 years: 69.2% (male 934,115; female 527,331) 65 years and over: 2.5% (male 34,106; female 18,909) (2002 est.) Population growth rate: 3.33% note: this rate reflects a return to pre-Gulf crisis immigration of expatriates (2002 est.) Birth rate: 21.84 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) Death rate: 2.46 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) Net migration rate: 13.88 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) 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: 1.8 male(s)/ female total population: 1.52 male(s)/ female (2002 est.) Infant mortality rate: 10.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 76.46 years male: 75.56 years female: 77.39 years (2002 est.) Total fertility rate: 3.14 children born/woman (2002 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.12% (1999 est.) HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ NA AIDS: HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA Nationality: noun: Kuwaiti(s) adjective: Kuwaiti Ethnic groups: Kuwaiti 45%, other Arab 35%, South Asian 9%, Iranian 4%, other 7% Religions: Muslim 85% (Sunni 70%, Shi'a 30%), Christian, Hindu, Parsi, and other 15% Languages: Arabic (official), English widely spoken Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 78.6% male: 82.2% female: 74.9% (1995 est.) Government Kuwait ----------------- Country name: conventional long form: State of Kuwait conventional short form: Kuwait local short form: Al Kuwayt local long form: Dawlat al Kuwayt Government type: nominal constitutional monarchy Capital: Kuwait Administrative divisions: 5 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Ahmadi, Al Farwaniyah, Al 'Asimah, Al Jahra', Hawalli Independence: 19 June 1961 (from UK) National holiday: National Day, 25 February (1950) Constitution: approved and promulgated 11 November 1962 Legal system: civil law system with Islamic law significant in personal matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction 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 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 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 Judicial branch: High Court of Appeal Political parties and leaders: none; formation of political parties is illegal Political pressure groups and several political groups act as de leaders: facto parties: Bedouins, merchants, Sunni and Shi'a activists, and secular leftists and nationalists International organization ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, BDEAC, participation: CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al Jaber AL SABAH FAX: [1] (202) 966-0517 telephone: [1] (202) 966-0702 chancery: 2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 Diplomatic representation from the chief of mission: Ambassador Richard US: 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 Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a black trapezoid based on the hoist side Economy Kuwait -------------- Economy - overview: Kuwait is a small, rich, relatively open economy with proved crude oil reserves of 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 envisioned 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. GDP: purchasing power parity - $30.9 billion (2001 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 4% (2001 est.) GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $15,100 (2001 est.) GDP - composition by sector: industry: 60% services: 39.7% agriculture: 0.3% (2000) Population below poverty line: NA% Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: NA% percentage share: highest 10%: NA% Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.7% (2001) Labor force: 1.3 million (1998 est.) note: 68% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (July 1998 est.) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA% Unemployment rate: 1.8% (official 1996 est.) Budget: revenues: $11.5 billion expenditures: $17.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY01/02) Industries: petroleum, petrochemicals, desalination, food processing, construction materials Industrial production growth rate: 1% (1997 est.) Electricity - production: 31.2 billion kWh (2000) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0% Electricity - consumption: 29.016 billion kWh (2000) Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000) Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000) Agriculture - products: practically no crops; fish Exports: $16.2 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.) Exports - commodities: oil and refined products, fertilizers Exports - partners: Japan 23%, US 14%, South Korea 13%, Singapore 7%, Netherlands 6%, Pakistan 6%, Indonesia 4%, UK 2% (2000) Imports: $7.4 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.) Imports - commodities: food, construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing Imports - partners: US 12%, Japan 8%, UK 8%, Germany 7%, China 5%, France 4%, Australia 3%, Netherlands 2% (2000) Debt - external: $6.9 billion (2000 est.) Economic aid - recipient: NA Currency: Kuwaiti dinar (KD) Currency code: KWD Exchange rates: Kuwaiti dinars per US dollar - 0.3075 (January 2002), 0.3066, (2001), 0.3067 (2000), 0.3044 (1999), 0.3047 (1998), 0.3033 (1997) Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March Communications Kuwait --------------------- Telephones - main lines in use: 412,000 (1997) Telephones - mobile cellular: 210,000 (1997) 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 Radio broadcast stations: AM 6, FM 11, shortwave 1 (1998) Radios: 1.175 million (1997) Television broadcast stations: 13 (plus several satellite channels) (1997) Televisions: 875,000 (1997) Internet country code: .kw Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 3 (2000) Internet users: 165,000 (2001) Transportation Kuwait --------------------- Railways: 0 km Highways: total: 4,450 km paved: 3,590 km unpaved: 860 km (1999 est.) Waterways: none Pipelines: crude oil 877 km; petroleum products 40 km; natural gas 165 km Ports and harbors: Ash Shu'aybah, Ash Shuwaykh, Kuwait, Mina' 'Abd Allah, Mina' al Ahmadi, Mina' Su'ud Merchant marine: total: 38 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,274,515 GRT/3,627,835 DWT ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 1, container 6, liquefied gas 6, livestock carrier 5, petroleum tanker 19 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Monaco 1, Saudi Arabia 1 (2002 est.) Airports: 7 (2001) Airports - with paved runways: total: 3 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2001) Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 4 under 914 m: 3 (2001) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 Heliports: 3 (2001) Military Kuwait --------------- Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force (including Air Defense Force), National Police Force, National Guard, Coast Guard Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age (2002 est.) Military manpower - availability: males age 15-
49: 812,059 (2002 est.) Military manpower - fit for military males age 15-
49: 486,906 (2002 est.) service: Military manpower - reaching males: 18,309 (2002 est.) military age annually: Military expenditures - dollar $1,967.3 million (FY01) figure: note: Kuwait is changing its fiscal year; the above figure is for July- March 2001; future budget years will be April-March annually Military expenditures - percent of 5.5% (FY01) GDP: Transnational Issues Kuwait --------------------------- 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, although the Iraqi Government continues periodic rhetorical challenges
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