Korea, South (continued)
Ports: Pusan, Inchon, Kunsan, Mokpo, Ulsan
Merchant marine: 423 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 7,006,481 GRT/11,658,104 DWT; includes 2 short-sea passenger, 130 cargo, 41 container, 11 refrigerated cargo, 11 vehicle carrier, 49 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 8 chemical tanker, 10 liquefied gas, 10 combination ore/oil, 143 bulk, 7 combination bulk, 1 multifunction large-load carrier
Civil air: 93 major transport aircraft
Airports: 112 total, 105 usable; 61 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 17 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: adequate domestic and international services; 4,800,000 telephones; stations—79 AM, 46 FM, 256 TV (57 of 1 kW or greater); satellite earth stations—2 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine
Corps
Military manpower: males 15-49, 12,792,426; 8,260,886 fit for military service; 445,320 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: 5% of GNP, or $10 billion (1989 est.)
Kuwait
_Kuwait.jpg)
See regional map VI
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: ownership of Warbah and Būbiyān islands disputed by Iraq; 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: NEGL% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 8% meadows and pastures; NEGL% forest and woodland; 92% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
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: 2,123,711 (July 1990), growth
rate 3.8% (1990)
Birth rate: 29 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 2 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 11 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 15 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 76 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.7 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Kuwaiti(s); adjective—Kuwaiti
Ethnic divisions: 27.9% Kuwaiti, 39% other Arab, 9% South Asian, 4% Iranian, 20.1% other
Religion: 85% Muslim (30% Shi‘a, 45% Sunni, 10% other), 15% Christian, Hindu, Parsi, and other
Language: Arabic (official); English widely spoken
Literacy: 71% (est.)
Labor force: 566,000 (1986); 45.0% services, 20.0% construction, 12.0% trade, 8.6% manufacturing, 2.6% finance and real estate, 1.9% agriculture, 1.7% power and water, 1.4% mining and quarrying; 70% of labor force is 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 (muḩāfaz̧at, singular—muḩāfaz̧ah); Al Aḥmadī, Al Jahrah, Al Kuwayt, Ḥawallī; 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 Sheikh Jabir al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al SABAH (since 31 December 1977);
Head of Government—Prime Minister and Crown Prince Sa‘d Abdallah al-Salim Al SABAH (since 8 February 1978)
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 and no elections are planned
Communists: insignificant
Other political or pressure groups: large (350,000) Palestinian community; several
