The World Factbook (1982)/Kuwait

by the Central Intelligence Agency

KUWAIT

(See reference map VI)

LAND

16,058 km² (excluding neutral zone but including islands); insignificant amount forested; nearly all desert, waste, or urban

Land boundaries: 459 km

WATER

Limits of territorial waters (claimed): 12 nm

Coastline: 499 km

PEOPLE

Population: 1,553,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 6.2%

Nationality: noun—Kuwaiti(s); adjective—Kuwaiti

Ethnic divisions: 42% Kuwaitis, 41% other Arabs, 7% South Asians, 4% Iranians, 6% other

Religion: 99% Muslim, 1% Christian, Hindu, Parsi, other

Language: Arabic; English commonly used foreign language

Literacy: about 60%

Labor force: 360,000 (1978 est.); 74% services, 11% industry, 11% construction; 70% of labor force is non-Kuwaiti

Organized labor: labor unions, first authorized in 1964, formed in oil industry and among government personnel

GOVERNMENT

Official name: State of Kuwait

Type: nominal constitutional monarchy

Capital: Kuwait

Political subdivisions: 3 governorates, 25 voting constituencies

Legal system: civil law system with Islamic law significant in personal matters; constitution took effect in 1963; popularly elected 50-man National Assembly (the 15 Cabinet members can also vote) reinstated in March 1981 after being suspended in 1976; judicial review of legislative acts not yet determined; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

National holiday: 25 February

Branches: Council of Ministers

Government leader: Amir Jabir al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al SABAH

Suffrage: native born and naturalized males age 21 or over; law requires 20 years residency after naturalization

Elections: National Assembly elected in February 1981

Political parties and leaders: political parties prohibited, some small clandestine groups are active

Communists:' insignificant

Other political or pressure groups: large (300,000) Palestinian community

Member of: Arab League, FAO, G-77, GATT, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMCO, IMF, IPU, ISCON, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OPEC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO

ECONOMY

GDP: $27.2 billion (1980), $18,390 per capita est.

Agriculture: virtually none, dependent on imports for food; approx. 75% of potable water must be distilled or imported

Major industries: crude petroleum production average for 1980, 1.7 million b/d; refinery production 123 million bbls (1980), average b/d refinery capacity equaled 645,000 bbls at end of 1976; other major industries include processing of fertilizers, chemicals; building materials; flour

Electric power: 2,578,000 kW capacity (1980); 9.05 billion kWh produced (1980), 6,382 kWh per capita

Exports: $20.7 billion (f.o.b., 1980), of which petroleum accounted for about 90%; nonpetroleum exports are mostly reexports, $2.1 billion (1980 est.)

Imports: $6.9 billion (f.o.b., 1980 est.); major suppliers—US, Japan, UK, West Germany

Budget: (1980) $25.5 billion revenues, expenditures $7.9 billion, capital $2.3 billion

Monetary conversion rate: 1 Kuwaiti dinar=US$3.69 (1980)

Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June

COMMUNICATIONS

Railroads: none

Highways: 2,545 km total; 2,255 km bituminous; 290 km earth, sand, light gravel

Pipelines: crude oil, 877 km; refined products, 40 km; natural gas, 121 km

Ports: 3 major (Ash Shuwaikh, Ash Shuaybah, Mina al Ahmadi), 4 minor

Civil air: 19 major transport aircraft, including 2 leased in

Airfields: 10 total, 6 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Telecommunications: excellent international and adequate domestic telecommunication facilities; 153,000 telephones (12.0 per 100 popl.); 3 AM, 1 FM, and 3 TV stations; 1 satellite station with Indian and Atlantic Ocean antennas

DEFENSE FORCES

Military manpower: males 15-49, about 383,000; about 232,000 fit for military service

Military budget: for fiscal year ending 30 June 1981, $1,104 million; 6% of central government budget