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.
5 governorates (muhafazat, singular
- muhafazah); Al Ahmadi, Al Farwaniyah, Al 'Asimah, Al
Jahra', Hawalli
Independence:
19 June 1961 (from UK)
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 leaders:
several political groups act as de
facto parties: Bedouins, merchants, Sunni and Shi'a
activists, and secular leftists and nationalists
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of
green (top), white, and red with a black trapezoid based
on the hoist side
Kuwait is a small, relatively open
economy with proved crude oil reserves of about 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, which begins 1 April, contains
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 - $29.3
billion (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
6% (2000 est.)
Labor force:
1.3 million (1998 est.)
note:
68% of the population in the 15-64 age group is
non-national (July 1998 est.)
Currency:
Kuwaiti dinar (KWD)
Currency code:
KWD
Exchange rates:
Kuwaiti dinars per US dollar -
0.3057 (January 2001), 0.3067 (2000), 0.3044 (1999),
0.3047 (1998), 0.3033 (1997), 0.2994 (1996)
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
