KUWAIT
Conventional Name: State of Kuwait (Dawlat al Kuwayt)
Etymology: from the arabic al-kuwayt, diminutive form of kût «fortress», refering to the existance in the area of a Portuguese defensive post in the sixteenth century
Capital: Kuwait City
Surface area: 17.818 km²
Comparison with a European country : 1/2 of Belgium
Administrative Divisions: 5 governorates (muhafazah/muhafazat)
Population (2007): 2 687000 whereas 55% foreigners (before the Iraqi occpuation, Kuwaitis represented 27% of the total population of the Emirate)
Population Density (2005): 150,8 inhabitants/km²
Young people under 15 Years Old (1999): 27.5%
Annual population growth (2005): 3.7%
Fecundity rate (2005): 2,38
Life expectancy (2000-2005) : 76,8
Infant mortality (2005): 10,26%o
Urban population (2005): 96,3%
Analphabétisme rate (2007): hommes 5,6% ; femmes 9,0 %
Ethnic background: Kuwaiti 45%, other Arab 35%, South Asian 9%, Iranian 4%, other 7%
Religions: Muslim 85% (Sunni 79%, Shia Muslims 21%), Christian, Hindu, Parsi, and other 15%
Language: Arabic (official), English widely spoken.
HDI (Human Development Indicator, 2007): within the 177 countries selected in the report Kuwait is ranked 33 (rate 0.891, high development level)
Currency: 1 Kuwaiti dinar (KD) = 1,000 fils (1 dinar= 3.50 €uro, 31.05.2002)
Nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (2005) : 46 733 million US $
G.D.P. per capita (2005) : 16301 $
Annual growth: 3,6 % (1994-2004) – 8,5 % (2005)
Unemployment Rate (2003): 2.1%
Industries: Petroleum, petrochemicals, desalination, construction materials
Agriculture products: potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, gherkins, aubergines
Exports (2007): 32757 Million US $
Imports (2007): 15295 million US $
Major Trading Partners: Japan, US, Germany, Saudi arabia, Italy, United Kingdom
Major Export Products : oil and refined products, fertilizers.
Major Import Products: food, construction materials, clothing
Total External Debt: 12,180 Million US $
Year of independence: 19 June 1961 (from UK)
Admitted in the United Nations in: 1963.
Member i.a. of : League of Arab States, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), League of Arab States, World Trade Organisation (WTO)
Parties to i.a. Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Chemical Weapons Convention (CWP).
State nature: Emirate
Regime nature: Monarchy
Head of State (Amir): JABIR al-Ahmad al-Jaber AL-SABAH (since 1977)
Prime Minister: al-Ahmad al-Jabir AL-SABAH (since 13 July 2003)
Minister for Foreign Affairs: al-Ahmad AL-SABAH (brother of the Amir).
Sources (figures): L’Etat du Monde 2003 (La Découverte), CIA World Factbook 2004, Arab Human Development Report 2002, l’Etat du Monde 2007 (La Découverte)