Islamic countries

Islamic countries

STATE OF KUWAIT
DAWLAT AL KUWAYT

General Information

Total Land Area:	17,818 km²
Land boundaries:	464 km
Coastline:	499 km
Capital:	Kuwait City
Other Large Cities:	Al-Jahra, As-Salimiyah, Hawalli, Al-Ahmady
Official Language:	Arabic
National Currency Unit:	Kuwaiti Dinar (KWD)
National Day:	February 25

Location and Geography

Kuwait is located in the North-eastern corner of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Iraq in the North and West, Saudi Arabia in the South and the Arabian Gulf in the East. Kuwait has no mountains or rivers. The terrain is flat to slightly undulated desert plains. Meadows and pastures cover only eight percent of the area; the rest of the land is barren. Kuwait has nine islands off its coast, the largest is Bubiyan. Despite its desert conditions, the country has a rich plant life. Summers in Kuwait are intensely hot and winters short and cool. Sand and dust storms occur throughout the year.

Demography

Population:	2.36 million (2002)
Crude Birth Rate:	20 per thousand people (2002)
Crude Death Rate:	3 per thousand people (2002)
Infant Mortality Rate:	9 per thousand (2002)
Life Expectancy:	Male: 75 years, Female: 79 years (2002)
Urban Population:	96.0 percent (2002)
Adult Literacy:	91.50 percent (2002)

Economy

The economy of Kuwait is based almost exclusively on oil. The country’s crude oil reserves, of about 94 billion barrels, account for 10 percent of the world supply. The other commercial and economic activities include water desalination plants, oil refineries, cement, bricks and concrete block production, bottling plants, and various light industries. As a consequence of the lack of enough water resources and arable land, development of agriculture, with the exception of fishing, is precluded. On the other hand, pearl diving and trading are also important occupations for the country in addition to the oil industry.

GDP at Current Market Prices:	35439 million US$ (2002)
Per Capita GDP:	15017 US$ (2002)
Share of Sectors in GDP:	1.0% Agriculture, 52.0% Industry, 47.0% Services, (2001)
Total Exports:	15662 million US$ (2002)
Total Imports:	8550 million US$ (2002)
Major Exports Items:	Crude oil and refined products, fertilizers
Major Imports Items:	Foodstuffs, clothing, construction materials, vehicles and parts
Major Trading Partners:	US, Japan, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Italy and Germany