|
Country
|
| 
Kuwait |
|
Leader
|
Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by a governor
|
Emir: Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Jaber al-Sabah
|
|
Population
|
109,011
| 2,646,314
|
|
Life Expectancy
|
73.300 years
| 77.280 years
|
|
Capital City
|
| Kuwait
|
|
Largest city
|
| Saint George's (population: 7,500) | As Salimiyah (population: 147,649) |
|
Human Development Index
|
0.774
| 0.912
|
| GDP per capita |
| $42,200 US
|
|
Literacy Rate
|
96%
| 93.3%
|
|
Corruption Perception Index
|
NA
| 4.3
|
|
Percentage of Women in Parliament
|
21.4%
| 3.1%
|
| Wealthiest Citizens |
NA
| Nasser Al-Kharafi & family ($8.1bn US)
|
| Unemployment Rate |
| 2.200%
|
|
Death Penalty
|
Abolished in practice
| Legal
|
| |
|
Political System
|
parliamentary democracy
| constitutional emirate
|
|
Independence date
|
| 19 June 1961 (from UK)
|
| Religions |
Roman Catholic 53%, Anglican 13.8%, other Protestant 33.2%
| Muslim 85% (Sunni 70%, Shia 30%), other (includes Christian, Hindu, Parsi) 15%
|
| Languages |
English (official), French patois
| Arabic (official), English widely spoken
|
| Exports |
| oil and refined products, fertilizers
|
| External Debt |
| $41,730,000,000 US
|
| Exchange Rate |
| Kuwaiti dinars (KD) per US dollar - 0.2679 (2008 est.), 0.2844 (2007), 0.29 (2006), 0.292 (2005), 0.2947 (2004)
|
| Military Budget as percentage of GDP |
| 5.300%
|
| Beijing Olympics Medal Count |
|
|
| Location |
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago
| Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia
|
| Area |
344 km sq
| 17,818 km sq
|
| Coastline |
121 km
| 499 km
|
| Climate |
tropical; tempered by northeast trade winds
| dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters
|
|
