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Country
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 Kuwait |
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Leader
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Emir: Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Jaber al-Sabah
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Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by Governor-General Pearlette Louisy Prime minister: Kenny Anthony
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Population
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2,646,314
| 162,178
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Life Expectancy
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77.280 years
| 77.040 years
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Capital City
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Kuwait
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Largest city
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| As Salimiyah (population: 147,649) | Bisee (population: 12,980) |
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Human Development Index
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0.912
| 0.821
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| GDP per capita |
$42,200 US
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Literacy Rate
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93.3%
| 90.1%
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Corruption Perception Index
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4.3
| 7.1
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Percentage of Women in Parliament
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3.1%
| 17.2%
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| Wealthiest Citizens |
Nasser Al-Kharafi & family ($8.1bn US)
| NA
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| Unemployment Rate |
2.200%
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Death Penalty
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Legal
| Legal
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Political System
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constitutional emirate
| parliamentary democracy
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Independence date
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19 June 1961 (from UK)
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| Religions |
Muslim 85% (Sunni 70%, Shia 30%), other (includes Christian, Hindu, Parsi) 15%
| Roman Catholic 67.5%, Seventh Day Adventist 8.5%, Pentecostal 5.7%, Rastafarian 2.1%, Anglican 2%, Evangelical 2%, other Christian 5.1%, other 1.1%, unspecified 1.5%, none 4.5% (2001 census)
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| Languages |
Arabic (official), English widely spoken
| English (official), French patois
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| Exports |
oil and refined products, fertilizers
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| External Debt |
$41,730,000,000 $
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| Exchange Rate |
Kuwaiti dinars (KD) per US dollar - 0.2679 (2008 est.), 0.2844 (2007), 0.29 (2006), 0.292 (2005), 0.2947 (2004)
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| Military Budget as percentage of GDP |
5.300%
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| Beijing Olympics Medal Count |
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| Location |
Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia
| Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago
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| Area |
17,818 km sq
| 616 km sq
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| Coastline |
499 km
| 158 km
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| Climate |
dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters
| tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season January to April, rainy season May to August
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