|
Country
|
Kuwait |
|
|
Leader
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Emir: Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Jaber al-Sabah
|
Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by Governor-General Pearlette Louisy Prime minister: Kenny Anthony
|
|
Population
|
2,646,314
| 162,178
|
|
Life Expectancy
|
77.280 years
| 77.040 years
|
|
Capital City
|
Kuwait
|
|
|
Largest city
|
| As Salimiyah (population: 147,649) | Bisee (population: 12,980) |
|
Human Development Index
|
0.912
| 0.821
|
| GDP per capita |
$42,200 US
|
|
|
Literacy Rate
|
93.3%
| 90.1%
|
|
Corruption Perception Index
|
4.3
| 7.1
|
|
Percentage of Women in Parliament
|
3.1%
| 17.2%
|
| Wealthiest Citizens |
Nasser Al-Kharafi & family ($8.1bn US)
| NA
|
| Unemployment Rate |
2.200%
|
|
|
Death Penalty
|
Legal
| Legal
|
| |
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Political System
|
constitutional emirate
| parliamentary democracy
|
|
Independence date
|
19 June 1961 (from UK)
|
|
| 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)
|
| Languages |
Arabic (official), English widely spoken
| English (official), French patois
|
| Exports |
oil and refined products, fertilizers
|
|
| External Debt |
$41,730,000,000 $
|
|
| 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 |
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
|
| Area |
17,818 km sq
| 616 km sq
|
| Coastline |
499 km
| 158 km
|
| 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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