This page was last updated on 20 March, 2008

Legend:

Introduction

Definition

Field Listing

Rank Order

Ethiopia

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Background:

Unique among African countries, the ancient Ethiopian monarchy

maintained its freedom from colonial rule with the exception of the
1936-41 Italian occupation during World War II. In 1974, a military
junta, the Derg, deposed Emperor Haile SELASSIE (who had ruled since
1930) and established a socialist state. Torn by bloody coups, uprisings,
wide-scale drought, and massive refugee problems, the regime was
finally toppled in 1991 by a coalition of rebel forces, the Ethiopian
People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). A constitution was
adopted in 1994, and Ethiopia's first multiparty elections were held in
1995. A border war with Eritrea late in the 1990's ended with a peace
treaty in December 2000. The Eritrea-Ethiopia Border Commission in
November 2007 remotely demarcated the border by geographical
coordinates, but final demarcation of the boundary on the ground is
currently on hold due to Ethiopian objections to an international
commission's finding requiring it to surrender territory considered
sensitive to Ethiopia.
Geography

Ethiopia

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Location:

Eastern Africa, west of Somalia

Geographic coordinates:

8 00 N, 38 00 E
Map references:
Africa

Area:

total: 1,127,127 sq km
land: 1,119,683 sq km
water: 7,444 sq km
Area - comparative:

slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Land boundaries:

total: 5,328 km
border countries: Djibouti 349 km, Eritrea 912 km,
Kenya 861 km, Somalia 1,600 km, Sudan 1,606 km
Coastline:

0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:

none (landlocked)
Climate:

tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced

variation
Terrain:

high plateau with central mountain range divided by

Great Rift Valley

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Denakil Depression -125 m

highest point: Ras Dejen 4,620 m
Natural resources:

small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash,

natural gas, hydropower
Land use:

arable land: 10.01%

permanent crops: 0.65%
other: 89.34% (2005)
Irrigated land:

2,900 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:

110 cu km (1987)
Freshwater withdrawal
(domestic/industrial/agricultural): total: 5.56 cu km/yr (6%/0%/94%)
per capita: 72 cu m/yr (2002)
Natural hazards:
geologically active Great Rift Valley susceptible to
earthquakes, volcanic eruptions; frequent droughts
Environment - current issues:
deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion;
desertification; water shortages in some areas from
water-intensive farming and poor management
Environment - international
agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone
Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Environmental
Modification, Law of the Sea
Geography - note:
landlocked - entire coastline along the Red Sea was
lost with the de jure independence of Eritrea on 24
May 1993; the Blue Nile, the chief headstream of
the Nile by water volume, rises in T'ana Hayk (Lake
Tana) in northwest Ethiopia; three major crops are
believed to have originated in Ethiopia: coffee, grain
sorghum, and castor bean
People

Ethiopia

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Population:

76,511,887
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of
excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy,
higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth
rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than
would otherwise be expected (July 2007 est.)
Age structure:

0-14 years: 43.4% (male 16,657,155/female 16,553,812)

15-64 years: 53.8% (male 20,558,026/female 20,639,076)
65 years and over: 2.7% (male 953,832/female 1,149,986) (2007 est.)
Median age:

total: 18 years
male: 17.8 years
female: 18.1 years (2007 est.)
Population
growth rate: 2.272% (2007 est.)
Birth rate:
37.39 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate:
14.67 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration
rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: repatriation of Ethiopian refugees residing in Sudan is expected to
continue for several years; some Sudanese, Somali, and Eritrean
refugees, who fled to Ethiopia from the fighting or famine in their own
countries, continue to return to their homes (2007 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.006 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.996 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.829 male(s)/female
total population: 0.995 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality
rate: total: 91.92 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 101.57 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 81.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy
at birth: total population: 49.23 years
male: 48.06 years
female: 50.44 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility
rate: 5.1 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult
prevalence rate: 4.4% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS people living 1.5 million (2003 est.)
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS deaths: 120,000 (2003 est.)
Major infectious
diseases: degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis
A and E, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria
respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
animal contact disease: rabies

water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2008)

Nationality:

noun: Ethiopian(s)
adjective: Ethiopian
Ethnic groups:

Oromo 32.1%, Amara 30.1%, Tigraway 6.2%, Somalie 5.9%, Guragie

4.3%, Sidama 3.5%, Welaita 2.4%, other 15.4% (1994 census)
Religions:

Christian 60.8% (Orthodox 50.6%, Protestant 10.2%), Muslim 32.8%,

traditional 4.6%, other 1.8% (1994 census)
Languages:

Amarigna 32.7%, Oromigna 31.6%, Tigrigna 6.1%, Somaligna 6%,

Guaragigna 3.5%, Sidamigna 3.5%, Hadiyigna 1.7%, other 14.8%,
English (major foreign language taught in schools) (1994 census)
Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 42.7%
male: 50.3%
female: 35.1% (2003 est.)
Government

Ethiopia

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Country name:

conventional long form: Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

conventional short form: Ethiopia
local long form: Ityop'iya Federalawi Demokrasiyawi Ripeblik
local short form: Ityop'iya
former: Abyssinia, Italian East Africa
abbreviation: FDRE
Government
type: federal republic
Capital:
name: Addis Ababa
geographic coordinates: 9 02 N, 38 42 E
time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
Administrative
divisions: 9 ethnically-based states (kililoch, singular - kilil) and 2 self-governing
administrations* (astedaderoch, singular - astedader); Adis Abeba*
(Addis Ababa), Afar, Amara (Amhara), Binshangul Gumuz, Dire Dawa*,
Gambela Hizboch (Gambela Peoples), Hareri Hizb (Harari People),
Oromiya (Oromia), Sumale (Somali), Tigray, Ye Debub Biheroch
Bihereseboch na Hizboch (Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples)
Independence:
oldest independent country in Africa and one of the oldest in the world at least 2,000 years
National
holiday: National Day (defeat of MENGISTU regime), 28 May (1991)
Constitution:
ratified 8 December 1994, effective 22 August 1995

Legal system:

based on civil law; currently transitional mix of national and regional

courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive
branch: chief of state: President GIRMA Woldegiorgis (since 8 October 2001)
head of government: Prime Minister MELES Zenawi (since August
1995)
cabinet: Council of Ministers as provided for in the December 1994
constitution; ministers are selected by the prime minister and approved
by the House of People's Representatives
elections: president elected by the House of People's Representatives for
a six-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 9 October
2007 (next to be held in October 2013); prime minister designated by the
party in power following legislative elections
election results: GIRMA Woldegiorgis elected president; percent of vote
by the House of People's Representatives - 79%
Legislative
branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Federation (or upper
chamber responsible for interpreting the constitution and federalregional issues) (108 seats; members are chosen by state assemblies to
serve five-year terms) and the House of People's Representatives (or
lower chamber responsible for passing legislation) (547 seats; members
are directly elected by popular vote from single-member districts to
serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 15 May 2005 (next to be held in 2010)
election results: percent of vote - NA; seats by party - EPRDF 327, CUD
109, UEDF 52, SPDP 23, OFDM 11, BGPDUF 8, ANDP 8, independent
1, others 6, undeclared 2
note: some seats still remain vacant as detained opposition MPs did not
take their seats, but those will be decided in the April 2008 byelection
Judicial branch:
Federal Supreme Court (the president and vice president of the Federal
Supreme Court are recommended by the prime minister and appointed
by the House of People's Representatives; for other federal judges, the
prime minister submits to the House of People's Representatives for
appointment candidates selected by the Federal Judicial Administrative
Council)
Political parties
and leaders: Afar National Democratic Party or ANDP; Benishangul Gumuz People's
Democratic Unity Front or BGPDUF [Mulualem BESSE]; Coalition for
Unity and Democratic Party or CUDP [AYELE Chamisso] (awarded to
AYELE 11 January 2008, but AYELE has virtually no support among
former CUD MPs, other CUD MPs must now be affiliated with their
original CUD-precursor parties); Ethiopian People's Revolutionary
Democratic Front or EPRDF [MELES Zenawi] (an alliance of Amhara
National Democratic Movement or ANDM, Oromo People's Democratic
Organization or OPDO, the South Ethiopian People's Democratic Front
or SEPDF, and Tigrayan Peoples' Liberation Front or TPLF); Gurage

Nationalities' Democratic Movement or GNDM; Oromo Federalist

Democratic Movement or OFDM [BULCHA Demeksa]; Omoro People's
Congress or OPC [IMERERA Gudina]; Somali People's Democratic
Party or SPDP; United Ethiopian Democratic Forces or UEDF
[BEYENE Petros]
Political
pressure groups Ethiopian People's Patriotic Front or EPPF; Ogaden National Liberation
and leaders: Front or ONLF; Oromo Liberation Front or OLF [DAOUD Ibsa]
International
organization ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
participation: ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OPCW,
PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL,
UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
(observer)
Diplomatic
representation chief of mission: Ambassador Samuel ASSEFA
in the US: chancery: 3506 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 364-1200
FAX: [1] (202) 587-0195
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles
consulate(s): New York
Diplomatic
representation chief of mission: Ambassador Donald Y. YAMAMOTO
from the US: embassy: Entoto Street, Addis Ababa
mailing address: P. O. Box 1014, Addis Ababa
telephone: [251] 11-517-40-00
FAX: [251] 11-517-40-01
Flag
description: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and red with a
yellow pentagram and single yellow rays emanating from the angles
between the points on a light blue disk centered on the three bands;
Ethiopia is the oldest independent country in Africa, and the three main
colors of her flag were so often adopted by other African countries upon
independence that they became known as the pan-African colors

Economy

Ethiopia

Top of Page

Economy overview: Ethiopia's poverty-stricken economy is based on agriculture, accounting

for almost half of GDP, 60% of exports, and 80% of total employment.
The agricultural sector suffers from frequent drought and poor
cultivation practices. Coffee is critical to the Ethiopian economy with
exports of some $350 million in 2006, but historically low prices have
seen many farmers switching to qat to supplement income. The war with
Eritrea in 1998-2000 and recurrent drought have buffeted the economy,
in particular coffee production. In November 2001, Ethiopia qualified for
debt relief from the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative,
and in December 2005 the IMF voted to forgive Ethiopia's debt to the
body. Under Ethiopia's constitution, the state owns all land and provides
long-term leases to the tenants; the system continues to hamper growth

in the industrial sector as entrepreneurs are unable to use land as

collateral for loans. Drought struck again late in 2002, leading to a 3.3%
decline in GDP in 2003. Normal weather patterns helped agricultural and
GDP growth recover in 2004-07.
GDP
(purchasing $55.07 billion (2007 est.)
power parity):
GDP (official
exchange rate): $16.9 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real
growth rate: 9.8% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita
(PPP): $700 (2007 est.)
GDP composition by agriculture: 48.8%
sector: industry: 12.9%
services: 38.3% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
27.27 million (1999)
Labor force - by
occupation: agriculture: 80%
industry: 8%
services: 12% (1985)
Unemployment
rate: NA%
Population
below poverty 38.7% (FY05/06 est.)
line:
Household
income or lowest 10%: 3.9%
consumption by highest 10%: 25.5% (2000)
percentage
share:
Distribution of
family income - 30 (2000)
Gini index:
Inflation rate
(consumer 15.9% (2007 est.)
prices):
Investment
(gross fixed): 27.2% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $2.944 billion
expenditures: $3.683 billion (2007 est.)
Public debt:
54.5% of GDP (2007 est.)
Agriculture products: cereals, pulses, coffee, oilseed, cotton, sugarcane, potatoes, qat, cut
flowers; hides, cattle, sheep, goats; fish

Industries:

food processing, beverages, textiles, leather, chemicals, metals

processing, cement
Industrial
production 9% (2007 est.)
growth rate:
Electricity production: 2.864 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity consumption: 2.577 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity exports: 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity imports: 0 kWh (2005)
Oil - production:
7.334 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil consumption: 29,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - imports:
28,460 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - proved
reserves: 428,000 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas production: 0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas consumption: 0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas exports: 0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas imports: 0 cu m (2005)
Natural gas proved 23.9 billion cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
reserves:
Current account
balance: -$1.851 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$1.2 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports commodities: coffee, qat, gold, leather products, live animals, oilseeds
Exports partners: Germany 12.8%, China 10.6%, Japan 7.5%, US 6.8%, Saudi Arabia
5.9%, Djibouti 5.8%, Italy 5% (2006)
Imports:
$4.54 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports commodities: food and live animals, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals,

machinery, motor vehicles, cereals, textiles

Imports partners: Saudi Arabia 18%, **COUNTRY** 11.4%, China 11.3%, India 8.1%,
Italy 5.1%, Germany 4.1% (2006)
Economic aid recipient: $1.6 billion (FY05/06)
Reserves of
foreign $840 million (31 December 2007 est.)
exchange and
gold:
Debt - external:
$3.793 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Market value of
publicly traded $NA
shares:
Currency
(code): birr (ETB)
Exchange rates:
birr per US dollar - 8.96 (2007), 8.69 (2006), 8.68 (2005), 8.6356 (2004),
8.5997 (2003)
note: since 24 October 2001 exchange rates are determined on a daily
basis via interbank transactions regulated by the Central Bank
Fiscal year:
8 July - 7 July

Communications Ethiopia

Top of Page

Telephones main lines in 725,000 (2006)

use:
Telephones mobile cellular: 866,700 (2006)
Telephone
system: general assessment: inadequate telephone system; the number of fixed
lines and mobile telephones is increasing from a very small base;
combined fixed and mobile-cellular teledensity is only about 2 per 100
persons
domestic: open-wire; microwave radio relay; radio communication in the
HF, VHF, and UHF frequencies; 2 domestic satellites provide the
national trunk service
international: country code - 251; open-wire to Sudan and Djibouti;
microwave radio relay to Kenya and Djibouti; satellite earth stations - 3
Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Pacific Ocean)
Radio broadcast
stations: AM 8, FM 0, shortwave 1 (2001)
Television
broadcast 1 (plus 24 repeaters) (2001)
stations:
Internet country
code: .et

Internet hosts:

89 (2007)
Internet users:

164,000 (2005)
Transportation

Ethiopia

Top of Page

Airports:

84 (2007)
Airports - with
paved runways: total: 15
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with
unpaved total: 69
runways: over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 11
914 to 1,523 m: 29
under 914 m: 21 (2007)
Railways:
total: 699 km (Ethiopian segment of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railroad)
narrow gauge: 699 km 1.000-m gauge
note: railway under joint control of Djibouti and Ethiopia but remains
largely inoperable (2006)
Roadways:
total: 36,469 km
paved: 6,980 km
unpaved: 29,489 km (2004)
Merchant
marine: total: 10 ships (1000 GRT or over) 120,383 GRT/152,418 DWT
by type: cargo 8, roll on/roll off 2 (2007)
Ports and
terminals: Ethiopia is landlocked and uses ports of Djibouti in Djibouti and Berbera
in Somalia

Military

Ethiopia

Top of Page

Military
branches: Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF): Ground Forces, Ethiopian
Air Force (ETAF) (2008)
note: Ethiopia is landlocked and has no navy; following the secession of
Eritrea, Ethiopian naval facilities remained in Eritrean possession
Military service
age and 18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service (2001)
obligation:
Manpower
available for males age 18-49: 14,568,277
military service: females age 18-49: 14,482,885 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for

military service: males age 18-49: 8,072,755
females age 18-49: 7,902,660 (2005 est.)
Manpower
reaching males age 18-49: 803,777
military service females age 18-49: 801,789 (2005 est.)
age annually:
Military
expenditures - 3% (2006)
percent of GDP:
Transnational
Top of Page
Ethiopia
Issues
Disputes international: Eritrea and Ethiopia agreed to abide by the 2002 Eritrea-Ethiopia
Boundary Commission's (EEBC) delimitation decision, but neither party
responded to the revised line detailed in the November 2006 EEBC
Demarcation Statement; UN Peacekeeping Mission to Ethiopia and
Eritrea (UNMEE), which has monitored the 25-km-wide Temporary
Security Zone in Eritrea since 2000, is extended for six months in 2007
despite Eritrean restrictions on its operations and reduced force of
17,000; the undemarcated former British administrative line has little
meaning as a political separation to rival clans within Ethiopia's Ogaden
and southern Somalia's Oromo region; Ethiopian forces invaded
southern Somalia and routed Islamist Courts from Mogadishu in January
2007; "Somaliland" secessionists provide port facilities in Berbera and
trade ties to landlocked Ethiopia; civil unrest in eastern Sudan has
hampered efforts to demarcate the porous boundary with Ethiopia
Refugees and
internally refugees (country of origin): 73,927 (Sudan), 15,901 (Somalia), 10,700
displaced (Eritrea)
persons: IDPs: 100,000-280,000 (border war with Eritrea from 1998-2000 and
ethnic clashes in Gambela; most IDPs are in Tigray and Gambela
Provinces) (2006)
Illicit drugs:
transit hub for heroin originating in Southwest and Southeast Asia and
destined for Europe, as well as cocaine destined for markets in southern
Africa; cultivates qat (khat) for local use and regional export, principally
to Djibouti and Somalia (legal in all three countries); the lack of a welldeveloped financial system limits the country's utility as a money
laundering center

This page was last updated on 20 March, 2008

Legend:

Introduction

Definition

Field Listing

Rank Order

Kuwait

Top of Page

Background:

Britain oversaw foreign relations and defense for the ruling Kuwaiti ALSABAH dynasty from 1899 until independence in 1961. Kuwait was
attacked and overrun by Iraq on 2 August 1990. Following several weeks
of aerial bombardment, a US-led, UN coalition began a ground assault
on 23 February 1991 that liberated Kuwait in four days. Kuwait spent
more than $5 billion to repair oil infrastructure damaged during 1990-91.
The AL-SABAH family has ruled since returning to power in 1991, and
reestablished an elected legislature that in recent years has become
increasingly assertive.
Geography

Kuwait

Top of Page

Location:

Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between

Iraq and Saudi Arabia
Geographic coordinates:

29 30 N, 45 45 E
Map references:
Middle East

Area:

total: 17,820 sq km
land: 17,820 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than New Jersey

Land boundaries:

total: 462 km
border countries: Iraq 240 km, Saudi Arabia 222 km
Coastline:

499 km
Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate:

dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool

winters
Terrain:

flat to slightly undulating desert plain

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m

highest point: unnamed location 306 m
Natural resources:

petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas

Land use:

arable land: 0.84%

permanent crops: 0.17%
other: 98.99% (2005)
Irrigated land:

130 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:

0.02 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal
(domestic/industrial/agricultural): total: 0.44 cu km/yr (45%/2%/52%)

per capita: 164 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

sudden cloudbursts are common from October to

April and bring heavy rain, which can damage roads
and houses; sandstorms and dust storms occur
throughout the year, but are most common between
March and August
Environment - current issues:

limited natural fresh water resources; some of

world's largest and most sophisticated desalination
facilities provide much of the water; air and water
pollution; desertification
Environment - international
agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate

Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification,

Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
Protection
signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping
Geography - note:

strategic location at head of Persian Gulf

People

Kuwait

Top of Page

Population:

2,505,559
note: includes 1,291,354 non-nationals (July 2007 est.)
Age structure:

0-14 years: 26.7% (male 340,814/female 328,663)

15-64 years: 70.5% (male 1,128,231/female 636,967)
65 years and over: 2.8% (male 44,542/female 26,342) (2007 est.)
Median age:

total: 26 years
male: 27.9 years
female: 22.4 years (2007 est.)
Population
growth rate: 3.561%

note: this rate reflects a return to pre-Gulf crisis immigration of

expatriates (2007 est.)
Birth rate:

21.95 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Death rate:

2.39 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Net migration
rate: 16.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.037 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.771 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.691 male(s)/female
total population: 1.526 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality
rate: total: 9.47 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 10.48 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 8.42 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy
at birth: total population: 77.36 years
male: 76.25 years
female: 78.52 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility
rate: 2.86 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult
prevalence rate: 0.12% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS people living NA
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS deaths: NA
Nationality:
noun: Kuwaiti(s)
adjective: Kuwaiti
Ethnic groups:
Kuwaiti 45%, other Arab 35%, South Asian 9%, Iranian 4%, other 7%
Religions:
Muslim 85% (Sunni 70%, Shi'a 30%), other (includes Christian, Hindu,
Parsi) 15%
Languages:
Arabic (official), English widely spoken
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.3%
male: 94.4%
female: 91% (2005 census)

Government

Kuwait

Top of Page

Country name:

conventional long form: State of Kuwait

conventional short form: Kuwait
local long form: Dawlat al Kuwayt
local short form: Al Kuwayt
Government
type: constitutional emirate
Capital:
name: Kuwait
geographic coordinates: 29 22 N, 47 58 E
time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
Administrative
divisions: 6 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Ahmadi, Al
'Asimah, Al Farwaniyah, Al Jahra', Hawalli, Mubarak Al Kabir
Independence:
19 June 1961 (from UK)
National
holiday: National Day, 25 February (1950)
Constitution:
approved and promulgated 11 November 1962
Legal system:
civil law system with Islamic law significant in personal matters; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
NA years of age; universal (adult); note - males in the military or police
are not allowed to vote; adult females were allowed to vote as of 16 May
2005; all voters must have been citizens for 20 years
Executive
branch: chief of state: Amir SABAH al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah (since 29
January 2006); Crown Prince NAWAF al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah
head of government: Prime Minister NASIR MUHAMMAD al-Ahmad
al-Sabah (since 3 April 2007); First Deputy Prime Minister JABIR
Mubarak al-Hamad al-Sabah (since 9 February 2006); Deputy Prime
Ministers MUHAMMAD al-Sabah al-Salim al-Sabah (since 9 February
2006) and Faysal al-HAJJI (since 5 April 2007)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister and
approved by the amir
elections: none; the amir is hereditary; the amir appoints the prime
minister and deputy prime ministers
Legislative
branch: unicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-Umma (50 seats; members
elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms; all cabinet ministers are
also ex officio voting members of the National Assembly)
elections: last held 29 June 2006 (next election to be held in 2010)
election results: percent of vote by bloc - NA; seats by bloc - Islamic
Bloc (Sunni) 17, Popular Bloc 9, National Action Bloc (liberals) 8,

independents 16
Judicial branch:

High Court of Appeal

Political parties
and leaders: none; formation of political parties is in practice illegal, but is not
forbidden by law
Political
pressure groups a number of political groups act as de facto parties; several legislative
and leaders: blocs operate in the National Assembly: tribal groups, merchants, Shi'a
activists, Islamists, secular liberals and pro-government deputies; in mid2006, a coalition of Islamists, liberals, and Shia campaigned successfully
for electoral reform to reduce corruption
International
organization ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, BDEAC, CAEU, FAO, G-77, GCC,
participation: IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO,
ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC,
PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNWTO, UPU,
WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic
representation chief of mission: Ambassador SALIM al-Abdallah al-Jabir al-Sabah
in the US: chancery: 2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 966-0702
FAX: [1] (202) 966-0517
Diplomatic
representation chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Alan
from the US: MISENHEIMER
embassy: Bayan 36302, Area 14, Al-Masjed Al-Aqsa Street (near the
Bayan palace), Kuwait City
mailing address: P. O. Box 77 Safat 13001 Kuwait; or PSC 1280 APO
AE 09880-9000
telephone: [965] 259-1001
FAX: [965] 538-0282
Flag
description: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a black
trapezoid based on the hoist side; design, which dates to 1961, based on
the Arab revolt flag of World War I

Economy

Kuwait

Top of Page

Economy overview: Kuwait is a small, rich, relatively open economy with self-reported crude
oil reserves of about 104 billion barrels - 10% of world reserves.
Petroleum accounts for nearly half of GDP, 95% of export revenues, and
80% of government income. High oil prices in recent years have helped
build Kuwait's budget and trade surpluses and foreign reserves. As a
result of this positive fiscal situation, the need for economic reforms is
less urgent and the government has not earnestly pushed through new
initiatives. Despite its vast oil reserves, Kuwait experienced power
outages during the summer months in 2006 and 2007 because demand
exceeded power generating capacity. Power outages are likely to worsen,

given its high population growth rates, unless the government can
increase generating capacity. In May 2007 Kuwait changed its currency
peg from the US dollar to a basket of currencies in order to curb inflation
and to reduce its vulnerability to external shocks.
GDP
(purchasing $138.6 billion (2007 est.)
power parity):
GDP (official
exchange rate): $103.4 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real
growth rate: 5.6% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita
(PPP): $55,300 (2007 est.)
GDP composition by agriculture: 0.4%
sector: industry: 54.7%
services: 44.9% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
1.167 million
note: non-Kuwaitis represent about 80% of the labor force (2007 est.)
Labor force - by
occupation: agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Unemployment
rate: 2.2% (2004 est.)
Population
below poverty NA%
line:
Household
income or lowest 10%: NA%
consumption by highest 10%: NA%
percentage
share:
Inflation rate
(consumer 3.9% (2007 est.)
prices):
Investment
(gross fixed): 20.9% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $66.92 billion
expenditures: $36.39 billion (2007 est.)
Public debt:
7.8% of GDP (2007 est.)
Agriculture products: practically no crops; fish
Industries:
petroleum, petrochemicals, cement, shipbuilding and repair, water
desalination, food processing, construction materials

Industrial
production 0.8% (2007 est.)
growth rate:
Electricity production: 41.11 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity consumption: 36.28 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity exports: 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity imports: 0 kWh (2005)
Oil - production:
2.669 million bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil consumption: 333,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - exports:
2.2 million bbl/day (2004)
Oil - imports:
2,611 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - proved
reserves: 104 billion bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas production: 11.8 billion cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas consumption: 11.8 billion cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas exports: 0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas imports: 0 cu m (2005)
Natural gas proved 1.521 trillion cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
reserves:
Current account
balance: $51.49 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$59.57 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports commodities: oil and refined products, fertilizers
Exports partners: Japan 20.4%, South Korea 16.2%, Taiwan 10.8%, Singapore 9.7%, US
9%, Netherlands 5.3%, China 4.1% (2006)
Imports:
$17.74 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports commodities: food, construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing
Imports partners: US 14.1%, Germany 7.9%, Japan 7.8%, Saudi Arabia 6.8%, China 5.7%,
UK 5.4%, Italy 4.6% (2006)

Economic aid recipient: $2.6 million (2004)

Reserves of
foreign $19.63 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
exchange and
gold:
Debt - external:
$33.61 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct
foreign $818 million (2006 est.)
investment - at
home:
Stock of direct
foreign $13.3 billion (2006 est.)
investment abroad:
Market value of
publicly traded $128.9 billion (2006)
shares:
Currency
(code): Kuwaiti dinar (KD)
Exchange rates:
Kuwaiti dinars per US dollar - 0.2844 (2007), 0.29 (2006), 0.292 (2005),
0.2947 (2004), 0.298 (2003)
Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications Kuwait

Top of Page

Telephones main lines in 510,300 (2005)

use:
Telephones mobile cellular: 2.536 million (2006)
Telephone
system: general assessment: the quality of service is excellent
domestic: new telephone exchanges provide a large capacity for new
subscribers; trunk traffic is carried by microwave radio relay, coaxial
cable, and open-wire and fiber-optic cable; a cellular telephone system
operates throughout Kuwait, and the country is well supplied with pay
telephones
international: country code - 965; linked to international submarine
cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); linked to Bahrain,
Qatar, UAE via the Fiber-Optic Gulf (FOG) cable; coaxial cable and
microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat
(1 Atlantic Ocean, 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean), and 2
Arabsat
Radio broadcast
stations: AM 6, FM 11, shortwave 1 (1998)
Television
broadcast 13 (plus several satellite channels) (1997)

stations:
Internet country
code: .kw
Internet hosts:
2,013 (2007)
Internet users:
816,700 (2006)

Transportation

Kuwait

Top of Page

Airports:

7 (2007)
Airports - with
paved runways: total: 4
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with
unpaved total: 3
runways: 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2007)
Heliports:
4 (2007)
Pipelines:
gas 269 km; oil 540 km; refined products 57 km (2007)
Roadways:
total: 5,749 km
paved: 4,887 km
unpaved: 862 km (2004)
Merchant
marine: total: 38 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,195,831 GRT/3,566,308 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 1, container 6, liquefied gas 5, livestock
carrier 3, petroleum tanker 21
registered in other countries: 28 (Bahrain 3, Comoros 1, Liberia 1, Libya
1, Panama 1, Qatar 7, Saudi Arabia 6, UAE 8) (2007)
Ports and
terminals: Ash Shu'aybah, Ash Shuwaykh, Az Zawr (Mina' Sa'ud), Mina' 'Abd
Allah, Mina' al Ahmadi

Military

Kuwait

Top of Page

Military
branches: Land Forces, Kuwaiti Navy, Kuwaiti Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya
al-Kuwaitiya), National Guard (2007)
Military service
age and 18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; reserve
obligation: obligation to age 40 with 1 month annual training; women have served in
police forces since 1999 (2006)
Manpower
available for males age 18-49: 864,745
military service: females age 18-49: 467,120 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for

military service: males age 18-49: 737,292
females age 18-49: 405,207 (2005 est.)
Manpower
reaching males age 18-49: 18,743
military service females age 18-49: 20,065 (2005 est.)
age annually:
Military
expenditures - 5.3% (2006)
percent of GDP:
Transnational
Top of Page
Kuwait
Issues
Disputes international: Kuwait and Saudi Arabia continue negotiating a joint maritime boundary
with Iran; no maritime boundary exists with Iraq in the Persian Gulf
Trafficking in
persons: current situation: Kuwait is a destination country for men and women
who migrate legally from South and Southeast Asia for domestic or lowskilled labor, but are subjected to conditions of involuntary servitude by
employers in Kuwait including conditions of physical and sexual abuse,
non-payment of wages, confinement to the home, and withholding of
passports to restrict their freedom of movement; Kuwait is reportedly a
transit point for South and East Asian workers recruited for low-skilled
work in Iraq; some of these workers are deceived as to the true location
and nature of this work, and others are subjected to conditions of
involuntary servitude in Iraq; in past years, Kuwait was also a
destination country for children exploited as camel jockeys, but this form
of trafficking appears to have ceased
tier rating: Tier 3 - insufficient efforts in 2006 to prosecute and punish
abusive employers and those who traffic women for sexual exploitation;
the government failed for the third year in a row to live up to promises to
provide shelter and protective services for victims of involuntary
domestic servitude and other forms of trafficking

Country profile: Ethiopia

Ethiopia is Africa's oldest independent
country. Apart from a five-year
occupation by Mussolini's Italy, it has
never been

AT-A-GLANCE

colonised.
But the nation
is better
known for its

periodic droughts and

famines, its

long civil conflict and a border

war with
OVERVIEW

Eritrea.

OVERVIEW |
FACTS | LEADERS
| MEDIA

In the first
Ethiopia
Britain, whose
Italians in
Selassie back
British

Politics: Prime Minister Meles

Zenawi is in his third term.
Secessionist groups maintain a
low-level armed struggle
Economy: Ethiopia depends
heavily on agriculture, which is
often affected by drought. Coffee
is a key export and vulnerable to
price fluctuations

part of the 20th century

forged strong links with
troops helped evict the
1941 and put Emperor Haile
on his throne. From the 1960s

International: Eritrea hived off influence gave way to that of

the US, which

in 1993 and a border dispute

Soviet Union.

escalated into full-scale war in

Although

1999. Border tensions persist.

that have

Ethiopian troops helped oust the plagued other African

countries,

Islamists who controlled southern Ethiopia's turmoil has been no

less

Somalia for six months until the

devastating. Drought, famine,

war and ill-

end of 2006

conceived policies brought

millions to the
1970s and

Timeline

in turn was supplanted by the

largely free from the coups

brink of starvation in the

1980s.

In 1974 this helped topple Haile Selassie. His regime was replaced by a selfproclaimed Marxist junta led by Mengistu Haile Mariam under which many
thousands of opponents were purged or killed, property was confiscated and
defence spending spiralled.
The overthrow of the junta in 1991 saw political and economic conditions
stabilise, but not enough to restore investors' confidence.
Eritrea gained independence in 1993 following a referendum. Poor border

demarcation developed into military conflict and full-scale war in the late
1990s in which tens of thousands of people were killed.
A fragile truce has held, but the UN says ongoing disputes over the
demarcation of the border threaten peace.
Ethiopia is one of Africa's poorest states. Almost two-thirds of its people are
illiterate. The economy revolves around agriculture, which in turn relies on
rainfall. The country is one of Africa's leading coffee producers.
Many Ethiopians depend on food aid from abroad. In 2004 the government
began a drive to move more than two million people away from the arid
highlands of the east in an attempt to provide a lasting solution to food
shortages.
At the end of 2006 Ethiopia sent between 5,000 and 10,000 troops into
Somalia to support forces of the weak transitional government there and
helped to oust the Islamists who had controlled southern Somalia for six
months.
FACTS
OVERVIEW | FACTS | LEADERS | MEDIA

Full name: Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

Population: 83.1 million (UN, 2007)
Capital: Addis Ababa
Area: 1.13 million sq km (437,794 sq miles)
Major languages: Amharic, Oromo, Tigrinya, Somali
Major religions: Christianity, Islam
Life expectancy: 52 years (men), 54 years (women) (UN)
Monetary unit: 1 Birr = 100 cents
Main exports: Coffee, hides, oilseeds, beeswax, sugarcane
GNI per capita: US $160 (World Bank, 2006)
Internet domain: .et
International dialling code: +251
LEADERS
OVERVIEW | FACTS | LEADERS | MEDIA

Head of state: President Woldegiorgis Girma

Prime minister: Meles Zenawi
Meles Zenawi's Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF)
won bitterly contested elections in May 2005, despite a swing to the
opposition. The win paved the way for his third five-year stint as prime
minister.
But the opposition cried foul and their supporters took to the streets. Around
36 people were killed and hundreds were arrested in the protests; 46

protesters died in further violence in November.

Mr Meles accused the opposition of planning to topple his government; his
critics said a campaign against political dissent was under way. Senior
opposition figures and journalists were among those detained and charged
with treason in the wake of the 2005 protests. Western donors cut direct aid
in protest at the crackdown.
Meles Zenawi is a veteran of the guerrilla campaign against the Mengistu
regime and was chosen as transitional head of state after the dictator was
overthrown in 1991. Once a Marxist-Leninist, by the 1990s he had become a
champion of the free market and parliamentary democracy.
He was one of the architects of the 1994 constitution, which provided for a
federal republic with ethnically-based regions. In 1995 he became prime
minister and won a second five-year term in 2000 in Ethiopia's first multiparty elections.
MEDIA
OVERVIEW | FACTS | LEADERS | MEDIA

Radio is the medium of choice, reaching the rural areas where most
Ethiopians live.
Although the state controls most of Ethiopia's radio stations and the sole
national TV network, the print and broadcast media have seen dramatic
changes since the fall of Mengistu in the early 1990s.
Deregulation has been on the cards for some years and in 2006 licences
were awarded to two private FM stations in the capital.
Some opposition groups beam radio broadcasts to Ethiopia using hired
shortwave transmitters overseas.
The number of privately-owned newspapers has grown; some are available
online. Press circulation is largely confined to the literate urban elite.
The private press offers quite different reporting to the state-owned
newspapers and is often critical of the government.
The relationship between the press and the authorities has sometimes been
difficult. Media rights group Reporters Without Borders cited a "spiral of
repression" against the private media in the wake of the violent protests that
followed the 2005 elections.
The International Press Institute (IPI) reported in its 2006 World Press
Freedom Review that the prosecution of journalists had "almost silenced
independent journalism".
The press
Addis Zemen - state-owned daily
Ethiopian Herald - state-owned English-language daily
The Daily Monitor - private, English-language

Addis Admass - private, Amharic-language weekly

The Reporter - private, English-language web pages
Capital - English-language, business weekly
Addis Fortune - English-language business weekly
Television
Ethiopian Television (ETV) - state-owned
Radio
Radio Ethiopia - state-owned, operates National Service and External
Service and regional stations
FM Addis 97.1 - operated by Addis Ababa city administration
Voice of Tigray Revolution - Tigray Regional State government radio
Radio Fana - founded in 1994 by ruling party
News agencies
Walta Information Centre (WIC) - privately-owned, pro-government
Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) - state-owned

Country profile: Ethiopia

Ethiopia is Africa's oldest independent
country. Apart from a five-year
occupation by Mussolini's Italy, it has
never been colonised.
But the nation is better known for its periodic
droughts and famines, its long civil conflict
and a border war with Eritrea.
OVERVIEW
OVERVIEW | FACTS | LEADERS | MEDIA

In the first part of the 20th century Ethiopia forged strong links with Britain,
whose troops helped evict the Italians in 1941 and put Emperor Haile
Selassie back on his throne. From the 1960s British influence gave way to
that of the US, which in turn was supplanted by the Soviet Union.

Although largely free from the coups that

AT-A-GLANCE

have plagued other African countries,

Ethiopia's turmoil has been no less
devastating. Drought, famine, war and illconceived policies brought millions to the
brink of starvation in the 1970s and 1980s.
In 1974 this helped topple Haile Selassie. His
regime was replaced by a self-proclaimed
Marxist junta led by Mengistu Haile Mariam
under which many thousands of opponents
were purged or killed, property was
confiscated and defence spending spiralled.
The overthrow of the junta in 1991 saw
political and economic conditions stabilise,

Politics: Prime Minister Meles

Zenawi is in his third term.
Secessionist groups maintain a
low-level armed struggle
Economy: Ethiopia depends
heavily on agriculture, which is
often affected by drought. Coffee

but not enough to restore investors'

is a key export and vulnerable to

confidence.

price fluctuations

Eritrea gained independence in 1993

International: Eritrea hived off

following a referendum. Poor border

in 1993 and a border dispute

demarcation developed into military conflict

escalated into full-scale war in

and full-scale war in the late 1990s in which

1999. Border tensions persist.

tens of thousands of people were killed.

Ethiopian troops helped oust the

A fragile truce has held, but the UN says

Islamists who controlled southern

ongoing disputes over the demarcation of the

border threaten peace.
Ethiopia is one of Africa's poorest states.
Almost two-thirds of its people are illiterate.

Somalia for six months until the

end of 2006
Timeline

The economy revolves around agriculture, which in turn relies on rainfall.

The country is one of Africa's leading coffee producers.
Many Ethiopians depend on food aid from abroad. In 2004 the government
began a drive to move more than two million people away from the arid
highlands of the east in an attempt to provide a lasting solution to food
shortages.
At the end of 2006 Ethiopia sent between 5,000 and 10,000 troops into
Somalia to support forces of the weak transitional government there and
helped to oust the Islamists who had controlled southern Somalia for six
months.
FACTS
OVERVIEW | FACTS | LEADERS | MEDIA

Full name: Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

Population: 83.1 million (UN, 2007)

Capital: Addis Ababa

Area: 1.13 million sq km (437,794 sq miles)
Major languages: Amharic, Oromo, Tigrinya, Somali
Major religions: Christianity, Islam
Life expectancy: 52 years (men), 54 years (women) (UN)
Monetary unit: 1 Birr = 100 cents
Main exports: Coffee, hides, oilseeds, beeswax, sugarcane
GNI per capita: US $160 (World Bank, 2006)
Internet domain: .et
International dialling code: +251
LEADERS
OVERVIEW | FACTS | LEADERS | MEDIA

Head of state: President Woldegiorgis Girma

Prime minister: Meles Zenawi
Meles Zenawi's Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF)
won bitterly contested elections in May 2005,
despite a swing to the opposition. The win
paved the way for his third five-year stint as
prime minister.
But the opposition cried foul and their
supporters took to the streets. Around 36
people were killed and hundreds were
arrested in the protests; 46 protesters died in Meles Zenawi: From Marxist to
further violence in November.

free marketeer

Mr Meles accused the opposition of planning to topple his government; his

critics said a campaign against political dissent was under way. Senior
opposition figures and journalists were among those detained and charged
with treason in the wake of the 2005 protests. Western donors cut direct aid
in protest at the crackdown.
Meles Zenawi is a veteran of the guerrilla campaign against the Mengistu
regime and was chosen as transitional head of state after the dictator was
overthrown in 1991. Once a Marxist-Leninist, by the 1990s he had become a
champion of the free market and parliamentary democracy.
He was one of the architects of the 1994 constitution, which provided for a
federal republic with ethnically-based regions. In 1995 he became prime
minister and won a second five-year term in 2000 in Ethiopia's first multiparty elections.
MEDIA
OVERVIEW | FACTS | LEADERS | MEDIA

Radio is the medium of choice, reaching the rural areas where most
Ethiopians live.
Although the state controls most of Ethiopia's radio stations and the sole
national TV network, the print and broadcast media have seen dramatic
changes since the fall of Mengistu in the early 1990s.
Deregulation has been on the cards for some years and in 2006 licences
were awarded to two private FM stations in the capital.
Some opposition groups beam radio broadcasts to Ethiopia using hired
shortwave transmitters overseas.
The number of privately-owned newspapers has grown; some are available
online. Press circulation is largely confined to the literate urban elite.
The private press offers quite different reporting to the state-owned
newspapers and is often critical of the government.
The relationship between the press and the authorities has sometimes been
difficult. Media rights group Reporters Without Borders cited a "spiral of
repression" against the private media in the wake of the violent protests that
followed the 2005 elections.
The International Press Institute (IPI) reported in its 2006 World Press
Freedom Review that the prosecution of journalists had "almost silenced
independent journalism".
The press
Addis Zemen - state-owned daily
Ethiopian Herald - state-owned English-language daily
The Daily Monitor - private, English-language
Addis Admass - private, Amharic-language weekly
The Reporter - private, English-language web pages
Capital - English-language, business weekly
Addis Fortune - English-language business weekly
Television
Ethiopian Television (ETV) - state-owned
Radio
Radio Ethiopia - state-owned, operates National Service and External
Service and regional stations
FM Addis 97.1 - operated by Addis Ababa city administration
Voice of Tigray Revolution - Tigray Regional State government radio
Radio Fana - founded in 1994 by ruling party
News agencies
Walta Information Centre (WIC) - privately-owned, pro-government
Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) - state-owned

Country profile: Kuwait

Kuwait is a small, oil-rich country
nestling at the top of the Gulf, flanked by
large or powerful neighbours - Saudi
Arabia to the south, Iraq to the north and
Iran to the east.
Its oil fields were first exploited in the 1930s,
and since the development of the petroleum
industry after World War II and independence in 1961, oil has dominated the
economy, making up around 90% of export
revenues.
OVERVIEW

AT-A-GLANCE

OVERVIEW | FACTS | LEADERS | MEDIA

In 1991, the country was the scene of a

massive US-led international military
campaign to oust Iraqi forces, which had
invaded the year before. Operation Desert
Storm saw their eventual removal, but
Kuwait's infrastructure was left in bad shape

Politics: The elected parliament

and had to be rebuilt. Oil exports stopped for has often clashed with the ruling
a time.
Twelve years later, Kuwait played host to
another massive military presence as
thousands of soldiers massed on the Iraqi
border for the US-led campaign in 2003 to
disarm and oust the Iraqi leader Saddam
Hussein. It remains an important transit

family; the country has faced

violence from militant Islamists
Economy: Kuwait is one of the
world's leading oil producers
International: Kuwait was
invaded and occupied by Iraq in
1990; it served as a springboard
for the invasion of Iraq in 2003

route for forces and civilians moving in and

out of Iraq.

Timeline

Kuwait was the first Arab country in the Gulf to have an elected parliament.
Moves to change the male-dominated political structure culminated in the
granting of full political rights to women in 2005.
In 1999 the country's then ruler, Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah, issued a
decree giving women full political rights, but the move was narrowly
defeated in the National Assembly.
In May 2005 parliament gave women the right to vote and stand as
candidates in elections for the 50-seat National Assembly.
Kuwait has faced a recent spate of militant violence. Security forces have

clashed with Islamist militants, some of whom are alleged to have links with
al-Qaeda. The authorities say extremist groups have plotted attacks on
Western targets.
FACTS
OVERVIEW | FACTS | LEADERS | MEDIA

Full name: The State of Kuwait

Population: 2.9 million (UN, 2007)
Capital: Kuwait
Area: 17,818 sq km (6,880 sq miles)
Major language: Arabic
Major religion: Islam
Life expectancy: 76 years (men), 80 years (women) (UN)
Monetary unit: 1 Dinar = 1000 fils
Main exports: Oil
GNI per capita: US $24,040 (World Bank, 2006)
Internet domain: .kw
International dialling code: +965
LEADERS
OVERVIEW | FACTS | LEADERS | MEDIA

Emir: Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Jaber alSabah

Sheikh Sabah succeeded Sheikh Saad, who
ruled for just nine days after Sheikh Jaber
died on 15 January 2006 having spent more
than 25 years on the throne.
Parliament voted Sheikh Saad out of office

Sheikh Sabah has been running

day-to-day business for years

because of his ill health.

Sheikh Sabah had been running Kuwait's day-to-day affairs for years. He
became prime minister in 2003 when concern grew about the health of his
predecessor in the post, Sheikh Saad.
Observers expect him to maintain Kuwait's pro-Western stance and to
pursue reforms; his government appointed Kuwait's first woman minister
and he introduced laws which opened the door to foreign investors.
The new emir moved quickly to name his brother as crown prince and his
nephew as prime minister. The jobs, traditionally held by one individual,
were separated in 2003.
The appointment of the crown prince also broke with the tradition of
alternating power between rival branches of the Sabah dynasty.
Born in 1929, Sheikh Sabah was Kuwait's foreign minister for 40 years.

Although he had a heart pacemaker fitted in 1999, he is said to be in good

health.
His predecessor, the late Sheikh Jaber, suffered several years of ill health
following a minor stroke in 2001. He became emir in 1977, having been
prime minister from 1965-78 and heir-apparent from 1966. He survived an
assassination attempt in 1985 and the 1990 Iraqi invasion.
Members of the ruling family hold most of the key cabinet posts.
MEDIA
OVERVIEW | FACTS | LEADERS | MEDIA

Kuwait has some of the most outspoken newspapers in the Arab world, often
aggressive in their coverage of politics and the government.
Journalists enjoy greater freedoms than some of their regional counterparts,
but restraint is exercised when covering matters relating to the emir and
senior royals.
A press law forbids insulting references to God and the Prophet, and
prescribes prison sentences for transgressors.
State-owned television and radio stations operate alongside recentlylaunched private broadcasters. Satellite dishes are widely used and enable
viewers to watch popular pan-Arab TV stations.
Newspaper publishers must have licences from the Ministry of Information.
The ministry censors books, films, periodicals and other imported
publications deemed morally offensive.
BBC World Service is available on FM in Kuwait City.
The press
Al-Watan - private, daily
Al-Qabas - private, daily
Al-Rai al-Amm - private, daily
Kuwait Times - English-language
Arab Times - English-language
Television
Kuwaiti TV - state-run, operates three networks and satellite channel
Al-Rai - first private TV station, via satellite
Flash TV - private
Radio
Radio Kuwait - state-run, programmes in English and Arabic
Marina FM - first private radio station, music-based
News agency
Kuwait News Agency (Kuna) - in Arabic and English