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- 2940 Tilden Street, NW,
Washington DC 20008
Telephone: (202) 966-0702-
- Fax: (202) 364-2868
- Country Information
Key Data
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Region
Middle East
- Population
1,991,115 (July 2000 Estimate)
Area Total
17,820 km
Area Land
17,820 km
Coastline
499 km
Climate
Dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters.
Languages
Arabic (official), English widely spoken
Currency
1 Kuwaiti dinar (KD) = 1,000 fils
Holiday
National Day, 25 February (1950)
Boundaries
Iraq
242 km
Saudi Arabia
222 km
Ethnic Divisions
Kuwaiti 45 %
Other Arab 35 %
South Asian 9 %
Other 7 %
Iranian 4 %
Religions
Muslim 85 %
Christian, Hindu, Parsi, and other 15 %
Largest Cities
City Population
Jahra
139,476
as-Salimija
116,104
Hawalli
84,478
Kuwait City
31,241
People
The first settlers in Kuwait were from the Uteiba section of the Anaiza tribe.
History
Kuwait's modern history began in the early 18th century with the founding of the city of Kuwait by the Anaiza tribe, led by the Sabah family, who had migrated from the interior to the Arabian shore of the Gulf.
Economy
Kuwait is a small and relatively open economy with proved crude oil reserves of about 94 billion barrels‹10% of world reserves.
Agriculture
The agriculture sector in Kuwait contributes a negligible amount to the GDP and employs less than 2% of the labor force.
Energy
Kuwait is a net energy exporter and one of the key members of the organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
Metals
In recent years, output from metal fabricating and cement plants have lessened the necessity of Kuwait importing these products.
Environment
Kuwait's most pressing environmental challenge is its limited water resources
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