on;
desertification

Environment - international agreements: party to: Climate Change,
Desertification, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law
of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection

signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Marine
Dumping

Geography - note: strategic location at head of Persian Gulf

Kuwait People

Population: 2,041,961

note: includes 1,159,913 non-nationals (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 28.76% (male 299,080; female 288,125)

15-64 years: 68.82% (male 897,839; female 507,527)

65 years and over: 2.42% (male 31,843; female 17,547) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.38% (2001 est.)

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

Birth rate: 21.91 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 2.45 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: 14.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.77 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 1.81 male(s)/female

total population: 1.51 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 11.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 76.27 years

male: 75.42 years

female: 77.15 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.2 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.12% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA

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 45%, Shi'a 40%), Christian, Hindu,
Parsi, and other 15%

Languages: Arabic (official), English widely spoken

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 78.6%

male: 82.2%

female: 74.9% (1995 est.)

Kuwait Government

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: nominal constitutional monarchy

Capital: Kuwait

Administrative divisions: 5 governorates (muhafazat, singular -
muhafazah); Al Ahmadi, Al Farwaniyah, Al 'Asimah, Al Jahra', Hawalli

Independence: 19 June 1961 (from UK)

National holiday: National Day, 25 February (1950)

Constitution: app