an Gulf 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 306 m

Natural resources: petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 8%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 92% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 20 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: sudden cloudbursts are common from October to April,
they bring inordinate amounts of 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: 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: 1,913,285 (July 1998 est.)
note: includes 1,168,185 non-nationals (July 1998 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 32% (male 338,933; female 279,087)
15-64 years: 66% (male 811,713; female 444,679)
65 years and over: 2% (male 23,642; female 15,231) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate: 4.1% (1998 est.)
note: this rate reflects the continued post-Gulf crisis return of
expatriates

Birth rate: 20.97 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 2.29 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: 22.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.21 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.82 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.55 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 10.74 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.78 years
male: 74.76 years
female: 78.91 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.44 children born/woman (1998 est.)

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