male:
77%
female:
67%
Labor force:
566,000 (1986)
by occupation:
services 45.0%, construction 20.0%, trade 12.0%, manufacturing 8.6%, finance
and real estate 2.6%, agriculture 1.9%, power and water 1.7%, mining and
quarrying 1.4%
note:
70% of labor force was non-Kuwaiti (1986)

*Kuwait, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
State of Kuwait
conventional short form:
Kuwait
local long form:
Dawlat al Kuwayt
local short form:
Al Kuwayt
Digraph:
KU
Type:
nominal constitutional monarchy
Capital:
Kuwait
Administrative divisions:
5 governorates (mu'hafaz'at, singular - muh'afaz'ah); Al Ah'madi, Al Jahrah,
Al Kuwayt, 'Hawalli; Farwaniyah
Independence:
19 June 1961 (from UK)
Constitution:
16 November 1962 (some provisions suspended since 29 August 1962)
Legal system:
civil law system with Islamic law significant in personal matters; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
National Day, 25 February
Political parties and leaders:
none
Other political or pressure groups:
40,000 Palestinian community; small, clandestine leftist and Shi'a
fundamentalist groups are active; several groups critical of government
policies are active
Suffrage:
adult males who resided in Kuwait before 1920 and their male descendants at
age 21
note:
out of all citizens, only 10% are eligible to vote and only 5% actually vote
Elections:
National Assembly:
dissolved 3 July 1986; new elections were held on 5 October 1992 with a
second election in the 14th and 16th constituencies scheduled for 15
February 1993
Executive branch:
amir, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (Majlis al 'umma) dissolved 3 July 1986;
elections for new Assembly held 5 October 1992
Judicial branch:
High Court of Appeal
Leaders:
Chief of State:
Amir Shaykh JABIR al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah (since 31 December 1977)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister and Crown Prince SA'D al-'Abdallah al-Salim al-Sabah (since 8
February 1978); Deputy Prime Minister SABAH al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah
(since 17 October 1992)

*Kuwait, Government

Member of:
ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, BDEAC, CAEU, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GATT, GCC, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC,