ea: total: 17,820 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 17,820 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% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 60 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: sudden cloudbursts are common from October to April;
they 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: 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

People Kuwait

Population: 2,111,561 note: includes 1,159,913 non-nationals (July
2002 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 28.3% (male 304,200; female 292,900) 15-64
years: 69.2% (male 934,115; female 527,331) 65 years and over: 2.5%
(male 34,106; female 18,909) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.33% note: this rate reflects a return to
pre-Gulf crisis immigration of expatriates (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 21.84 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 2.46 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: 13.88 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 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:
1.8 male(s)/female total population: 1.52 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 10.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 76.46 years male: 75.56
years female: 77.39 years (2002 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.14 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - a