.9% (1995 est.)

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: State of Kuwait
conventional short form: Kuwait
local long form: Dawlat al Kuwayt
local short form: Al Kuwayt

Data code: KU

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: approved and promulgated 11 November 1962

Legal system: civil law system with Islamic law significant in
personal matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: adult males who have been naturalized for 30 years or
more or have resided in Kuwait since before 1920 and their male
descendants at age 21
note: only 10% of all citizens are eligible to vote; in 1996,
naturalized citizens who do not meet the pre-1920 qualification but
have been naturalized for 30 years were eligible to vote for the
first time

Executive branch:
chief of state: Amir JABIR al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al Sabah (since 31
December 1977)
head of government: Prime Minister and Crown Prince SAAD al-Abdallah
al-Salim Al Sabah (since 8 February 1978); First Deputy Prime
Minister SABAH al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al Sabah (since 17 October 1992);
Second Deputy Prime Minister SALIM al-Sabah al-Salim Al Sabah (since
7 October 1996)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister and
approved by the monarch
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister and
deputy prime ministers appointed by the monarch

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Majlis
al-Umma (50 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve
four-year terms)
elections: last held 7 October 1996 (next to be held approximately
October 2000)
election results: percent of vote--NA; seats--independents 50;
note--all cabinet ministers are also ex officio members of the
National Assembly

Judicial branch: High Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders: none

Political pressure groups and leaders: several political groups
act as de facto parties: Bedouins, merchants, Sunni and Shi'a
activists, and secular leftists and nationalists

International organization participation: ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL,
AMF, BDEAC, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,