Location: Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia Area: total: 17,820 sq km land: 17,820 sq km water: 0 sq km Climate: dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters Terrain: flat to slightly undulating desert plain Capital: Kuwait Administrative divisions: 5 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Ahmadi, Al Farwaniyah, Al'Asimah, Al Jahra', Hawalli Population: 2,335,648 note: includes 1,291,354 non-nationals (2005 est.) Ethnic groups: Kuwaiti 45%, other Arab 35%, South Asian 9%, Iranian 4%, other 7% Nationality: noun: Kuwaiti(s) adjective: Kuwaiti Languages: Arabic (official), English widely spoken Religions: Muslim 85% (Sunni 70%, Shi'a 30%), Christian, Hindu, Parsi, and other 15% Literacy: 97.9%

Government type: nominal constitutional monarchy Executive branch: • chief of state: Amir JABIR al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah (since 31 December 1977); Crown Prince SAAD al-Abdullah al-Salim al-Sabah • head of government: Prime Minister SABAH al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah (since 13 July 2003); First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior NAWWAF al- Ahmad al-Sabah (since 2003); Deputy Prime Ministers JABIR MUBARAK al-Hamad al-Sabah (since 2001) and Muhammad Dayfallah al-SHARAR (since 2003) • cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister and approved by the monarch • elections: none; the monarch is hereditary National Holiday: National Day, 25 Febuary (1950) ACD Member: ACD Member since 2003 Prime Mover (PM) on Working Group: None Co-Prime Mover on Working Group: None Kuwait government official web site : www.kuwait.kw

GDP: $983.3 billion (2005 est.) GDP per capita: $20,300 (2005 est.) Currency (code): Kuwaiti dinar (KD) Exports - commodities: oil Exports - partners: Japan, South Korea, US, Singapore, Taiwan Imports - commodities: capital goods, consumer goods 1) Imports - partners: US, Germany, Japan, UK, Saudi Arabia, Italy, France, China Agriculture - products: practically no crop; fish Industries: petroleum, petrochemicals, cement, ship building and repair, desalination, food processing, construction materials Source: The World Fact Book 2005 (www.cia.gov) 1) www.cbk.gov.kw