FAX: 538-0282

FAX: (202) 966-0517

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
James A. LAROCCO

embassy: Bayan, near the Bayan palace, Kuwait City

mailing address: P. O. Box 77 Safat, 13001 Safat, Kuwait Unit 69000, APO AE 09880-9000

telephone: 539-5307

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a black trapezoid based on the hoist side

Kuwait Economy

Economy - overview: Kuwait is a small, relatively open economy with proved crude oil reserves of about 94 billion barrels - 10% of world reserves. Petroleum accounts for nearly half of GDP, 90% of export revenues, and 75% of government income. Kuwait's climate limits agricultural development. Consequently, with the exception of fish, it depends almost wholly on food imports. About 75% of potable water must be distilled or imported. Higher oil prices put the FY99/00 budget into a $2 billion surplus. The FY00/01 budget covers only nine months because of a change in the fiscal year. The budget for FY01/02, which begins 1 April, contains higher expenditures for salaries, construction, and other general categories. Kuwait continues its discussions with foreign oil companies to develop fields in the northern part of the country.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $29.3 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 6% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $15,000 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 0%

industry: 55%

services: 45% (1996)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%

highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3% (2000)

Labor force: 1.3 million (1998 est.)

note: 68% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (July 1998 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services
NA%

Unemployment rate: 1.8% (official 1996 est.)

Budget: revenues: $11.5 billion

expenditures: $17.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY01/02)

Industries: petroleum, petrochemicals, desalination, food processing, construction materials

Industrial production growth rate: 1% (1997 est.)

Electricity - production: 31.567 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100%

hydro: 0%

nuclear: 0%

other: 0% (1999)

Electricity - consumption: 29.357 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products: practically no crops; fish

Exports: $23.2 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Exports - commodities: oil and refined products, fertilizers

Exports - partners: Japan 23%, US 12%, Singapore 8%, Netherlands 7% (1999)

Imports: $7.6 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Imports - commodities: food, construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing

Imports - partners: US 15%, Japan 10%, UK 7%, Germany 7% (1999)

Debt - external: $6.9 billion (2000 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: $27.6 million (1995)

Currency: Kuwaiti dinar (KWD)

Currency code: KWD

Exchange rates: Kuwaiti dinars per US dollar - 0.3057 (January 2001), 0.3067 (2000), 0.3044 (1999), 0.3047 (1998), 0.3033 (1997), 0.2994 (1996)

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Kuwait Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 412,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 210,000 (1997)

Telephone system: general assessment: the quality of service is excellent

domestic: new telephone exchanges provide a large capacity for new subscribers; trunk traffic is carried by microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, open wire, and fiber-optic cable; a cellular telephone system operates throughout Kuwait, and the country is well supplied with pay telephones

international: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; linked to Bahrain, Qatar, UAE via the Fiber-Optic Gulf (FOG) cable; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean, 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean), and 2 Arabsat

Radio broadcast stations: AM 6, FM 11, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios: 1.175 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 13 (plus several satellite channels) (1997)

Televisions: 875,000 (1997)

Internet country code: .kw

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 3 (2000)

Internet users: 100,000 (2000)

Kuwait Transportation

Railways: 0 km

Highways: total: 4,450 km

paved: 3,590 km

unpaved: 860 km (1999 est.)

Waterways: none

Pipelines: crude oil 877 km; petroleum products 40 km; natural gas 165 km

Ports and harbors: Ash Shu'aybah, Ash Shuwaykh, Kuwait, Mina' 'Abd
Allah, Mina' al Ahmadi, Mina' Su'ud

Merchant marine: total: 45 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,461,072 GRT/3,966,645 DWT

ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 6, container 6, liquefied gas 7, livestock carrier 5, petroleum tanker 20 (2000 est.)

Airports: 8 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 4

over 3,047 m: 2

2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 4

1,524 to 2,437 m: 1

under 914 m: 3 (2000 est.)

Heliports: 3 (2000 est.)

Kuwait Military

Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police Force,
National Guard, Coast Guard

Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 780,559 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 466,521 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 18,309 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $1.9 billion (FY00/01)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 8.7% (FY00/01)

Kuwait Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: in November 1994, Iraq formally accepted the UN-demarcated border with Kuwait which had been spelled out in Security Council Resolutions 687 (1991), 773 (1993), and 883 (1993); this formally ends earlier claims to Kuwait and to Bubiyan and Warbah islands

@Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan Introduction

Background: A Central Asian country of incredible natural beauty and proud nomadic traditions, Kyrgyzstan was annexed by Russia in 1864; it achieved independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Current concerns include: privatization of state-owned enterprises, expansion of democracy and political freedoms, inter-ethnic relations, and terrorism.

Kyrgyzstan Geography

Location: Central Asia, west of China

Geographic coordinates: 41 00 N, 75 00 E

Map references: Commonwealth of Independent States

Area: total: 198,500 sq km

land: 191,300 sq km

water: 7,200 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than South Dakota

Land boundaries: total: 3,878 km

border countries: China 858 km, Kazakhstan 1,051 km, Tajikistan 870 km, Uzbekistan 1,099 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: dry continental to polar in high Tien Shan; subtropical in southwest (Fergana Valley); temperate in northern foothill zone

Terrain: peaks of Tien Shan and associated valleys and basins encompass entire nation

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Kara-Darya 132 m

highest point: Jengish Chokusu (Pik Pobedy) 7,439 m

Natural resources: abundant hydropower; significant deposits of gold and rare earth metals; locally exploitable coal, oil, and natural gas; other deposits of nepheline, mercury, bismuth, lead, and zinc

Land use: arable land: 7%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 44%

forests and woodland: 4%

other: 45% (1993 est.)

note: Kyrgyzstan has the world's largest natural growth walnut forest

Irrigated land: 9,000 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: NA

Environment - current issues: water pollution; many people get their water directly from contaminated streams and wells; as a result, water-borne diseases are prevalent; increasing soil salinity from faulty irrigation practices

Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes,
Ozone Layer Protection

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note: landlocked

Kyrgyzstan People

Population: 4,753,003 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 35.03% (male 841,029; female 823,723)

15-64 years: 58.83% (male 1,369,842; female 1,426,522)

65 years and over: 6.14% (male 110,340; female 181,547) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.44% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 26.18 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 9.13 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: -2.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.61 male(s)/female

total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 76.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 63.46 years

male: 59.2 years

female: 67.94 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.19 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: less than 0.01% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: less than 100 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 100 (1999 est.)

Nationality: noun: Kyrgyzstani(s)

adjective: Kyrgyzstani

Ethnic groups: Kirghiz 52.4%, Russian 18%, Uzbek 12.9%, Ukrainian 2.5%, German 2.4%, other 11.8%

Religions: Muslim 75%, Russian Orthodox 20%, other 5%

Languages: Kirghiz (Kyrgyz) - official language, Russian - official language

note: in May 2000, the Kyrgyzstani legislature made Russian an official language, equal in status to Kirghiz

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 97%

male: 99%

female: 96% (1989 est.)

Kyrgyzstan Government

Country name: conventional long form: Kyrgyz Republic

conventional short form: Kyrgyzstan

local long form: Kyrgyz Respublikasy

local short form: none

former: Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic

Government type: republic

Capital: Bishkek

Administrative divisions: 7 oblastlar (singular - oblast) and 1
city* (singular - shaar); Batken Oblasty, Bishkek Shaary*, Chuy
Oblasty (Bishkek), Jalal-Abad Oblasty, Naryn Oblasty, Osh Oblasty,
Talas Oblasty, Ysyk-Kol Oblasty (Karakol)

note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)

Independence: 31 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

National holiday: Independence Day, 31 August (1991)

Constitution: adopted 5 May 1993; note - amendment proposed by President AKAYEV and passed in a national referendum on 10 February 1996 significantly expands the powers of the president at the expense of the legislature

Legal system: based on civil law system

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Askar AKAYEV (since 28
October 1990)

head of government: Prime Minister Kurmanbek BAKIYEV (since 22 December 2000)

cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister

elections: president reelected by popular vote for a five-year term; elections last held 29 October 2000 (next to be held November or December 2005); prime minister appointed by the president

election results: Askar AKAYEV reelected president; percent of vote - Askar AKAYEV 74%, Omurbek TEKEBAYEV 14%, other candidates 12%; note - election marred by serious irregularities

Legislative branch: bicameral Supreme Council or Zhogorku Kenesh consists of the Assembly of People's Representatives (70 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the Legislative Assembly (35 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections: Assembly of People's Representatives - last held 20 February and 12 March 2000 (next to be held NA February 2005); Legislative Assembly - last held 20 February and 12 March 2000 (next to be held NA February 2005)

election results: Assembly of People's Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; percent of vote by party - NA; and Legislative Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; note - total seats by party in the Supreme Council were as follows: Union of Democratic Forces 12, Communists 6, My Country Party of Action 4, independents 73, other 10

note: the legislature became bicameral for the 5 February 1995 elections; the 2000 election results include both the Assembly of People's Representatives and the Legislative Assembly

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (judges are appointed for 10-year terms by the Supreme Council on the recommendation of the president); Constitutional Court; Higher Court of Arbitration

Political parties and leaders: Agrarian Labor Party of Kyrgyzstan
[Uson S. SYDYKOV]; Agrarian Party of Kyrgyzstan [Arkin ALIYEV];
Ata-Meken Socialist Party or Fatherland [Onurbek TEKEBAYEV]; Banner
National Revival Party or ASABA [Chaprashty BAZARBAY]; Democratic
Movement of Kyrgyzstan or DDK [Jypar JEKSHEYEV]; Democratic Women's
Party of Kyrgyzstan [T. A. SHAILIYEVA]; Dignity Party [Feliks
KULOV]; Erkin Kyrgyzstan Progressive and Democratic Party [Tursunbay
Bakir UULU]; Justice Party [Chingiz AYTMATOV]; Movement for the
People's Salvation [Jumgalbek AMAMBAYEV]; Mutual Help Movement or
Ashar [Jumagazy USUPOV]; My Country of Action [Almazbek ISMANKULOV];
National Unity Democratic Movement or DDNE [Yury RAZGULYAYEV]; Party
of Communists of Kyrgyzstan or KCP [Absamat M. MASALIYEV]; Party of
the Veterans of the War in Afghanistan [leader NA]; Peasant Party
[leader NA]; People's Party [Melis ESHIMKANOV]; Poor and Unprotected
People's Party [Daniyar USENOV]; Republican Popular Party of
Kyrgyzstan [J. SHARSHENALIYEV]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [J.
IBRAMOV]; Union of Democratic Forces (composed of Social Democratic
Party of Kyrgyzstan or PSD [J. IBRAMOV], Economic Revival Party, and
Birimdik Party

Political pressure groups and leaders: Council of Free Trade Unions;
Kyrgyz Committee on Human Rights [Ramazan DYRYIDAYEV]; National
Unity Democratic Movement; Union of Entrepreneurs

International organization participation: AsDB, CCC, CIS, EAPC,
EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent),
ITU, NAM (observer), OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Bakyt ABDRISAYEV

chancery: 1732 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007

telephone: (202) 338-5141