29 30 N, 45 45 E

Map references:

Middle East

Area:

total: 17,820 sq km land: 17,820 sq km water: 0 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: 0.84% permanent crops: 0.17% other: 98.99% (2005)

Irrigated land:

130 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

0.02 cu km (1997)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 0.44 cu km/yr (45%/2%/52%) per capita: 164 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

sudden cloudbursts are common from October to April and 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: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping

Geography - note:

strategic location at head of Persian Gulf

People
Kuwait

Population:

2,596,799 note: includes 1,291,354 non-nationals (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 26.6% (male 351,057/female 338,634) 15-64 years: 70.6% (male 1,172,460/female 659,927) 65 years and over: 2.9% (male 46,770/female 27,951) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 26.1 years male: 28 years female: 22.6 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

3.591% note: this rate reflects a return to pre-Gulf crisis immigration of expatriates (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

21.9 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

2.37 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

16.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.78 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.67 male(s)/female total population: 1.53 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 9.22 deaths/1,000 live births male: 10.2 deaths/1,000 live births female: 8.21 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 77.53 years male: 76.38 years female: 78.73 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

2.81 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.12% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: