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Compare Kuwait (2002) - Jamaica (2008)

Compare Kuwait (2002) z Jamaica (2008)

 Kuwait (2002)Jamaica (2008)
 KuwaitJamaica
Administrative divisions 5 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Ahmadi, Al Farwaniyah, Al 'Asimah, Al Jahra', Hawalli 14 parishes; Clarendon, Hanover, Kingston, Manchester, Portland, Saint Andrew, Saint Ann, Saint Catherine, Saint Elizabeth, Saint James, Saint Mary, Saint Thomas, Trelawny, Westmoreland


note: for local government purposes, Kingston and Saint Andrew were amalgamated in 1923 into the present single corporate body known as the Kingston and Saint Andrew Corporation
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.)
0-14 years: 32.5% (male 459,968/female 444,963)


15-64 years: 60.1% (male 822,486/female 848,310)


65 years and over: 7.4% (male 91,856/female 112,549) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products practically no crops; fish sugarcane, bananas, coffee, citrus, yams, ackees, vegetables; poultry, goats, milk; crustaceans, mollusks
Airports 7 (2001) 34 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 3


over 3,047 m: 1


2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2002)
total: 11


2,438 to 3,047 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 4


under 914 m: 5 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 3


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


under 914 m: 2 (2002)
total: 23


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 21 (2007)
Area total: 17,820 sq km


land: 17,820 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 10,991 sq km


land: 10,831 sq km


water: 160 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than New Jersey slightly smaller than Connecticut
Background Britain oversaw foreign relations and defense for the ruling Kuwaiti AL-SABAH dynasty from 1899 until independence in 1961. Kuwait was attacked and overrun by Iraq on 2 August 1990. Following several weeks of aerial bombardment, a US-led UN coalition began a ground assault on 23 February 1991 that completely liberated Kuwait in four days. Kuwait spent more than $5 billion to repair oil infrastructure damaged during 1990-91. The island - discovered by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1494 - was settled by the Spanish early in the 16th century. The native Taino Indians, who had inhabited Jamaica for centuries, were gradually exterminated and replaced by African slaves. England seized the island in 1655 and established a plantation economy based on sugar, cocoa, and coffee. The abolition of slavery in 1834 freed a quarter million slaves, many of whom became small farmers. Jamaica gradually obtained increasing independence from Britain, and in 1958 it joined other British Caribbean colonies in forming the Federation of the West Indies. Jamaica gained full independence when it withdrew from the Federation in 1962. Deteriorating economic conditions during the 1970s led to recurrent violence as rival gangs affiliated with the major political parties evolved into powerful organized crime networks involved in international drug smuggling and money laundering. Violent crime, drug trafficking, and poverty pose significant challenges to the government today. Nonetheless, many rural and resort areas remain relatively safe and contribute substantially to the economy.
Birth rate 21.84 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) 20.44 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $11.5 billion


expenditures: $17.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY01/02 )
revenues: $3.441 billion


expenditures: $3.905 billion (2007 est.)
Capital Kuwait name: Kingston


geographic coordinates: 18 00 N, 76 48 W


time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior
Coastline 499 km 1,022 km
Constitution approved and promulgated 11 November 1962 6 August 1962
Country name conventional long form: State of Kuwait


conventional short form: Kuwait


local long form: Dawlat al Kuwayt


local short form: Al Kuwayt
conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Jamaica
Currency Kuwaiti dinar (KD) -
Death rate 2.46 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) 6.59 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $6.9 billion (2000 est.) $7.138 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Richard H. JONES


embassy: Bayan, Area 14, Al-Masjed Al-Aqsa Street (near the Bayan palace), Kuwait City


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


telephone: [965] 539-5307, ext. 2240


FAX: [965] 538-0282
chief of mission: Ambassador Brenda LaGrange JOHNSON


embassy: 142 Old Hope Road, Kingston 6


mailing address: P.O. Box 541, Kingston 5


telephone: [1] (876) 702-6000


FAX: [1] (876) 702-6348
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al Jaber AL SABAH


chancery: 2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 966-0702


FAX: [1] (202) 966-0517
chief of mission: Ambassador Gordon SHIRLEY


chancery: 1520 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036


telephone: [1] (202) 452-0660


FAX: [1] (202) 452-0081


consulate(s) general: Miami, New York
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, although the Iraqi Government continues periodic rhetorical challenges none
Economic aid - recipient NA $35.74 million (2005)
Economy - overview Kuwait is a small, rich, relatively open economy with proved crude oil reserves of 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 envisioned 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. The Jamaican economy is heavily dependent on services, which now account for more than 60% of GDP. The country continues to derive most of its foreign exchange from tourism, remittances, and bauxite/alumina. Remittances account for nearly 20% of GDP and are equivalent to tourism revenues. Jamaica's economy, already saddled with a record of sluggish growth, will suffer an economic setback from damages caused by Hurricane Dean in August 2007. The economy faces serious long-term problems: high but declining interest rates, increased foreign competition, exchange rate instability, a sizable merchandise trade deficit, large-scale unemployment and underemployment, and a debt-to-GDP ratio of 135%. Jamaica's onerous debt burden - the fourth highest per capita - is the result of government bailouts to ailing sectors of the economy, most notably the financial sector in the mid-to-late 1990s. Inflation also has declined, standing at about 7% at the end of 2007. High unemployment exacerbates the serious crime problem, including gang violence that is fueled by the drug trade. The GOLDING administration faces the difficult prospect of having to achieve fiscal discipline in order to maintain debt payments while simultaneously attacking a serious and growing crime problem that is hampering economic growth.
Electricity - consumption 29.016 billion kWh (2000) 6.131 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2000) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2000) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production 31.2 billion kWh (2000) 6.985 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 100%


hydro: 0%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2000)
-
Elevation extremes lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m


highest point: unnamed location 306 m
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Blue Mountain Peak 2,256 m
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 heavy rates of deforestation; coastal waters polluted by industrial waste, sewage, and oil spills; damage to coral reefs; air pollution in Kingston results from vehicle emissions
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
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups Kuwaiti 45%, other Arab 35%, South Asian 9%, Iranian 4%, other 7% black 91.2%, mixed 6.2%, other or unknown 2.6% (2001 census)
Exchange rates Kuwaiti dinars per US dollar - 0.3075 (January 2002), 0.3066, (2001), 0.3067 (2000), 0.3044 (1999), 0.3047 (1998), 0.3033 (1997) Jamaican dollars per US dollar - 69.034 (2007), 65.768 (2006), 62.51 (2005), 61.197 (2004), 57.741 (2003)
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); Deputy Prime Ministers JABIR MUBARAK al-Hamud Al Sabah (since NA) and MUHAMMAD KHALID al-Hamed Al Sabah (since NA)


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
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Kenneth O. HALL (since 15 February 2006)


head of government: Prime Minister Bruce GOLDING (since 11 September 2007)


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition in the House of Representatives is appointed prime minister by the governor general; the deputy prime minister is recommended by the prime minister
Exports $16.2 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.) 1,531 bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities oil and refined products, fertilizers alumina, bauxite, sugar, bananas, rum, coffee, yams, beverages, chemicals, wearing apparel, mineral fuels
Exports - partners Japan 23%, US 14%, South Korea 13%, Singapore 7%, Netherlands 6%, Pakistan 6%, Indonesia 4%, UK 2% (2000) US 30.2%, Canada 15.6%, China 15.2%, UK 10.3%, Netherlands 7%, Norway 4.6% (2006)
Fiscal year 1 April - 31 March 1 April - 31 March
Flag description three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a black trapezoid based on the hoist side diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four triangles - green (top and bottom) and black (hoist side and outer side)
GDP purchasing power parity - $30.9 billion (2001 est.) -
GDP - composition by sector industry: 60%


services: 40%


agriculture: 0% (2000)
agriculture: 5%


industry: 34%


services: 61% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $15,100 (2001 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate 4% (2001 est.) 1.5% (2007 est.)
Geographic coordinates 29 30 N, 45 45 E 18 15 N, 77 30 W
Geography - note strategic location at head of Persian Gulf strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica Channel, the main sea lanes for the Panama Canal
Heliports 3 (2002) -
Highways total: 4,450 km


paved: 3,590 km


unpaved: 860 km (1999 est.)
-
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%: 2.1%


highest 10%: 35.8% (2004)
Illicit drugs - transshipment point for cocaine from South America to North America and Europe; illicit cultivation and consumption of cannabis; government has an active manual cannabis eradication program; corruption is a major concern; substantial money-laundering activity; Colombian narcotics traffickers favor Jamaica for illicit financial transactions
Imports $7.4 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.) 71,420 bbl/day (2004)
Imports - commodities food, construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing food and other consumer goods, industrial supplies, fuel, parts and accessories of capital goods, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials
Imports - partners US 12%, Japan 8%, UK 8%, Germany 7%, China 5%, France 4%, Australia 3%, Netherlands 2% (2000) US 39.3%, Trinidad and Tobago 13.6%, Venezuela 9.5% (2006)
Independence 19 June 1961 (from UK) 6 August 1962 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate 1% (1997 est.) 2% (2007 est.)
Industries petroleum, petrochemicals, desalination, food processing, construction materials tourism, bauxite/alumina, agro processing, light manufactures, rum, cement, metal, paper, chemical products, telecommunications
Infant mortality rate 10.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) total: 15.73 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 16.4 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 15.01 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2.7% (2001) 7.1% (2007 est.)
International organization participation ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, BDEAC, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-15, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 3 (2000) -
Irrigated land 60 sq km (1998 est.) 250 sq km (2002)
Judicial branch High Court of Appeal Supreme Court (judges appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister); Court of Appeal
Labor force 1.3 million


note: 68% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (July 1998 est.) (1998 est.)
1.255 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA% agriculture: 17%


industry: 19%


services: 64% (2006)
Land boundaries total: 462 km


border countries: Iraq 240 km, Saudi Arabia 222 km
0 km
Land use arable land: 0.34%


permanent crops: 0.06%


other: 99.6% (1998 est.)
arable land: 15.83%


permanent crops: 10.01%


other: 74.16% (2005)
Languages Arabic (official), English widely spoken English, English patois
Legal system civil law system with Islamic law significant in personal matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch unicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-Umma (50 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 3 July 1999 (next to be held NA 2003)


election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 50; note - all cabinet ministers are also ex officio members of the National Assembly
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (a 21-member body appointed by the governor general on the recommendations of the prime minister and the leader of the opposition; ruling party is allocated 13 seats, and the opposition is allocated 8 seats) and the House of Representatives (60 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)


elections: last held 3 September 2007 (next to be held no later than October 2012)


election results: percent of vote by party - JLP 50.1%, PNP 49.8%; seats by party - JLP 33, PNP 27
Life expectancy at birth total population: 76.46 years


male: 75.56 years


female: 77.39 years (2002 est.)
total population: 73.12 years


male: 71.43 years


female: 74.9 years (2007 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 78.6%


male: 82.2%


female: 74.9% (1995 est.)
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school


total population: 87.9%


male: 84.1%


female: 91.6% (2003 est.)
Location Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba
Map references Middle East Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 NM measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines


territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin
Merchant marine total: 38 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,274,515 GRT/3,627,835 DWT


ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 1, container 6, liquefied gas 6, livestock carrier 5, petroleum tanker 19


note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Monaco 1, Saudi Arabia 1 (2002 est.)
total: 13 ships (1000 GRT or over) 161,700 GRT/241,663 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 6, cargo 2, carrier 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 3


foreign-owned: 12 (Denmark 1, Germany 1, Greece 8, Latvia 2)


registered in other countries: 1 (Panama 1) (2007)
Military branches Army, Navy, Air Force (including Air Defense Force), National Police Force, National Guard, Coast Guard Jamaica Defense Force: Ground Forces, Coast Guard, Air Wing (2007)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $1,967.3 million (FY01)


note: Kuwait is changing its fiscal year; the above figure is for July-March 2001; future budget years will be April-March annually
-
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 5.5% (FY01) 0.6% (2006 est.)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 812,059 (2002 est.) -
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 486,906 (2002 est.) -
Military manpower - military age 18 years of age (2002 est.) -
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 18,309 (2002 est.) -
National holiday National Day, 25 February (1950) Independence Day, 6 August (1962)
Nationality noun: Kuwaiti(s)


adjective: Kuwaiti
noun: Jamaican(s)


adjective: Jamaican
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 hurricanes (especially July to November)
Natural resources petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas bauxite, gypsum, limestone
Net migration rate 13.88 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) -6.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines crude oil 877 km; petroleum products 40 km; natural gas 165 km -
Political parties and leaders none; formation of political parties is illegal Jamaica Labor Party or JLP [Bruce GOLDING]; People's National Party or PNP [Portia SIMPSON-MILLER]; National Democratic Movement or NDM [Michael WILLIAMS]
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 New Beginnings Movement or NBM; Rastafarians (black religious/racial cultists, pan-Africanists)
Population 2,111,561


note: includes 1,159,913 non-nationals (July 2002 est.)
2,780,132 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% 14.8% (2003 est.)
Population growth rate 3.33%


note: this rate reflects a return to pre-Gulf crisis immigration of expatriates (2002 est.)
0.777% (2007 est.)
Ports and harbors Ash Shu'aybah, Ash Shuwaykh, Kuwait, Mina' 'Abd Allah, Mina' al Ahmadi, Mina' Su'ud -
Radio broadcast stations AM 6, FM 11, shortwave 1 (1998) AM 10, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios 1.175 million (1997) -
Railways 0 km -
Religions Muslim 85% (Sunni 70%, Shi'a 30%), Christian, Hindu, Parsi, and other 15% Protestant 62.5% (Seventh-Day Adventist 10.8%, Pentecostal 9.5%, Other Church of God 8.3%, Baptist 7.2%, New Testament Church of God 6.3%, Church of God in Jamaica 4.8%, Church of God of Prophecy 4.3%, Anglican 3.6%, other Christian 7.7%), Roman Catholic 2.6%, other or unspecified 14.2%, none 20.9%, (2001 census)
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.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.034 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.816 male(s)/female


total population: 0.978 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
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
18 years of age; universal
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
general assessment: fully automatic domestic telephone network


domestic: the 1999 agreement to open the market for telecommunications services resulted in rapid growth in mobile-cellular telephone usage; mobile-cellular teledensity now exceeds 100 per 100 persons; the number of fixed-lines in use has been declining


international: country code - 1-876; the Fibralink submarine cable network provides enhanced delivery of business and broadband traffic and is linked to the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) submarine cable in the Dominican Republic; the link to ARCOS-1 provides seamless connectivity to US, parts of the Caribbean, Central America, and South America; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 412,000 (1997) 319,000 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular 210,000 (1997) 2.804 million (2005)
Television broadcast stations 13 (plus several satellite channels) (1997) 7 (1997)
Terrain flat to slightly undulating desert plain mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain
Total fertility rate 3.14 children born/woman (2002 est.) 2.36 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate 1.8% (1996 est.) 10.2% (2007 est.)
Waterways none -
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