Kuwait (2004) | American Samoa (2006) | |
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Administrative divisions | 5 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Ahmadi, Al Farwaniyah, Al 'Asimah, Al Jahra', Hawalli | none (territory of the US); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are three districts and two islands* at the second order; Eastern, Manu'a, Rose Island*, Swains Island*, Western |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 27.5% (male 316,237; female 304,671)
15-64 years: 69.8% (male 1,007,298; female 569,128) 65 years and over: 2.7% (male 38,408; female 21,807) (2004 est.) |
0-14 years: 34.7% (male 10,388/female 9,654)
15-64 years: 62.4% (male 18,698/female 17,350) 65 years and over: 2.9% (male 633/female 1,071) (2006 est.) |
Agriculture - products | practically no crops; fish | bananas, coconuts, vegetables, taro, breadfruit, yams, copra, pineapples, papayas; dairy products, livestock |
Airports | 7 (2003 est.) | 3 (2006) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 4
over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total: 2
over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2006) |
Area | total: 17,820 sq km
land: 17,820 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 199 sq km
land: 199 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Rose Island and Swains Island |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than New Jersey | slightly larger than Washington, DC |
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 liberated Kuwait in four days. Kuwait spent more than $5 billion to repair oil infrastructure damaged during 1990-91. | Settled as early as 1000 B.C., Samoa was "discovered" by European explorers in the 18th century. International rivalries in the latter half of the 19th century were settled by an 1899 treaty in which Germany and the US divided the Samoan archipelago. The US formally occupied its portion - a smaller group of eastern islands with the excellent harbor of Pago Pago - the following year. |
Birth rate | 21.85 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 22.46 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $29.41 billion
expenditures: $17.57 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003) |
revenues: $121 million (37% in local revenue and 63% in US grants)
expenditures: $127 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (FY96/97) |
Capital | Kuwait | name: Pago Pago
geographic coordinates: 14 16 S, 170 42 W time difference: UTC-11 (6 hours behind Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Climate | dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters | tropical marine, moderated by southeast trade winds; annual rainfall averages about 3 m; rainy season (November to April), dry season (May to October); little seasonal temperature variation |
Coastline | 499 km | 116 km |
Constitution | approved and promulgated 11 November 1962 | ratified 2 June 1966, effective 1 July 1967 |
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: Territory of American Samoa
conventional short form: American Samoa abbreviation: AS |
Currency | Kuwaiti dinar (KWD) | - |
Death rate | 2.44 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 3.27 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Debt - external | $12.18 billion (2003 est.) | $NA |
Dependency status | - | unincorporated and unorganized territory of the US; administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Richard LEBARON
embassy: Bayan, Area 14, Al-Masjed Al-Aqsa Street (near the Bayan palace), Kuwait City mailing address: P. O. Box 77 Safat 13001 Kuwait; or PSC 1280 APO AE 09880-9000 telephone: [965] 539-5307, 5308 FAX: [965] 538-0282 |
none (territory of the US) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador SALIM al-Abdallah Jabir Al Sabah
chancery: 2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 966-0702 FAX: [1] (202) 364-2868 |
none (territory of the US) |
Disputes - international | Kuwait and Saudi Arabia continue negotiating a joint maritime boundary with Iran; no maritime boundary exists with Iraq in the Persian Gulf | none |
Economic aid - recipient | NA (2001) | important financial support from the US, more than $40 million in 1994 |
Economy - overview | Kuwait is a small, rich, relatively open economy with proved crude oil reserves of about 98 billion barrels - 10% of world reserves. Petroleum accounts for nearly half of GDP, 95% of export revenues, and 80% 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. Kuwait continues its discussions with foreign oil companies to develop fields in the northern part of the country. | American Samoa has a traditional Polynesian economy in which more than 90% of the land is communally owned. Economic activity is strongly linked to the US with which American Samoa conducts most of its foreign trade. Tuna fishing and tuna processing plants are the backbone of the private sector, with canned tuna the primary export. Transfers from the US Government add substantially to American Samoa's economic well being. Attempts by the government to develop a larger and broader economy are restrained by Samoa's remote location, its limited transportation, and its devastating hurricanes. Tourism is a promising developing sector. |
Electricity - consumption | 29.29 billion kWh (2001) | 120.9 million kWh (2003) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2003) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2003) |
Electricity - production | 31.49 billion kWh (2001) | 130 million kWh (2003) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 306 m |
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Lata Mountain 964 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 | limited natural fresh water resources; the water division of the government has spent substantial funds in the past few years to improve water catchments and pipelines |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping |
- |
Ethnic groups | Kuwaiti 45%, other Arab 35%, South Asian 9%, Iranian 4%, other 7% | native Pacific islander 92.9%, Asian 2.9%, white 1.2%, mixed 2.8%, other 0.2% (2000 census) |
Exchange rates | Kuwaiti dinars per US dollar - 0.298 (2003), 0.3039 (2002), 0.3067 (2001), 0.3068 (2000), 0.3044 (1999) | the US dollar is used |
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; prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the monarch |
chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January 2001)
head of government: Governor Togiola TULAFONO (since 7 April 2003) cabinet: Cabinet made up of 12 department directors elections: under the US Consitution, residents of unincorporated territories, such as American Samoa, do not vote in elections for US president and vice president; governor and lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second term); election last held 2 and 16 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008) election results: Togiola TULAFONO elected governor; percent of vote - Togiola TULAFONO 55.7%, Afoa Moega LUTU 44.3% |
Exports | 1.97 million bbl/day (2003) | NA bbl/day |
Exports - commodities | oil and refined products, fertilizers | canned tuna 93% (2004 est.) |
Exports - partners | Japan 21.3%, South Korea 14.9%, US 11.5%, Singapore 9.8%, Taiwan 9.3% (2003) | Indonesia 28.2%, India 22.3%, Australia 15.3%, Japan 11.2%, NZ 7.1% (2005) |
Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | 1 October - 30 September |
Flag description | three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a black trapezoid based on the hoist side; design, which dates to 1961, based on the Arab revolt flag of World War I | blue, with a white triangle edged in red that is based on the outer side and extends to the hoist side; a brown and white American bald eagle flying toward the hoist side is carrying two traditional Samoan symbols of authority, a staff and a war club |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $41.46 billion (2003 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 0.4%
industry: 59.5% services: 40% (2003) |
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $19,000 (2003 est.) | - |
GDP - real growth rate | 4.6% (2003 est.) | 3% NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 29 30 N, 45 45 E | 14 20 S, 170 00 W |
Geography - note | strategic location at head of Persian Gulf | Pago Pago has one of the best natural deepwater harbors in the South Pacific Ocean, sheltered by shape from rough seas and protected by peripheral mountains from high winds; strategic location in the South Pacific Ocean |
Heliports | 3 (2003 est.) | - |
Highways | total: 4,450 km
paved: 3,587 km unpaved: 863 km (1999 est.) |
- |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | NA (2003) | NA bbl/day |
Imports - commodities | food, construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing | materials for canneries 56%, food 8%, petroleum products 7%, machinery and parts 6% (2004 est.) |
Imports - partners | US 14.7%, Japan 10.3%, Germany 9.6%, China 6.6%, UK 6.1%, Saudi Arabia 5.5%, Italy 5%, France 4.2% (2003) | Australia 66%, Samoa 13.8%, NZ 10.8% (2005) |
Independence | 19 June 1961 (from UK) | none (territory of the US) |
Industrial production growth rate | -5% (2002 est.) | NA% |
Industries | petroleum, petrochemicals, desalination, food processing, construction materials | tuna canneries (largely supplied by foreign fishing vessels), handicrafts |
Infant mortality rate | total: 10.26 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 11.27 deaths/1,000 live births female: 9.22 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
total: 9.07 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 9.66 deaths/1,000 live births female: 8.45 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1.2% (2003 est.) | NA% |
International organization participation | ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, BDEAC, CAEU, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO | Interpol (subbureau), IOC, SPC, UPU |
Irrigated land | 60 sq km (1998 est.) | NA |
Judicial branch | High Court of Appeal | High Court (chief justice and associate justices are appointed by the US Secretary of the Interior) |
Labor force | 1.38 million
note: non-Kuwaitis represent about 80% of the labor force. (2003 est.) |
17,630 (2005) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture NA, industries NA, services NA | agriculture: 34%
industry: 33% services: 33% (1990) |
Land boundaries | total: 462 km
border countries: Iraq 240 km, Saudi Arabia 222 km |
0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0.73%
permanent crops: 0.11% other: 99.16% (2001) |
arable land: 10%
permanent crops: 15% other: 75% (2005) |
Languages | Arabic (official), English widely spoken | Samoan 90.6% (closely related to Hawaiian and other Polynesian languages), English 2.9%, Tongan 2.4%, other Pacific islander 2.1%, other 2%
note: most people are bilingual (2000 census) |
Legal system | civil law system with Islamic law significant in personal matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | NA |
Legislative branch | unicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-Umma (50 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 6 July 2003 (next to be held NA 2007) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - Islamists 21, government supporters 14, liberals 3, and independents 12; note - all cabinet ministers are also ex officio members of the National Assembly |
bicameral Fono or Legislative Assembly consists of the House of Representatives (21 seats - 20 of which are elected by popular vote and 1 is an appointed, nonvoting delegate from Swains Island; members serve two-year terms) and the Senate (18 seats; members are elected from local chiefs and serve four-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 7 November 2006 (next to be held November 2008); Senate - last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008) election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - independents 18 note: American Samoa elects one nonvoting representative to the US House of Representatives; election last held 7 November 2006 (next to be held November 2008); results - Eni F. H. FALEOMAVAEGA (Democrat) reelected as delegate |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 76.84 years
male: 75.86 years female: 77.86 years (2004 est.) |
total population: 76.05 years
male: 72.48 years female: 79.82 years (2006 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 83.5% male: 85.1% female: 81.7% (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97% male: 98% female: 97% (1980 est.) |
Location | Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia | Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and New Zealand |
Map references | Middle East | Oceania |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | total: 38 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,319,082 GRT/3,768,828 DWT
by type: bulk 1, container 6, liquefied gas 5, livestock carrier 4, petroleum tanker 21, roll on/roll off 1 foreign-owned: India 1, Saudi Arabia 1 registered in other countries: 5 (2004 est.) |
- |
Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of the US |
Military branches | Land Forces, Navy, Air Force (including Air Defense Force), National Guard | - |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $2,500.4 million (2003) | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 5.8% (2003) | - |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 880,461 (2004 est.) | - |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 531,556 (2004 est.) | - |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males: 18,849 (2004 est.) | - |
National holiday | National Day, 25 February (1950) | Flag Day, 17 April (1900) |
Nationality | noun: Kuwaiti(s)
adjective: Kuwaiti |
noun: American Samoan(s) (US nationals)
adjective: American Samoan |
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 | typhoons common from December to March |
Natural resources | petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas | pumice, pumicite |
Net migration rate | 14.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) | -21.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Pipelines | gas 169 km; oil 540 km; refined products 57 km (2004) | - |
Political parties and leaders | none; formation of political parties is illegal | Democratic Party [Oreta M. TOGAFAU]; Republican Party [Tautai A. F. FAALEVAO] |
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 | NA |
Population | 2,257,549
note: includes 1,291,354 non-nationals (July 2004 est.) |
57,794 (July 2006 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA | NA% |
Population growth rate | 3.36%
note: this rate reflects a return to pre-Gulf crisis immigration of expatriates (2004 est.) |
-0.19% (2006 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 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 (2006) |
Religions | Muslim 85% (Sunni 70%, Shi'a 30%), Christian, Hindu, Parsi, and other 15% | Christian Congregationalist 50%, Roman Catholic 20%, Protestant and other 30% |
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: 1.76 male(s)/female total population: 1.52 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2006 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, and open-wire and fiber-optic cable; a cellular telephone system operates throughout Kuwait, and the country is well supplied with pay telephones international: country code - 965; 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: NA
domestic: good telex, telegraph, facsimile and cellular telephone services; domestic satellite system with 1 Comsat earth station international: country code - 684; satellite earth station - 1 (Intelsat-Pacific Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 486,900 (2003) | 15,000 (2001) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 1.42 million (2003) | 2,377 (1999) |
Television broadcast stations | 13 (plus several satellite channels) (1997) | 1 (Low Power TV); note - one cable TV station (2006) |
Terrain | flat to slightly undulating desert plain | five volcanic islands with rugged peaks and limited coastal plains, two coral atolls (Rose Island, Swains Island) |
Total fertility rate | 3.03 children born/woman (2004 est.) | 3.16 children born/woman (2006 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 2.1% (2003 est.) | 29.8% (2005) |