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Compare Kuwait (2008) - Montserrat (2006)
Compare Kuwait (2008) z Montserrat (2006)
| Kuwait (2008) | Montserrat (2006) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | 6 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Ahmadi, Al 'Asimah, Al Farwaniyah, Al Jahra', Hawalli, Mubarak Al Kabir | 3 parishes; Saint Anthony, Saint Georges, Saint Peter |
| Age structure | 0-14 years: 26.7% (male 340,814/female 328,663)
15-64 years: 70.5% (male 1,128,231/female 636,967) 65 years and over: 2.8% (male 44,542/female 26,342) (2007 est.) |
0-14 years: 23.3% (male 1,125/female 1,079)
15-64 years: 65.7% (male 2,957/female 3,245) 65 years and over: 10.9% (male 532/female 501) (2006 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | practically no crops; fish | cabbages, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, peppers; livestock products |
| Airports | 7 (2007) | 2 (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 (2007) |
total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2006) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2007) |
- |
| Area | total: 17,820 sq km
land: 17,820 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 102 sq km
land: 102 sq km water: 0 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than New Jersey | about 0.6 times the size of 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. The AL-SABAH family has ruled since returning to power in 1991, and reestablished an elected legislature that in recent years has become increasingly assertive. | English and Irish colonists from St. Kitts first settled on Montserrat in 1632; the first African slaves arrived three decades later. The British and French fought for possesion of the island for most of the 18th century, but it finally was confirmed as a British possession in 1783. The island's sugar plantation economy was converted to small farm landholdings in the mid 19th century. Much of this island was devastated and two-thirds of the population fled abroad because of the eruption of the Soufriere Hills Volcano that began on 18 July 1995. Montserrat has endured volcanic activity since, with the last eruption occurring in July 2003. |
| Birth rate | 21.95 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 17.59 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $66.92 billion
expenditures: $36.39 billion (2007 est.) |
revenues: $31.4 million
expenditures: $31.6 million; including capital expenditures of $8.4 million (1997 est.) |
| Capital | name: Kuwait
geographic coordinates: 29 22 N, 47 58 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
name: Plymouth
geographic coordinates: 16 44 N, 62 14 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) note: Plymouth was abandoned in 1997 due to volcanic activity; interim government buildings have been built at Brades Estate, in the Carr's Bay/Little Bay vicinity at the northwest end of Montserrat |
| Climate | dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters | tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation |
| Coastline | 499 km | 40 km |
| Constitution | approved and promulgated 11 November 1962 | effective 19 December 1989 |
| 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: Montserrat |
| Death rate | 2.39 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 7.1 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
| Debt - external | $33.61 billion (31 December 2007 est.) | $8.9 million (1997) |
| Dependency status | - | overseas territory of the UK |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Alan MISENHEIMER
embassy: Bayan 36302, 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] 259-1001 FAX: [965] 538-0282 |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador SALIM al-Abdallah al-Jabir al-Sabah
chancery: 2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 966-0702 FAX: [1] (202) 966-0517 |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
| 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 | $2.6 million (2004) | Country Policy Plan (2001) is a three-year program for spending $122.8 million in British budgetary assistance (2002 est.) |
| Economy - overview | Kuwait is a small, rich, relatively open economy with self-reported crude oil reserves of about 104 billion barrels - 10% of world reserves. Petroleum accounts for nearly half of GDP, 95% of export revenues, and 80% of government income. High oil prices in recent years have helped build Kuwait's budget and trade surpluses and foreign reserves. As a result of this positive fiscal situation, the need for economic reforms is less urgent and the government has not earnestly pushed through new initiatives. Despite its vast oil reserves, Kuwait experienced power outages during the summer months in 2006 and 2007 because demand exceeded power generating capacity. Power outages are likely to worsen, given its high population growth rates, unless the government can increase generating capacity. In May 2007 Kuwait changed its currency peg from the US dollar to a basket of currencies in order to curb inflation and to reduce its vulnerability to external shocks. | Severe volcanic activity, which began in July 1995, has put a damper on this small, open economy. A catastrophic eruption in June 1997 closed the airports and seaports, causing further economic and social dislocation. Two-thirds of the 12,000 inhabitants fled the island. Some began to return in 1998, but lack of housing limited the number. The agriculture sector continued to be affected by the lack of suitable land for farming and the destruction of crops. Prospects for the economy depend largely on developments in relation to the volcanic activity and on public sector construction activity. The UK has launched a three-year $122.8 million aid program to help reconstruct the economy. Half of the island is expected to remain uninhabitable for another decade. |
| Electricity - consumption | 36.28 billion kWh (2005) | 1.86 million kWh (2003) |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (2003) |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (2003) |
| Electricity - production | 41.11 billion kWh (2005) | 2 million kWh (2003) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 306 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: lava dome in English's Crater (in the Soufriere Hills volcanic complex) estimated at over 930 m (2006) |
| 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 | land erosion occurs on slopes that have been cleared for cultivation |
| 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 |
- |
| Ethnic groups | Kuwaiti 45%, other Arab 35%, South Asian 9%, Iranian 4%, other 7% | black, white |
| Exchange rates | Kuwaiti dinars per US dollar - 0.2844 (2007), 0.29 (2006), 0.292 (2005), 0.2947 (2004), 0.298 (2003) | East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001)
note: fixed rate since 1976 |
| Executive branch | chief of state: Amir SABAH al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah (since 29 January 2006); Crown Prince NAWAF al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah
head of government: Prime Minister NASIR MUHAMMAD al-Ahmad al-Sabah (since 3 April 2007); First Deputy Prime Minister JABIR Mubarak al-Hamad al-Sabah (since 9 February 2006); Deputy Prime Ministers MUHAMMAD al-Sabah al-Salim al-Sabah (since 9 February 2006) and Faysal al-HAJJI (since 5 April 2007) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister and approved by the amir elections: none; the amir is hereditary; the amir appoints the prime minister and deputy prime ministers |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Deborah BARNES-JONES (since 10 May 2004)
head of government: Chief Minister Lowell LEWIS (since 2 June 2006) cabinet: Executive Council consists of the governor, the chief minister, three other ministers, the attorney general, and the finance secretary elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party usually becomes chief minister |
| Exports | 2.2 million bbl/day (2004) | NA bbl/day |
| Exports - commodities | oil and refined products, fertilizers | electronic components, plastic bags, apparel; hot peppers, limes, live plants; cattle |
| Exports - partners | Japan 20.4%, South Korea 16.2%, Taiwan 10.8%, Singapore 9.7%, US 9%, Netherlands 5.3%, China 4.1% (2006) | US, Antigua and Barbuda (2004) |
| 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; design, which dates to 1961, based on the Arab revolt flag of World War I | blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Montserratian coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms features a woman standing beside a yellow harp with her arm around a black cross |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 0.4%
industry: 54.7% services: 44.9% (2007 est.) |
agriculture: 5.4%
industry: 13.6% services: 81% (1996 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | 5.6% (2007 est.) | -1% (2002 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 29 30 N, 45 45 E | 16 45 N, 62 12 W |
| Geography - note | strategic location at head of Persian Gulf | the island is entirely volcanic in origin and comprised of three major volcanic centers of differing ages |
| Heliports | 4 (2007) | - |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Illicit drugs | - | transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe |
| Imports | 2,611 bbl/day (2004) | NA bbl/day |
| Imports - commodities | food, construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing | machinery and transportation equipment, foodstuffs, manufactured goods, fuels, lubricants, and related materials |
| Imports - partners | US 14.1%, Germany 7.9%, Japan 7.8%, Saudi Arabia 6.8%, China 5.7%, UK 5.4%, Italy 4.6% (2006) | US, UK, Trinidad and Tobago, Japan, Canada (2004) |
| Independence | 19 June 1961 (from UK) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
| Industrial production growth rate | 0.8% (2007 est.) | NA% |
| Industries | petroleum, petrochemicals, cement, shipbuilding and repair, water desalination, food processing, construction materials | tourism, rum, textiles, electronic appliances |
| Infant mortality rate | total: 9.47 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 10.48 deaths/1,000 live births female: 8.42 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
total: 7.19 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 8.35 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3.9% (2007 est.) | 2.6% (2002 est.) |
| 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, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO | Caricom, CDB, ICFTU, Interpol (subbureau), OECS, UPU |
| Irrigated land | 130 sq km (2003) | NA |
| Judicial branch | High Court of Appeal | Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based in Saint Lucia, one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High Court) |
| Labor force | 1.167 million
note: non-Kuwaitis represent about 80% of the labor force (2007 est.) |
4,521
note: lowered by flight of people from volcanic activity (2000 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
- |
| Land boundaries | total: 462 km
border countries: Iraq 240 km, Saudi Arabia 222 km |
0 km |
| Land use | arable land: 0.84%
permanent crops: 0.17% other: 98.99% (2005) |
arable land: 20%
permanent crops: 0% other: 80% (2005) |
| Languages | Arabic (official), English widely spoken | English |
| Legal system | civil law system with Islamic law significant in personal matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | English common law and statutory law |
| Legislative branch | unicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-Umma (50 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms; all cabinet ministers are also ex officio voting members of the National Assembly)
elections: last held 29 June 2006 (next election to be held in 2010) election results: percent of vote by bloc - NA; seats by bloc - Islamic Bloc (Sunni) 17, Popular Bloc 9, National Action Bloc (liberals) 8, independents 16 |
unicameral Legislative Council (11 seats, 9 popularly elected; members serve five-year terms)
note: expanded in 2001 from 7 to 9 elected members with attorney general and financial secretary sitting as ex-officio members elections: last held 31 May 2006 (next to be held by 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - MCAP 36.1%, NPLM 29.4%, MDP 24.4%, independents 10.1%; seats by party - MCAP 4, NPLM 3, MDP 1, independents 1 note: in 2001, the Elections Commission instituted a single constituency/voter-at-large system whereby all eligible voters cast ballots for all nine seats of the Legislative Council |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 77.36 years
male: 76.25 years female: 78.52 years (2007 est.) |
total population: 78.85 years
male: 76.67 years female: 81.14 years (2006 est.) |
| Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.3% male: 94.4% female: 91% (2005 census) |
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 97% male: 97% female: 97% (1970 est.) |
| Location | Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia | Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, southeast of Puerto Rico |
| Map references | Middle East | Central America and the Caribbean |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm | territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
| Merchant marine | total: 38 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,195,831 GRT/3,566,308 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 1, container 6, liquefied gas 5, livestock carrier 3, petroleum tanker 21 registered in other countries: 28 (Bahrain 3, Comoros 1, Liberia 1, Libya 1, Panama 1, Qatar 7, Saudi Arabia 6, UAE 8) (2007) |
- |
| Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of the UK |
| Military branches | Land Forces, Kuwaiti Navy, Kuwaiti Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Kuwaitiya), National Guard (2007) | no regular military forces; Royal Montserrat Police Force (2005) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 5.3% (2006) | - |
| National holiday | National Day, 25 February (1950) | Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926) |
| Nationality | noun: Kuwaiti(s)
adjective: Kuwaiti |
noun: Montserratian(s)
adjective: Montserratian |
| 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 | severe hurricanes (June to November); volcanic eruptions (Soufriere Hills volcano has erupted continuously since 1995) |
| Natural resources | petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas | NEGL |
| Net migration rate | 16.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
| Pipelines | gas 269 km; oil 540 km; refined products 57 km (2007) | - |
| Political parties and leaders | none; formation of political parties is in practice illegal, but is not forbidden by law | Montserrat Democratic Party or MDP [Lowell LEWIS]; Movement for Change and Prosperity or MCAP [Roselyn CASSELL-SEALY]; New People's Liberation Movement or NPLM [John A. OSBORNE] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | a number of political groups act as de facto parties; several legislative blocs operate in the National Assembly: tribal groups, merchants, Shi'a activists, Islamists, secular liberals and pro-government deputies; in mid-2006, a coalition of Islamists, liberals, and Shia campaigned successfully for electoral reform to reduce corruption | NA |
| Population | 2,505,559
note: includes 1,291,354 non-nationals (July 2007 est.) |
9,439
note: an estimated 8,000 refugees left the island following the resumption of volcanic activity in July 1995; some have returned (July 2006 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
| Population growth rate | 3.561%
note: this rate reflects a return to pre-Gulf crisis immigration of expatriates (2007 est.) |
1.05% (2006 est.) |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 6, FM 11, shortwave 1 (1998) | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Religions | Muslim 85% (Sunni 70%, Shi'a 30%), other (includes Christian, Hindu, Parsi) 15% | Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Seventh-Day Adventist, other Christian denominations |
| Sex ratio | at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.037 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.771 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.691 male(s)/female total population: 1.526 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.06 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
| Suffrage | NA years of age; universal (adult); note - males in the military or police are not allowed to vote; adult females were allowed to vote as of 16 May 2005; all voters must have been citizens for 20 years | 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; linked to international submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); linked to Bahrain, Qatar, UAE via the Fiber-Optic Gulf (FOG) cable; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean, 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean), and 2 Arabsat |
general assessment: modern and fully digitalized
domestic: NA international: country code - 1-664 |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 510,300 (2005) | NA |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 2.536 million (2006) | 70 (1994) |
| Television broadcast stations | 13 (plus several satellite channels) (1997) | 1 (1997) |
| Terrain | flat to slightly undulating desert plain | volcanic island, mostly mountainous, with small coastal lowland |
| Total fertility rate | 2.86 children born/woman (2007 est.) | 1.77 children born/woman (2006 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 2.2% (2004 est.) | 6% (1998 est.) |
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