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Compare West Bank (2004) - Kuwait (2008)

Compare West Bank (2004) z Kuwait (2008)

 West Bank (2004)Kuwait (2008)
 West BankKuwait
Administrative divisions - 6 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Ahmadi, Al 'Asimah, Al Farwaniyah, Al Jahra', Hawalli, Mubarak Al Kabir
Age structure 0-14 years: 43.8% (male 518,470; female 493,531)


15-64 years: 52.8% (male 623,785; female 595,376)


65 years and over: 3.5% (male 34,226; female 45,816) (2004 est.)
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.)
Agriculture - products olives, citrus, vegetables; beef, dairy products practically no crops; fish
Airports 3 (2003 est.) 7 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
total: 4


over 3,047 m: 1


2,438 to 3,047 m: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total: 3


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


under 914 m: 2 (2007)
Area total: 5,860 sq km


land: 5,640 sq km


water: 220 sq km


note: includes West Bank, Latrun Salient, and the northwest quarter of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus; East Jerusalem and Jerusalem No Man's Land are also included only as a means of depicting the entire area occupied by Israel in 1967
total: 17,820 sq km


land: 17,820 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Delaware slightly smaller than New Jersey
Background The Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements (the DOP), signed in Washington on 13 September 1993, provided for a transitional period not exceeding five years of Palestinian interim self-government in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Under the DOP, Israel agreed to transfer certain powers and responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority, which includes the Palestinian Legislative Council elected in January 1996, as part of the interim self-governing arrangements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. A transfer of powers and responsibilities for the Gaza Strip and Jericho took place pursuant to the Israel-PLO 4 May 1994 Cairo Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area and in additional areas of the West Bank pursuant to the Israel-PLO 28 September 1995 Interim Agreement, the Israel-PLO 15 January 1997 Protocol Concerning Redeployment in Hebron, the Israel-PLO 23 October 1998 Wye River Memorandum, and the 4 September 1999 Sharm el-Sheikh Agreement. The DOP provides that Israel will retain responsibility during the transitional period for external and internal security and for public order of settlements and Israeli citizens. Direct negotiations to determine the permanent status of Gaza and West Bank that began in September 1999 after a three-year hiatus, were derailed by a second intifadah that broke out in September 2000. The resulting widespread violence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Israel's military response, and instability within the Palestinian Authority continue to undermine progress toward a permanent agreement. Following the death of longtime Palestinian leader Yasir ARAFAT in November 2004, the election of his successor Mahmud ABBAS in January 2005 could bring a turning point in the conflict. 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.
Birth rate 33.21 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) 21.95 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $676.6 million


expenditures: $1.155 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (includes Gaza Strip) (2003 est.)
revenues: $66.92 billion


expenditures: $36.39 billion (2007 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)
Climate temperate; temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm to hot summers, cool to mild winters dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 499 km
Constitution - approved and promulgated 11 November 1962
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: West Bank
conventional long form: State of Kuwait


conventional short form: Kuwait


local long form: Dawlat al Kuwayt


local short form: Al Kuwayt
Currency new Israeli shekel (ILS); Jordanian dinar (JOD) -
Death rate 4.07 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) 2.39 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $108 million (includes Gaza Strip) (1997 est.) $33.61 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
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
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
Disputes - international West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation Kuwait and Saudi Arabia continue negotiating a joint maritime boundary with Iran; no maritime boundary exists with Iraq in the Persian Gulf
Economic aid - recipient $2 billion (includes Gaza Strip) (2001-02 est.) $2.6 million (2004)
Economy - overview Real per capita GDP for the West Bank and Gaza Strip (WBGS) declined by about one-third between 1992 and 1996 due to the combined effect of falling aggregate incomes and rapid population growth. The downturn in economic activity was largely the result of Israeli closure policies - the imposition of border closures in response to security incidents in Israel - which disrupted labor and commodity market relationships between Israel and the WBGS. The most serious social effect of this downturn was rising unemployment, which in the WBGS during the 1980s was generally under 5%; by 1995 it had risen to over 20%. Israel's use of comprehensive closures during the next three years decreased and, in 1998, Israel implemented new policies to reduce the impact of closures and other security procedures on the movement of Palestinian goods and labor. These changes fueled an almost three-year-long economic recovery in the West Bank and Gaza Strip; real GDP grew by 5% in 1998 and 6% in 1999. Recovery was upended in the last quarter of 2000 with the outbreak of violence, which triggered tight Israeli closures of Palestinian self-rule areas and severely disrupted trade and labor movements. In 2001, and even more severely in 2002, Israeli military measures in Palestinian Authority areas resulted in the destruction of much capital plant and administrative structure, widespread business closures, and a sharp drop in GDP. Including Gaza Strip, the UN estimates that more than 100,000 Palestinians out of the 125,000 who used to work in Israel, in Israeli settlements, or in joint industrial zones have lost their jobs. In addition, about 80,000 Palestinian workers inside the Territories are losing their jobs. International aid of $2 billion in 2001-02 to the West Bank and Gaza Strip prevented the complete collapse of the economy. In 2004, on-going border issues and the death of Yasser ARAFAT continued to complicate the economic situation. 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.
Electricity - consumption NA kWh 36.28 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports - 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports NA kWh 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production NA kWh; note - most electricity imported from Israel; East Jerusalem Electric Company buys and distributes electricity to Palestinians in East Jerusalem and its concession in the West Bank; the Israel Electric Company directly supplies electricity to most Jewish residents and military facilities; some Palestinian municipalities, such as Nablus and Janin, generate their own electricity from small power plants 41.11 billion kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m


highest point: Tall Asur 1,022 m
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m


highest point: unnamed location 306 m
Environment - current issues adequacy of fresh water supply; sewage treatment 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
Ethnic groups Palestinian Arab and other 83%, Jewish 17% Kuwaiti 45%, other Arab 35%, South Asian 9%, Iranian 4%, other 7%
Exchange rates new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.5541 (2003), 4.7378 (2002), 4.2057 (2001), 4.0773 (2000), 4.1397 (1999); Jordanian dinars per US dollar - fixed rate of 0.7090 (from 1996) Kuwaiti dinars per US dollar - 0.2844 (2007), 0.29 (2006), 0.292 (2005), 0.2947 (2004), 0.298 (2003)
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
Exports $603 million f.o.b., includes Gaza Strip 2.2 million bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities olives, fruit, vegetables, limestone oil and refined products, fertilizers
Exports - partners Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (2000) Japan 20.4%, South Korea 16.2%, Taiwan 10.8%, Singapore 9.7%, US 9%, Netherlands 5.3%, China 4.1% (2006)
Fiscal year calendar year (since 1 January 1992) 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
GDP purchasing power parity - $1.7 billion (2002 est.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 9%


industry: 28%


services: 63%


note: includes Gaza Strip (1999 est.)
agriculture: 0.4%


industry: 54.7%


services: 44.9% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $800 (2002 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate -22% (2002 est.) 5.6% (2007 est.)
Geographic coordinates 32 00 N, 35 15 E 29 30 N, 45 45 E
Geography - note landlocked; highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal aquifers; there are 244 West Bank settlements and 29 East Jerusalem settlements in addition to at least 20 occupied outposts(August 2003 est.) strategic location at head of Persian Gulf
Heliports - 4 (2007)
Highways total: 4,500 km


paved: 2,700 km


unpaved: 1,800 km


note: Israelis have developed many highways to service Jewish settlements (1997 est.)
-
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA


highest 10%: NA
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Imports $1.9 billion c.i.f., includes Gaza Strip 2,611 bbl/day (2004)
Imports - commodities food, consumer goods, construction materials food, construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing
Imports - partners Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (2000) US 14.1%, Germany 7.9%, Japan 7.8%, Saudi Arabia 6.8%, China 5.7%, UK 5.4%, Italy 4.6% (2006)
Independence - 19 June 1961 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate NA 0.8% (2007 est.)
Industries generally small family businesses that produce cement, textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the Israelis have established some small-scale, modern industries in the settlements and industrial centers petroleum, petrochemicals, cement, shipbuilding and repair, water desalination, food processing, construction materials
Infant mortality rate total: 20.16 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 22.28 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 17.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
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.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2.2% (includes Gaza Strip) (2001 est.) 3.9% (2007 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
Irrigated land NA sq km 130 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch - High Court of Appeal
Labor force NA 1.167 million


note: non-Kuwaitis represent about 80% of the labor force (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 13%, industry 21%, services 66% (1996) agriculture: NA%


industry: NA%


services: NA%
Land boundaries total: 404 km


border countries: Israel 307 km, Jordan 97 km
total: 462 km


border countries: Iraq 240 km, Saudi Arabia 222 km
Land use arable land: 16.9%


permanent crops: 18.97%


other: 64.13% (2001)
arable land: 0.84%


permanent crops: 0.17%


other: 98.99% (2005)
Languages Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians), English (widely understood) Arabic (official), English widely spoken
Legal system - civil law system with Islamic law significant in personal matters; 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; 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
Life expectancy at birth total population: 72.88 years


male: 71.14 years


female: 74.72 years (2004 est.)
total population: 77.36 years


male: 76.25 years


female: 78.52 years (2007 est.)
Literacy definition: NA


total population: NA


male: NA


female: NA
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 93.3%


male: 94.4%


female: 91% (2005 census)
Location Middle East, west of Jordan Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia
Map references Middle East Middle East
Maritime claims none (landlocked) territorial sea: 12 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 branches - Land Forces, Kuwaiti Navy, Kuwaiti Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Kuwaitiya), National Guard (2007)
Military expenditures - dollar figure NA -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP NA 5.3% (2006)
National holiday - National Day, 25 February (1950)
Nationality noun: NA


adjective: NA
noun: Kuwaiti(s)


adjective: Kuwaiti
Natural hazards droughts 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
Natural resources arable land petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas
Net migration rate 2.98 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) 16.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 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
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
Population 2,311,204


note: in addition, there are about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank and fewer than 177,000 in East Jerusalem (July 2004 est.)
2,505,559


note: includes 1,291,354 non-nationals (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line 60% (2003 est.) NA%
Population growth rate 3.21% (2004 est.) 3.561%


note: this rate reflects a return to pre-Gulf crisis immigration of expatriates (2007 est.)
Ports and harbors none -
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0


note: the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation broadcasts from an AM station in Ramallah on 675 kHz; numerous local, private stations are reported to be in operation (2000)
AM 6, FM 11, shortwave 1 (1998)
Religions Muslim 75% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 17%, Christian and other 8% Muslim 85% (Sunni 70%, Shi'a 30%), other (includes Christian, Hindu, Parsi) 15%
Sex ratio at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female


total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
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.)
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
Telephone system general assessment: NA


domestic: NA


international: NA


note: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL are responsible for communication services in the West Bank
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
Telephones - main lines in use 301,600 (total for West Bank and Gaza Strip) (2002) 510,300 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular 480,000 (cellular subscribers in both West Bank and Gaza Strip) (2003) 2.536 million (2006)
Television broadcast stations NA 13 (plus several satellite channels) (1997)
Terrain mostly rugged dissected upland, some vegetation in west, but barren in east flat to slightly undulating desert plain
Total fertility rate 4.52 children born/woman (2004 est.) 2.86 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate 50% (includes Gaza Strip) (2002 est.) 2.2% (2004 est.)
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