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History Of Kuwait
Chief of state is the Emir, a semi-hereditary title. The emir appoints the prime minister, who until recently was also the crown prince. A council of ministers aids the prime minister in his task as head of government. The parliament known as the Majlis Al-Umma (National Assembly), consists of 50 members, who are chosen in elections held every four years. Government ministers, according to the Constitution of the State, are given automatic membership in the parliament.
Prior to 2005, only 15% of the Kuwaiti citizen population was allowed to vote, with all women, "recently naturalised" citizens (less than 30 years of citizenship), and members of the armed forces excluded. On May 16, 2005, Parliament permitted women's suffrage by a 35-23 vote, subject to Islamic law and effective for the 2007 Parliamentary Election. It is unclear what terms will be imposed upon female voters through the decision's requirement of them to abide by Islamic law, such as whether it will require conservative dress and separate polling places. The decision could raise Kuwait's voter rolls from 139,000 to as many as 339,000 if all eligible women register; the total number of Kuwaitis is estimated at more than 960,000. Recently, Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah announced the appointment of Dr Massouma Mubarak as planning minister and minister of state for administrative development affairs. The appointment of a woman as a cabinet minister was a big breakthrough in Kuwaiti political system and it makes Kuwait the third country in the conservative Gulf Arab region to have a woman cabinet minister.
About King Of kuwait al-Sabah Ruling Family
Governorates
Kuwait is divided into 6 governorates or provinces (Arabic: muhafazat, singular - muhafadhah). The Kuwaiti government prefers to use the term governorate over province:
The major cities are the capital Kuwait, and Jahrah (further in the north-west, 30-minute drive from the capital). The main residential and business areas are Salmiya and Hawalli. The main industrial area is Shuwaikh which resides within the Al Asimah Governorate.
Geography
Kuwait consists mostly of desert, with little altitude difference. Kuwait is the only country in the world with no natural lake or water reservoir. It has nine islands, the largest one being the Bubiyan, which is linked to the mainland by a concrete bridge (after the liberation in 1991 the island was converted into a military base and currently no civilians are allowed in). The islands are:
Kuwait is considered to be one of the fifteen lands that comprise the "Cradle of Humanity".
Kuwait enjoys a variable continental climate. Summers (April to October) are extremely hot and dry with temperatures reaching above 51آ°C (123.8آ°F) in Kuwait City. Winters (November to February) are cool with limited precipitation and temperature level dropping below 21آ°C (69.8آ°F). The spring season is cool and pleasant.
Economy
Economy of Kuwait
Kuwait is a small, rich, relatively open economy with proved crude oil reserves of 94 billion barrels (15 kmآ³) - 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 €1.7 billion ($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. By 1990 the country earned more from foreign investment than from oil exports. The expenses of the Iraqi invasion and postwar reconstruction placed a heavy economic burden on the country, but by the mid-1990s Kuwait had resumed its preinvasion prosperity. Gross domestic product (GDP) for 2003 was €34.6 billion ($41.7 billion), giving Kuwait a per capita GDP of $17,420 (€14,166). The labor force totals 1,073,115 people, only about one-quarter of whom are Kuwaiti citizens.
The Central Bank of Kuwait in the capital city issues Kuwait’s currency, the Kuwaiti dinar. The dinar is valued at 0.351676 KWD per 1EUR and at 0.292010 KWD per 1USD, making it the highest-valued currency in the world.
Oil Industry
Because the government owns the oil industry, it controls most of the economy—in all, about 75 percent of the GDP. Kuwait’s oil exports vary depending on internal needs (almost all of Kuwait’s energy is derived from oil), international demand and prices, and production quotas fixed by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), of which Kuwait is a member. OPEC’s quotas, however, are difficult to enforce, and Kuwait and other countries have been accused of violating them. In 2002 oil production was 692 million barrels.
The chief oil companies are -
- Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) - A crude oil exploration and devolpment company
- Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) - Runs Oil Refineries across Kuwait
- Petrochemicals Industries Company (PIC) - Petrochemical & Fertilizers manufacturer
- Kuwait Petroleum Intl. Limited (KPIL - Q8) - Runs refining and marketing business in Europe
- Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploraton Company (KUFPEC) - Intl. Oil Exploration Company
- Equate - A Petrochemical company formed by PIC and Dow Chemical
Demographics
Demographics of Kuwait
About 80% of the Kuwaiti population is Arab; the non-Kuwaiti Arabs contain a large group of Egyptians and also stateless Arabs, locally known as Bidoon (an Arabic word meaning "without" and different from Bedouin). Other large groups of immigrants include Pakistanis, Indians, Bangladeshis, Egyptians and Filipinos. Kuwait formerly had a large Palestinian population, though most of them were forced out of the country after PLO leader Yassir Arafat's support of Iraq during the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait.
The official language is Arabic, although English is generally understood. Some immigrants also speak their own local languages. About 85% of Kuwait's population are Muslims, mostly Sunni.
Of Kuwait's Muslims, it is estimated that around 70% of them are Sunni, and around 30% or slightly more are Shia Muslims.
Transportation
Kuwait’s transportation system is modern and efficient, with a road system that is well developed by regional standards. Roads total 4,450 km (2,765 mi), of which 81 % are paved and 350 km are freeways, with most people traveling by automobile. The network consists of over 250 bridges. There is no railway system in Kuwait although public and private bus systems are operated. An international airport is located in the southern outskirts of the Kuwait city metropolitan area and Kuwait Airways is the national airline owned by the government. The country has three modern seaports, one of which specializes in oil exports.
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