Saudi Arabia

Climate: dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters

Terrain: flat to slightly undulating desert plain

Natural resources: petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 8%
forest and woodland: 0%
other: 92%

Irrigated land: 20 sq km (1989 est.)

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
natural hazards: sudden cloudbursts are common from October to April,
they bring inordinate amounts of rain which can damage roads and
houses; sandstorms and duststorms occur throughout the year, but are
most common between March and August
international agreements: party to - Climate Change, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban,
Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity,
Endangered Species, Marine Dumping

Note: strategic location at head of Persian Gulf

@Kuwait:People

Population: 1,817,397 (July 1995 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 34% (female 302,908; male 319,659)
15-64 years: 64% (female 467,163; male 697,849)
65 years and over: 2% (female 13,476; male 16,342) (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate: 7.46% (1995 est.)
note: this rate reflects the continued post-Gulf crisis return of
nationals and expatriates

Birth rate: 21.07 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 2.2 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: 55.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 11.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.64 years
male: 73.33 years
female: 78.06 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.93 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Kuwaiti(s)
adjective: Kuwaiti

Ethnic divisions: Kuwaiti 45%, other Arab 35%, South Asian 9%, Iranian
4%, other 7%

Religions: Muslim 85% (Shi'a 30%, Sunni 45%, other 10%), Christian,
Hindu, Parsi, and other 15%

Languages: Arabic (official), English widely spoken

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1985)
total population: 74%
male: 78%
female: 69%

Labor force: 566,000 (1986)
by occupation: services 45.0%, construction 20.0%, trade 12.0%,
manufacturing 8.6%, finance and real estate 2.6%