Kuwait is located in the North-eastern corner of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Iraq in the North and West, Saudi Arabia in the South and the Arabian Gulf in the East. Kuwait has no mountains or rivers. The terrain is flat to slightly undulated desert plains. Meadows and pastures cover only eight percent of the area; the rest of the land is barren. Kuwait has nine islands off its coast, the largest is Bubiyan. Despite its desert conditions, the country has a rich plant life. Summers in Kuwait are intensely hot and winters short and cool. Sand and dust storms occur throughout the year.

The economy of Kuwait is based almost exclusively on oil. The country’s crude oil reserves, of about 94 billion barrels, account for 10 percent of the world supply. The other commercial and economic activities include water desalination plants, oil refineries, cement, bricks and concrete block production, bottling plants, and various light industries. As a consequence of the lack of enough water resources and arable land, development of agriculture, with the exception of fishing, is precluded. On the other hand, pearl diving and trading are also important occupations for the country in addition to the oil industry.
 

GDP at Current Market Prices:	51805.23 million US$ (2004)
Per Capita GDP:	23832.35 US$ (2004)
Share of Sectors in GDP:	0.53% Agriculture, 55.7% Industry, 43.9% Services, (2003)
Total Exports:	22874.95 million US$ (2003)
Total Imports:	- million US$ (2004)
Major Exports Items:	Crude oil and refined products, fertilizers
Major Imports Items:	Foodstuffs, clothing, construction materials, vehicles and parts
Major Trading Partners:	US, Japan, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Italy and Germany

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Ministry of Planning

Ministry of Information

Central Bank of Kuwait

Ministry of Planning, Statistics & Census Sector