STATE OF KUWAIT Official name: State of Kuwait (Dawlat al-Kuwait) Location: West Asia International organisations: The Arab League, The Non-Aligned Movement, The Organisation of Islamic Conference<, The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, The United Nations, The World Trade Organisation Borders: Iraq, Saudi Arabia Coastline: Persian Gulf Land area: 17,820 Km2 Population: 2,100,000

Ethnicity: Only 45% of the population are Kuwaiti Arabs. Another 35% are Arabs from other Arab countries, the largest groups being Egyptians, Lebanese and Palestinians. The remainder are immigrants from South Asia, Iran and the Philippines.
Languages: Arabic is the official language and is spoken by 80% of the population. Indian languages, Farsi and Filipino are spoken in the immigrant communities.
Religion: Islam is the state religion and the religion of nearly all the Arab population (Sunni 70%, Shi'a 30%). There are small Hindu and Christian minorities.
Form of government: Semi-constitutional monarchy. Kuwait is divided into five governorates.
Capital: Kuwait
Constitution: The Constitution of Kuwait came into effect on 11 November 1962.
Head of state: The Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jabir Al Sabah, came to the throne on 29 January 2006
Head of government: The Prime Minister, appointed by the Emir. The Prime Minister is usually the Emir's eldest son and holds office at the Emir's pleasure.
Legislature: Kuwait has a unicameral legislature, the National Assembly (Majlis al-Umma), which has 50 members elected for four-year terms in two-member constituencies.
Electoral authority: None
Freedom House rating: Political Rights 4, Civil Liberties 5

Political history

The Emirate of Kuwait has existed since the 17th century, and has been ruled by the al-Sabah family since 1756. Until the 19th century the Emirs were subjects of the Ottoman Sultan, but in 1899 the British established a protectorate, and in 1914 the nominal sovereignty of the Sultan was ended. The discovery of oil in 1938 made Kuwait a wealthy country, and the British had to fend off claims by both Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Independence was delayed until Iraq renounced its claim in 1962.

In 1963 the Emir granted a constitution and males of Kuwaiti ancestry elected an assembly, but real power was retained by the al-Sabah family. The development of industry brought an influx of foreign workers, who were the majority of the population by the 1970s but gained no civil or political rights. The legislature was suspended in 1976, revived in 1981, suspended again in 1986, and revived again in 1992.

In August 1990 Iraq suddenly invaded and annexed Kuwait, on the pretext of a dispute over oil production. In February 1991 an American-led coalition force liberated Kuwait and restored the Emir. Promises of liberalisation after the war were not kept. Political rights and confined to males whose families have lived in Kuwait since 1920, and political parties are not allowed. Kuwait's immense oil wealth helps prevent serious opposition to the regime.

Amnesty International's 2003 Report on Kuwait noted that: "Dozens of men were detained on suspicion of involvement in "terrorist" activities. More than 30 political prisoners, including prisoners of conscience, continued to be held; they had been convicted in manifestly unfair trials since 1991. The fate of more than 70 people who "disappeared" in custody in 1991 remained unknown. Four men were executed during 2002 and at least four others were sentenced to death. There were reports of torture, none of which appeared to have been independently investigated."