Long-form name: State of Kuwait

Type: nominal constitutional monarchy

Capital: Kuwait

Administrative divisions: 4 governorates (muhafazat, singular--muhafazah); Al Ahmadi, Al Jahrah, Al Kuwayt, Hawalli

Independence: 19 June 1961 (from UK)

Constitution: 16 November 1962 (some provisions suspended since 29 August 1962)

Legal system: civil law system with Islamic law significant in personal matters; popularly elected 50-man National Assembly (the 15 cabinet members can also vote) reinstated in March 1981 after being suspended in 1976, but in July 1986 parliament dissolved by the Amir; judicial review of legislative acts not yet determined; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

National holiday: National Day, 25 February

Branches: Council of Ministers; legislature--National Assembly (suspended since July 1986)

Leader: @m5Chief of State--Amir Sheikh Jabir al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al SABAH (since 31 December 1977); @m5Head of Government--Prime Minister and Crown Prince Sad Abdallah al-Salim Al SABAH (since 8 February 1978)

Suffrage: adult males who resided in Kuwait before 1920 and their male descendents (eligible voters, 8.3% of citizenry)

Elections: National Assembly elected February 1985 (suspended July 1986)

Political parties and leaders: political parties prohibited

Communists: insignificant

Other political or pressure groups: large (350,000) Palestinian community; several small, clandestine leftist and Shia fundamentalist groups are active

Member of: Arab League, FAO, G-77, GATT, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Shaikh Saud Nasir AL-SABAH; Chancery at 2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 966-0702; US--Ambassador W. Nathaniel HOWELL; Embassy at Bneid al-Gar (opposite the Hilton Hotel), Kuwait City (mailing address is P. O. Box 77 Safat, 13001 Safat, Kuwait City); telephone �965� 242-4151 through 4159

Flag: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a black trapezoid based on the hoist side

NOTE: The information regarding Kuwait on this page is re-published from the 1989 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Kuwait Government 1989 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Kuwait Government 1989 should be addressed to the CIA.