Kuwait is situated northeast of Saudi Arabia at the northern end of the Persian Gulf, south of Iraq. It is slightly larger than Hawaii. The low-lying desert land is mainly sandy and barren.

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2007 est.): $130.1 billion; per capita $39,300. Real growth rate: 4.6%. Inflation: 5%. Unemployment: 2.2% (2004 est.). Arable land: 1%. Agriculture: practically no crops; fish. Labor force: 1.167 million; note: non-Kuwaitis represent about 80% of the labor force; agriculture n.a., industry n.a., services n.a. Industries: petroleum, petrochemicals, cement, shipbuilding and repair, desalination, food processing, construction materials. Natural resources: petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas. Exports: $59.57 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.): oil and refined products, fertilizers. Imports: $17.74 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.): food, construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing. Major trading partners: Japan, South Korea, U.S., Singapore, Taiwan, Germany, UK, Saudi Arabia, Italy, France, China (2004).