Land area

17,818 sq km, including 2,590 sq km in the Neutral Zone, sovereignty over which is shared by Saudi Arabia and Kuwait

Population

3.44m, comprising about 1.09m Kuwaitis and 2.35m expatriates (end-2008)

Main towns

The country is divided into five governorates. The Public Authority for Civil Information listed the following population breakdown at end-2007:

Kuwait City (capital): 499,269

Farwaniya: 913,692

Hawalli: 714,876

Ahmadi: 637,411

Jahra: 412,053

Mubarak al-Kabeer: 210,599

Climate

Hot for most of the year and generally dry

Weather in Kuwait City

Hottest months, June to September, 28-50°C (average daily minimum and maximum); coolest months, December to February, 8-18°C; rainfall erratic

Languages

Arabic; English is widely spoken and is the official second language

Weights and measures

Metric system and regional measures

Fiscal year

April 1st-March 31st

Currency

Kuwaiti dinar (KD) = 1,000 fils

Time

3 hours ahead of GMT

Public holidays

Since September 2007 Kuwait has had a Friday-Saturday weekend. Secular holidays include New Year's Day (January 1st), National Day (February 25th) and Liberation Day (February 26th). All Islamic holidays are observed in accordance with the lunar calendar. This may mean that the following dates are approximate: Mawlid al-Nabi (the birthday of the Prophet, February 15th 2011); Eid al-Fitr (end of Ramadan, August 30th); Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice, November 6th); Islamic New Year (November 26th)