<item><hi format=bold>Administrative divisions:</hi> 5 governorates (muhafazat, singular—muhafazah); Al 'Ahmadi, Al Jahrah, Al Kuwayt, Hawalli, Al Farwaniyah
<item><hi format=bold>Independence:</hi> 19 June 1961 (from UK)
<item><hi format=bold>National holiday:</hi> National Day, 25 February (1948)
<item><hi format=bold>Constitution:</hi> 16 November 1962 (some provisions suspended since 29 August 1962)
<item><hi format=bold>Legal system:</hi> civil law system with Islamic law significant in personal matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
<item><hi format=bold>Suffrage:</hi> adult males who resided in Kuwait before 1920 and their male descendants at age 21
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<item>• <hi format=ital>note:</hi> only 10% of all citizens are eligible to vote
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<item><hi format=bold>Executive branch:</hi>
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<item>• <hi format=ital>chief of state:</hi> Amir Shaykh JABIR al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al Sabah (since 31 December 1977)
<item>• <hi format=ital>head of government:</hi> Prime Minister and Crown Prince SAAD al-Abdallah al-Salim Al Sabah (since 8 February 1978); Deputy Prime Minister SABAH al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al Sabah (since 17 October 1992)
<item>• <hi format=ital>cabinet:</hi> Council of Ministers; appointed by the Prime Minister and approved by the Amir
<item><hi format=bold>National Assembly (Majlis al-umma):</hi> dissolved 3 July 1986; new elections were held on 5 October 1992 with a second election in the 14th and 16th constituencies held February 1993
<item><hi format=bold>Judicial branch:</hi> High Court of Appeal
<item><hi format=bold>Political parties and leaders:</hi> none
<item><hi format=bold>Other political or pressure groups:</hi> small, clandestine leftist and Shi'a fundamentalist groups are active; several groups critical of government policies are publicly active