Dawlat al-Kuwayt دولة الكويت
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: Al-Nasheed Al-Watani
Capital		Kuwait City 29°22′N 47°58′E / 29.367, 47.967
Official languages		Arabic
Demonym		Kuwaiti
Government		Constitutional hereditary emirate[1]
-	Emir	Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
-	Prime Minister	Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah
Independence
-	from the UK	June 19, 1961
Area
-	Total	17,818 km² (157th) 6,880 sq mi
-	Water (%)	negligible
Population
-	2007 estimate	2,390,543[2] (n/a)
-	Density	131/km² (68th) 339/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2007 estimate
-	Total	US$138. The flag of Kuwait ( علم الكويت) was adopted on September 7, 1961 and officially hoisted November 24, The Coat of arms of Kuwait ( شعار الكويت) was adopted in 1962 and it consists of the shield of the flag design in color superimposed A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's Al-Nasheed Al-Watani ( Arabic: النشيد الوطني, meaning "National Anthem" Kuwait City ( Arabic: مدينة الكويت Transliteration: Madīnat al-Kūwait) is the Capital and largest An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. A constitution is a system for government often Codified as a written document that establishes the rules and principles of an autonomous political entity An emirate is a political territory that is ruled by a dynastic Arab Monarch styled Emir. This is an (incomplete list of Emirs of Kuwait: The Sabah dynasty came to power in 1752 before which date the Bani Khalid tribe ruled the region Sheikh Sabah IV Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah ( Arabic: صباح الأحمد الجابر الصباح Sabāh al-Ahmad al-Jābir as-Sabāh born June 6, Prime Ministers of Kuwait (1962-Present Sheikh Nasser Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah (born 1940 is the Prime Minister of the state of Kuwait. Independence is the Self-government of a Nation, Country, or State by its residents and population or some portion thereof generally exercising The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. To help compare Orders of magnitude of different geographical regions  Areas between 10000 km² and 100000 km² are listed here This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. In Mathematics, a percentage is a way of expressing a number as a Fraction of 100 ( per cent meaning "per hundred" In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology List of countries by population in 2005|List of countries by population in 1907This is a list of countries ordered according to Population. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume List of countries and dependencies by Population density in inhabitants/km² The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been 6 billion (CIA) (56th)
-	Per capita	US$55,300 (CIA) (4th)
HDI (2007)		▲ 0. There are three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' This article includes three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP at Purchasing power parity (PPP Per capita The Human Development Index ( HDI) is an index combining normalized measures of Life expectancy, Literacy, Educational attainment, and GDP 891 (high) (33rd)
Currency		Kuwaiti dinar (KWD)
Time zone		AST (UTC+3)
-	Summer (DST)	(not observed) (UTC+3)
Internet TLD		.kw
Calling code		+965

The State of Kuwait (Arabic: دولة الكويت‎) is a sovereign emirate on the coast of the Persian Gulf, enclosed by Saudi Arabia to the south and Iraq to the north and west. This is a list of countries by Human Development Index as included in the United Nations Development Program 's Human Development Report 2007 A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of Goods and/or services It is one form of Money, where money is ISO 4217 is the International standard describing three-letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established Daylight saving time ( DST A country This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language An emirate is a political territory that is ruled by a dynastic Arab Monarch styled Emir. The Persian Gulf, in the Southwest Asian region is an extension of the The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. The name is a diminutive of an Arabic word meaning "fortress built near water. "^[4] It has a population of 3. 1 million and an area of 17,818 km². Kuwait is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of government and Kuwait City serves as its political and economic capital. A constitutional monarchy, or a limited monarchy, is a form of Constitutional Government, wherein either an elected or hereditary Monarch is A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which Kuwait City ( Arabic: مدينة الكويت Transliteration: Madīnat al-Kūwait) is the Capital and largest

Kuwait has the world's fifth largest proven oil reserves^[5] and is the fourth richest country in the world per capita. Oil reserves are the estimated quantities of Crude oil that are claimed to be recoverable under existing Economic and operating conditions This article includes three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP at Purchasing power parity (PPP Per capita ^[6] Kuwait's oil fields were discovered and exploited in the 1930s and after it gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1961, the nation's oil industry saw unprecedented growth. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Kuwait's oil industry is the largest industry in the country accounting nearly half of the country's GDP Petroleum and petroleum products now account for nearly 95% of export revenues, and 80% of government income. Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit ^[7]

In 1990, Kuwait was invaded and annexed by neighboring Iraq. The Invasion of Kuwait, also known as the Iraq-Kuwait War, was a major conflict between the Republic of Iraq and the State of Kuwait which resulted The seven month-long Iraqi occupation came to an end after a direct military intervention by United States-led forces. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Nearly 700 Kuwaiti oil wells were set ablaze by the retreating Iraqi army resulting in a major environmental and economic catastrophe. The Kuwaiti oil fires were a result of the Scorched earth policy of Iraqi military forces retreating from Kuwait in 1991 after conquering the ^[8] Kuwait's infrastructure was badly damaged during the war and had to be rebuilt. ^[9]

Contents 1 History 2 Politics 3 Geography 4 Governorates 5 Economy 6 Demographics 7 Infrastructure 8 Transportation 9 Education 10 Culture 11 Media 12 See also 13 References 14 External links

History

Main article: History of Kuwait

The history of Kuwait goes back to the year 1612. The country of Kuwait has a History which dates to ancient times ^[10] Tribes from central Arabia settled in Kuwait under the suzerainty of the Banu Khaled in the 18th-century after experiencing a massive drought in their native land. The Arabian Peninsula (in Arabic: شبه الجزيرة العربية šibh al-jazīra al-ʻarabīya or جزيرة العرب jazīrat al-ʻarab) These tribes came to be known as the Utub of Qurain. The ' Utub ( العتوب) was an alliance of Arab clans originating from the region of Najd in central Arabia. Qurain, as Kuwait was known before, became a major center for spice trading between India and Europe. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country By late 18th-century, most of the local people made a living selling pearls. A pearl is a hard roundish object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living shelled Mollusk. Because of internal conflicts and rivalry with the Wahhabis of the Arabian Peninsula, Benu Khaled's influence over Kuwait gradually waned and the Utub gained greater independence. Wahhabism ( Arabic: Al-Wahhābīyya الوهابية or Wahabism is a conservative reformist call of Sunni Islam attributed to In 1756, the Utub elected Sabah I bin Jaber as the first emir of Kuwait. Sheikh Abu Abdullah Sabah I bin Jaber Al Sabah ( Sabah I; c late 17th century - 1762 ( Arabic: أبو عبد الله صباح الأول was This is an (incomplete list of Emirs of Kuwait: The Sabah dynasty came to power in 1752 before which date the Bani Khalid tribe ruled the region ^[11] The current ruling family of Kuwait, al-Sabah, are descendants of Sabah I. The House of Al-Sabah (الصباح are the royal family of Kuwait.

As the influence of the Ottoman Empire increased in the region, Kuwait was assigned the status of a caza of the Ottomans. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish Kaza, qadaa, qaza, qazaa, or caza (قضاء qaḍāʾ, plural أقضية aqḍiyah; Ottoman Turkish pronunciation After the signing of the Anglo-Ottoman Convention of 1913, then emir of Kuwait, Mubarak Al-Sabah, was diplomatically recognized by both the Ottomans and British as the ruler of the autonomous caza of the city of Kuwait and the hinterlands. The Anglo-Ottoman Convention of 1913 was a short-lived agreement signed in July 1913 between the Ottoman sultan Mehmed VI and the British over several issues Sheikh Mubarak bin Sabah Al-Sabah, KCSI, KCIE (1837 - November 28, 1915) (الشيخ مبارك بن صباح الصباح "the ^[12] The 1922 Treaty of Uqair set Kuwait's border with Saudi Arabia and also established the Saudi-Kuwaiti neutral zone, an area of about 5,180 km² adjoining Kuwait's southern border. The Uqair Protocol was issued on December 2, 1922, in response to the Wahhabi Bedouin raiders operating from Nejd, under Abdul The Saudi-Kuwaiti neutral zone, also known as the Divided Zone, is an area of 5770 km² between the borders of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait that was left undefined Oil was first discovered in Kuwait in the 1930s and the government became more proactive in establishing internationally recognized boundaries. After World War I, the Ottoman Empire was financially crippled and the invading British forces invalidated the Anglo-Ottoman Convention, declaring Kuwait to be an "independent sheikdom under British protectorate". World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All

On June 19, 1961, Kuwait became fully independent following an exchange of notes between the United Kingdom and the then emir of Kuwait, Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah. Abdullah III Al-Salim Al-Sabah GCMG, CIE ( 1895 - November 24 1965) (عبد ^[13] The Gulf rupee, issued by the Reserve Bank of India, was replaced by the Kuwaiti dinar. The Gulf rupee, also known as the Persian Gulf rupee ( ISO 4217 code XPGR) was a currency used in the countries of the Persian Gulf and the The Reserve Bank of India (RBI भारतीय रिज़र्व बैंक is the Central bank of India, and was established on April The discovery of large oil fields, such as the Burgan field, triggered a large influx of foreign investments into Kuwait. An oil field is a region with an abundance of Oil wells extracting Petroleum (crude oil from below ground For the plant known as Burgan see Kunzea ericoides. The onshore Burgan Field in the desert of southeastern Kuwait The massive growth of the petroleum industry transformed Kuwait into one of the richest countries in the Arabian Peninsula and by 1952, the country became the largest exporter of oil in the Persian Gulf. The Arabian Peninsula (in Arabic: شبه الجزيرة العربية šibh al-jazīra al-ʻarabīya or جزيرة العرب jazīrat al-ʻarab) The Persian Gulf, in the Southwest Asian region is an extension of the This massive growth attracted several foreign workers, especially from Egypt and India. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Kuwait settled its boundary disputes with Saudi Arabia and agreed on sharing equally the neutral zone's petroleum reserves, onshore and offshore. After a brief stand-off over boundary issues, Iraq formally recognized Kuwait's independence and its borders in October 1963. During the 1970s, the Kuwaiti government nationalized the Kuwait Oil Company, ending its partnership with Gulf Oil and British Petroleum. The Kuwait Oil Company is one of the largest Oil companies in the world Gulf Oil was a major global oil company from the 1900s to the 1980s BP plc, previously known as British Petroleum, is the third largest global Energy company, a multinational oil company (" Oil major In 1982, Kuwait experienced a major economic crisis after the Souk Al-Manakh stock market crash and decrease in oil price. The Souk Al-Manakh stock market crash was the 1982 Stock market crash of Kuwait 's unofficial stock market the Souk Al-Manakh The 1980s oil glut was a surplus of crude oil caused by falling demand following the 1973 and 1979 energy crises. ^[14] However, the crisis was short-lived as Kuwait's oil production increased steadily to fill the gap caused by decrease in Iraq's and Iran's oil production levels following the events of the Iran-Iraq War.

Kuwait had heavily funded Iraq's eight year-long war with Iran. By the time the war ended, Kuwait decided not to forgive Iraq's US$ 65 billion debt. ^[15] An economic warfare between the two countries followed after Kuwait increased its oil production by 40 percent. ^[16] Tensions between the two countries increased after Iraq alleged that Kuwait was slant drilling oil from its share of the Rumaila field. Directional drilling (or slant drilling) is the practice of drilling non-vertical wells It can be broken down into three main groups Oilfield Directional The Rumaila Field is an Oil field located in Kuwait and southern Iraq. ^[17]. On 2 August, 1990 Iraqi forces invaded and annexed Kuwait. The Invasion of Kuwait, also known as the Iraq-Kuwait War, was a major conflict between the Republic of Iraq and the State of Kuwait which resulted Saddam Hussein, then President of Iraq, deposed the emir of Kuwait, Jaber Al-Sabah, and installed Ali Hassan al-Majid as the new governor of Kuwait. Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti ( Arabic: ar صدام حسين عبد المجيد التكريتي --> April 28 1937 &ndash December 30 Jaber III al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, GCB, GCMG ( صاحب السمو الأمير الشيخ جابر الأحمد الجابر الصباح)‎ ( June Ali Hassan Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti (علي حسن عبد المجيد التكريتي, born 1941 is a former Ba'athist Iraqi Defense Minister, ^[18] After a series of failed diplomatic negotiations, the United States-led coalition of thirty-four nations fought the Persian Gulf War to remove the Iraqi forces from Kuwait. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The coalition successfully liberated Kuwait from Iraqi occupation on February 26, 1991. ^[19] Kuwait paid the coalition forces US$17 billion for their war efforts. ^[20]

During their retreat, the Iraqi armed forces carried out a scorched earth policy by damaging 700 oil wells in Kuwait, of which approximately 600 were set on fire. A scorched earth policy is a military strategy or operational method (possibly more often referred to as a tactic but this is not entirely correct as there is a difference between West Texas PumpjackJPG|thumb|right|300px|This Pumpjack located south of Midland TX is a common sight in West Texas. The Kuwaiti oil fires were a result of the Scorched earth policy of Iraqi military forces retreating from Kuwait in 1991 after conquering the ^[21] It was estimated that by the time Kuwait was liberated from Iraqi occupation, about 5 to 6 million barrels (950,000 m³) of oil was being burned in a single day because of these fires. ^[22] Oil and soot accumulation had affected the entire Persian Gulf region and large oil lakes were created holding approximately 25 to 50 million barrels (7,900,000 m³) of oil^[23] and covering 5% of Kuwait's land area. ^[24] In total, about 11 million barrels (1,700,000 m³) of oil was released into the Persian Gulf^[25] and an additional 2% of Kuwait's 96 billion barrels (15,300,000,000 m³) of crude oil reserves were burned by the time the oil fires were brought under control. ^[26] The fires took more than nine months to extinguish fully and it took Kuwait more than 2 years and US$50 billion in infrastructure reconstruction to reach pre-invasion oil output. ^[27] Kuwait has since largely recovered from the socio-economic, environmental, and public health effects of the Gulf war.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Kuwait

Kuwait is a constitutional monarchy and has the oldest directly elected parliament of the Persian Gulf Arab countries. The head of state is the Emir or Sheikh, a hereditary office. Emir ( Arabic: ar أمير;, female أميرة; emira;) ( Farsi and Urdu: امیر) The Emir appoints the prime minister, who until recently was also the crown prince. A council of ministers aids the prime minister in his task as head of government which must contain at least one elected member of the parliament. The number of ministers must not exceed one-third of the elected members of the parliament.

The parliament has the power to dismiss the prime minister or anyone of his cabinet through a series of constitutional procedures. According to the constitution, nomination of a new crown prince or head of state (Emir) by the ruling family has to be confirmed by the National Assembly. If he does not win the votes of the majority of the assembly, the Emir (or the royal family members) must submit the names of three candidates to the National Assembly, and the Assembly must select one of these to be the new crown prince. The parliament known as the Majlis Al-Umma (National Assembly), consists of fifty elected members, who are chosen in elections held every four years. The National Assembly of Kuwait, known as the Majlis Al-Umma ("House of the Nation" (مجلس الأمة is the Legislature Government ministers, according to the Constitution of the State, are given membership in the parliament, and can number up to sixteen excluded from the fifty elected members.

Prior to 2005, only 15% of the Kuwaiti citizen population was allowed to vote, with all women, "recently naturalized" citizens (i. e. those of less than thirty years' citizenship), and members of the armed forces excluded. On May 16, 2005, Parliament permitted women's suffrage by a 35-23 vote, subject to official interpretation of Islamic law and effective for the 2006 Parliamentary Election. Sharia ( Arabic: ar شريعة) is the body of Islamic Religious law. The decision could raise Kuwait's voter rolls from 139,000 to as many as 339,000 if all eligible women register; the total number of Kuwaitis is estimated at more than 960,000. Recently, the former Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah announced the appointment of Dr Massouma Mubarak as planning minister and minister of state for administrative development affairs. The appointment of a woman as a cabinet minister was a major breakthrough in Kuwaiti political system and it makes Kuwait the third country in the conservative Persian Gulf Arab monarchies to have a woman cabinet minister. On the other hand, the government has managed to pass laws in the years 2005-2006 that restrict the freedom of speech. Laws such as the new media law, has become a huge obstacle for writers and citizens who might consider criticizing the government's performance. Lately there have been many newspaper writers sent to court for stating their opinions regarding the government or specific ministries' performance including a court order to shut down a leading Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Watan for three days and a magazine editor being sent to jail for criticizing the government action towards a specific incident.

See also: Al-Sabah and Elections in Kuwait

Geography

Main article: Geography of Kuwait

Located in the north-west corner of the Arabian Peninsula, Kuwait is one of the smallest countries in the world in terms of land area. The House of Al-Sabah (الصباح are the royal family of Kuwait. Elections in Kuwait are held for both the National Assembly ( Majlis al-Umma) and for the Municipality Kuwait is situated in Southwest Asia, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia. The flat, sandy Arabian Desert covers most of Kuwait. The Arabian Desert is a vast Desert wilderness stretching from Yemen to the Persian Gulf and Oman to Jordan and Iraq. Kuwait is the only country in the world which has no natural lake or water reservoir. ^[28] There is little difference in the country's altitude with the highest point in the country being 306 m above sea-level. ^[29] It has nine islands, all of which with the exception of Failaka Island are uninhabited. Kuwait has nine Islands (ten including one former island They are indicated on the NASA satellite image and listed in the table in order from north to south Failaka Island (جزيرة فيلكا) is an island that belongs to Kuwait in the Persian Gulf. ^[30] With an area of 860 km², the Bubiyan is the largest island in Kuwait and is connected to the rest of the country by a 2,380 m long bridge. Bubiyan Island (جزيرة بوبيان is the largest island in the Kuwaiti coastal island chain with an area of 863 km² ^[31] Sparse vegetation is found along its 499 km long coastline. ^[32] Kuwait City is located on Kuwait Bay, a natural deep-water harbor.

The land area is considered arable. ^[33] Kuwait has some of the world's richest oil fields with the Burgan field having a total capacity of approximately 70 billion barrels (11,000,000,000 m³) of proven oil reserves. An oil field is a region with an abundance of Oil wells extracting Petroleum (crude oil from below ground For the plant known as Burgan see Kunzea ericoides. The onshore Burgan Field in the desert of southeastern Kuwait During the 1991 Kuwait oil fires, more than 500 oil lakes were created covering a combined surface area of about 35. 7 km². ^[34] The resulting soil contamination due to oil and soot accumulation had made eastern and south-eastern parts of Kuwait uninhabitable. Sand and oil residue had reduced large parts of the Kuwaiti desert to semi-asphalt surfaces. ^[35] The oil spills during the Gulf war also had drastically affected Kuwait's marine resources. ^[36]

Kuwait has a warm tropical climate. Summer, which last from April to September, is extremely hot and dry with temperatures easily crossing 45 °C (113 °F) during daytime. ^[37] Winter season, from November through February, is cool with some precipitation and average temperatures around 13 °C (56 °F) with extremes from -2 °C to 27 °C. Annual rainfall averages less than 127 mm and occurs chiefly between October and April. ^[38] The spring season in March is warm and pleasant with occasional thunderstorms. The frequent winds from the northwest are cool in winter and spring and hot in summer. Southeasterly winds, usually hot and damp, spring up between July and October; hot and dry south winds prevail in spring and early summer. The shamal, a northwesterly wind common during June and July, causes dramatic sandstorms. ^[39]

Governorates

Main article: Governorates of Kuwait

Kuwait is divided into six governorates (muhafazat, sing. Kuwait is divided into 6 Governorates ( Muhafazah)The governorates are further subdivided into Districts A Governorate is an Administrative division of a country It is headed by a Governor. muhafadhah):

• Al Ahmadi
• Al Farwaniyah
• Al Asimah
• Al Jahra
• Hawalli
• Mubarak Al-Kabeer

The governorates are subdivided into districts. The Arabic word muhafazah (محافظة muḥāfaẓä plural محافظات muhafazat) is usually translated to Governorate in English occasionally to Al Ahmadi (الاحمدي is one of the six governorates of Kuwait. Al Farwaniyah (الفروانية is the largest of the six governorate of Kuwait, in terms of total number of residents Al Asimah ( ألعاصمه) also called Al Kuwayt is one of the six governorates of Kuwait, and consists of the following districts: Al Jahra is one of the six governorates of Kuwait. It is located to the northwest of the other governorates and houses the city of Jahra among others Hawalli ( حولي) is one of the six governorates of Kuwait, consisting of the following districts: As Surrah Mubarak Al-Kabeer (مبارك الكبير is one of the governorates of Kuwait which mainly houses residential areas

The major cities are the capital Kuwait City and Jahrah (a thirty-minute drive northwest of Kuwait City). Kuwait City ( Arabic: مدينة الكويت Transliteration: Madīnat al-Kūwait) is the Capital and largest Al Jahra is one of the six governorates of Kuwait. It is located to the northwest of the other governorates and houses the city of Jahra among others The main residential and business areas are Salmiya and Hawalli. Salmiya ( Arabic السالمية transliterated al-Sālmiah located 12 kilometers southeast of Kuwait City, is one of the largest areas in Kuwait Hawalli ( حولي) is one of the six governorates of Kuwait, consisting of the following districts: As Surrah The main industrial area is Shuwaikh within the Al Asimah Governorate. Shuwaikh (الشويخ is an area that is part industrial and part rural within the Al-Asimah governorate in the country of Kuwait. Al Asimah ( ألعاصمه) also called Al Kuwayt is one of the six governorates of Kuwait, and consists of the following districts: The main palace is the As-Seef Palace in the old part of Kuwait City where the Emir runs the daily matters of the country whilst the government headquarters are in the Bayan Palace and the Emir lives in Dar Salwa.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Kuwait

Kuwait is a highly industrialized country with a GDP (PPP) of US$138. The term developed country, or advanced country, is used to categorize countries with developed Economies in which the tertiary and quaternary sectors The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been 6 billion^[40] and a per capita income of US$55,300^[41], making it the fourth richest country in the world. Per capita income means how much each individual receives in monetary terms of the yearly income generated in the country ^[42] Kuwait's human development index (HDI) stands at 0. The Human Development Index ( HDI) is an index combining normalized measures of Life expectancy, Literacy, Educational attainment, and GDP 871, the second highest in Middle East, after Israel and the highest in the Arab world. This is a list of countries by Human Development Index as included in the United Nations Development Program 's Human Development Report 2007 For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. With a GDP growth rate of 5. 7%, Kuwait has one of the fastest growing economies in the region. ^[43] According to the 2008 Index of Economic Freedom, Kuwait has the second-most free economy in the Middle East. The Index of Economic Freedom is a series of 10 economic measurements created by the Wall Street Journal and The Heritage Foundation to measure the degree of Economic freedom The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. ^[44] In March 2007, Kuwait's foreign exchange reserves stood at US$213 billion. ^[45] The Kuwait Stock Exchange, which has about 200 firms listed, is the second-largest stock exchange in the Arab world with a total market capitalization of US$235 billion. The Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE is the national Stock market of The State of Kuwait. A stock exchange, share market or bourse is a Corporation or Mutual organization which provides "trading" facilities for Stock ^[46] In 2007, the Kuwaiti government posted a budget surplus of US$43 billion. ^[47]

Kuwait has a proven crude oil reserves of 104 billion barrels (15 km³)^[48], estimated to be 10% of the world's reserves. Oil reserves are the estimated quantities of Crude oil that are claimed to be recoverable under existing Economic and operating conditions Being a tax-free country, Kuwait's oil industry accounts for 80% of government revenue. Kuwait's oil industry is the largest industry in the country accounting nearly half of the country's GDP Petroleum and petrochemicals accounts for nearly half of GDP and 95% of export revenues. Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit Petrochemicals are chemical products made from raw materials of Petroleum or other Hydrocarbon origin Increases in oil price since 2003 has caused a surge in Kuwait's economy. ^[49] Kuwait's current oil production of 2. 8 million bpd is expected to increase to 4 million bpd by 2020. ^[50] To realize this production target, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation plans to spend US$51 billion between 2007 to 2012 to upgrade and expand the country's existing refineries. Kuwait Petroleum Corporation ( Arabic: مؤسسة البترول الكويتية was Kuwait's national oil company headquartered in Kuwait City ^[51] Other major industries include shipping, construction, cement, water desalination, construction materials and financial services. Shipping is physical process of Transporting goods and Cargo. In the fields of Architecture and Civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the Building or assembling of Infrastructure In the most general sense of the word a cement is a binder a substance which sets and hardens independently and can bind other materials together Desalination, desalinization, or desalinisation refers to any of several processes that remove excess salt and other Minerals from Water The field of finance refers to the concepts of Time, Money and Risk and how they are interrelated ^[52] Kuwait's climate limits agricultural development. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture Consequently, with the exception of fish, it depends almost wholly on food imports. Fish are aquatic Vertebrate animals that are typically ectothermic (previously Cold-blooded) covered with scales, and equipped with two About 75% of potable water must be distilled or imported. Distillation is a method of separating Mixtures based on differences in their volatilities in a boiling liquid mixture The government is keen on decreasing Kuwait's dependence on oil to fuel its economy by transforming it into a regional trading and tourism hub. The planned US$77 billion City of Silk is the largest real estate development project in the Middle East. Madinat al-Hareer ( Arabic: مدينة الحرير meaning "City of Silk" is a proposed 250 square kilometer planned urban area in Subiya Kuwait ^[53] The Central Bank of Kuwait issues Kuwait’s currency, the Kuwaiti dinar. The Central Bank of Kuwait was established in 1969 to offer a flexible currency system on behalf of the State of Kuwait. In December 2007, the dinar was the highest valued currency unit in the world. ^[54]

In 2007, estimated exports stood at US$59. 97 billion and imports were around US$17. 74 billion. Petroleum, petrochemical products, fertilizers and financial services are major export commodities. Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit Petrochemicals are chemical products made from raw materials of Petroleum or other Hydrocarbon origin Fertilizers ( also spelt fertiliser are chemical compounds given to Plants to promote growth they are usually applied either through the soil for uptake by plant Kuwait imports a wide range of products ranging from food products and textiles to machinery. Kuwait's most important trading partners are Japan, South Korea, United States, China, European Union, Saudi Arabia and India. ^[55]

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Kuwait

As of 2007, Kuwait's population is estimated to be 3 to 3. 5 million people which included approximately 2 million non-nationals. ^[56] Kuwaiti citizens are therefore a minority of those who reside in Kuwait. The government only rarely grants citizenship to non-citizens.

About 57% of Kuwaiti population is Arab, 39% Asian (including people from South Asia), and 4% are classified Bidoon. The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding Asian or Asiatic is a Demonym for people from Asia. However the use of the term varies by country and person often referring to people from a particular ^[57] Bidoons are a group of stateless Arab residents of Kuwait. Other large groups of expatriates include Assyrians, Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and Filipinos. The Assyrians are an Ethnic group whose origins lie in what is today Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and ( Bengali: বাংলাদেশ inc-Latn Bangladesh) officially Filipinos or the Filipino people are the citizens of the Philippines. In 2003, more than 400,000 Indian nationals lived in Kuwait,^[58] making them the largest expatriate community there. A non-resident Indian (NRI is an Indian citizen who has migrated to another country a person of Indian origin who is born outside India or a person of An expatriate (in abbreviated form expat) is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing ^[59] After Kuwait was liberated from Iraqi occupation, most of the 400,000 Palestinians living in Kuwait were expelled because of their government's open support for the Iraqi forces. At the end of the Gulf War Kuwait expelled some 400000 Palestinians because the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat had aligned the PLO with Only a few thousand Palestinians remain in Kuwait. ^[60] The population of ethnic Armenians in Kuwait also shrank drastically following the events of the Iraq-Kuwait war. The Armenians in Kuwait are people of Armenian descent living in Kuwait. ^[61]

80% of Kuwait's population practices Islam. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. ^[62] Despite Islam being a state religion,^[63] Kuwait has large communities of Christians (est. A state religion (also called an official religion, established church or state church) is a religious body or Creed officially Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings 300,000 to 400,000), Hindus (est. Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. 300,000), Buddhists (est. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices 100,000), and Sikhs (est. Sikhism ( IPA: or; ਸਿੱਖੀ sikkhī, IPA:) founded on the teachings of Nanak and nine successive gurus in fifteenth century 10,000). ^[64] Of the Muslims in Kuwait, 70% are Sunni and 30% are Shia Muslims. Sunni Islam is the largest denomination of Islam. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘h (Arabic A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion ^[65] Kuwait's official language is Arabic, though English is widely spoken. Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Other important languages include Persian, Hindi, Urdu, Filipino, and Bengali. Hindi ( Devanāgarī: hi [[wiktहिन्दी हिन्दी]] or hi [[wiktहिंदी हिंदी]] IAST:, IPA:) is Urdu ( ur '''{{Nastaliq اردو}}''' trans Urdū, historically spelled Ordu) is a Central Indo-Aryan language Urdu is a standardised Filipino is the national and an Official language of the Philippines as designated in the 1987 Philippine Constitution.

Infrastructure

Kuwait's infrastructure was severely damaged during the First Gulf War. Fleeing Iraqi soldiers were also ordered to set hundreds of oil wells on fire and the country's oil production had come to standstill. Much has changed since the end of the Gulf War. The Kuwaiti government has spent billions of dollars to construct an elaborate roadway system, and, the telecommunication industry achieved an incredible growth rate. Kuwait City boasts more than two dozen five-star hotels and resorts and several skyscrapers dominate the city's skyline. Kuwait City ( Arabic: مدينة الكويت Transliteration: Madīnat al-Kūwait) is the Capital and largest Kuwait Infrastructure Maintenance Management System overlooks the oil-rich country's infrastructure. Kuwait's energy sector is the main source for 47% of the country's annual income.

Kuwait has several major infrastructure projects planned, including one of the biggest seafront projects in the world, Madinat al-Hareer. Madinat al-Hareer ( Arabic: مدينة الحرير meaning "City of Silk" is a proposed 250 square kilometer planned urban area in Subiya Kuwait If completed, this project would include the world's tallest tower, and, numerous housing, health, education, environmental, business, and tourism centres. Other major projects are the development of a deep-water port on Bubiyan Island, which could become a gateway for trade into Iraq and western Iran. ||-||-|-||-||-||-||-||-||-|} A port is a facility for receiving Ships and transferring cargo Bubiyan Island (جزيرة بوبيان is the largest island in the Kuwaiti coastal island chain with an area of 863 km² However, political tension between the National Assembly and the government has severely delayed and hampered the approval and development of most infrastructure projects.

Transportation

Kuwait has an extensive, modern and well-maintained network of highways. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Before adding any more images to this * * page please do carefully consider * * whether they would be mere decoration * * or actually improve Roadways extended 5,749 km, of which 4,887 km is paved. ^[66] In 2000, there were some 552,400 passenger cars, and 167,800 commercial taxis, trucks, and buses in use. Since there is no railway system in the country, most of the people travel by automobiles. ^[67] The government plans to construct US$11 billion rail network which will include a city metro for its capital. ^[68] Bus services are provided by City Bus and state-owned Kuwait Public Transportation Corporation. ^[69]

There are a total of seven airports in the country, of which four have paved runways. Kuwait International Airport serves as the principal hub for international air travel. Kuwait International Airport is located in Farwaniya Kuwait, 16 kilometers (approximately 10 miles south of Kuwait City. State-owned Kuwait Airways is the largest airline in the country. Kuwait Airways (الخطوط الجوية الكويتية is the national Airline of Kuwait, based in Kuwait City and wholly owned by In 2001, the airline carried 2,084,600 passengers on domestic and international flights. ^[70] In 2004, the first private airline of Kuwait, Jazeera Airways, was launched. Jazeera Airways (طيران الجزيرة is a low-fare airline based in Kuwait. ^[71]

Kuwait has one of the largest shipping industry in the Persian Gulf region. The Kuwait Ports Public Authority manages and operates ports across Kuwait. ^[72] The country’s principal commercial seaports are Shuwaikh and Shuaiba which handled combined cargo of 753,334 TEU in 2006. ^[73] Mina Al-Ahmadi, the largest port in the country, handles most of Kuwait's oil exports. ^[74] Construction of another major port located in Bubiyan island started in 2005. Bubiyan Island (جزيرة بوبيان is the largest island in the Kuwaiti coastal island chain with an area of 863 km² The port is expected to handle 1. 3 million TEU when operation starts in 2008. ^[75]

Education

Oil revenues have allowed Kuwait to build an extensive educational system, yielding a literacy rate of 82.9 percent. List of countries by Literacy rate, as included in the United Nations Development Programme Report 2007/2008 There are a lot of private schools in Kuwait, including The English School,^[76] which was the first private school to open in Kuwait. Zainab is a great teacher at one of these schools a person who lets the people learn and educate them selves with much easeOther private schools include the Fahaheel Al-Watanieh Indian Private School (Delhi Public School), Jabriya Indian School, Indian Community School, Al-Bayan Bilingual School, Gulf Indian School, Carmel School (Kuwait),^[77] The British School of Kuwait, Kuwait English School, The Gulf English School, The American School of Kuwait,^[78] American International School, universal American school, and The New English School. DPS Mathura Road GetThumb 516jpg]]DPS Mathura road was the first DPS established in year 1949 by DPS society Pre-dating the Iraq invasion of Kuwait Jabriya Indian School was The New Indian School, registered in Hawally Carmel School Kuwait established in 1969 is conducted by the Sisters of the Apostolic Carmel, who have several educational establishments all over India and the Andamans Sri Lanka Kuwait English School is a private school providing British curriculum education from Kindergarten to 6th Form A Levels located in Salwa, Kuwait. The Gulf English School is a British school in Kuwait, following the British National Curriculum. New English School may refer to New English School (Jordan New English School (Kuwait All private schools offer different and competitive programs, and whilst each school strives to be the best at private education, different parents and expatriates prefer different private schools naturally. Public schooling is free and compulsory from the age of 5 to 18, and several private schools also teach this age group. Kuwait University is Kuwait's only public university. Kuwait University (KU was established in October 1966, five years after Kuwait's independence from Britain pursuant to an Amiri Decree which postulated organization of higher education The medical school in particular, provides up-to-date training for students. Both the extensive library system at Kuwait University and the collection at Kuwait National Museum (1957) were heavily damaged and looted during the Iraqi occupation in the 1991 Persian Gulf War. Other universities in Kuwait include the American University of Kuwait, the Gulf University for Science and Technology, the Australian College of Kuwait, the Arab Open University (AOU) and the AUM. The American University of Kuwait is a private liberal arts institution based on the American model of higher education in Kuwait City, Kuwait. See also List of Open University Alumni

The Gulf University for Science and Technology was the first private university established in Kuwait in 2002. Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST is the first private university established in Kuwait It currently has two campuses in Hawalli and a third campus in Mishref where the Australian College of Kuwait is also located. The American University of Kuwait opened in 2004 with Dr. The American University of Kuwait is a private liberal arts institution based on the American model of higher education in Kuwait City, Kuwait. Shafeeq Al-Ghabra as founding president. The Australian College of Kuwait also opened in 2004 and there are more universities and colleges being discussed. Box Hill College Kuwait, an Australian women's college, opened its doors in September 2007 in Abu Halifa. It is an accredited extended campus of Box Hill TAFE, Australia, and offers internationally recognized qualifications.

In September 2008, the American University of the Middle East will open in the suburb of Egaila. This will be followed by a satellite campus of Algonquin College in 2009. Algonquin College is an English -language college of applied arts and technology in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Culture

Main articles: Culture of Kuwait, Music of Kuwait, and Cinema of Kuwait

Media

Kuwait has one of the most vocal and transparent media in the Arab World. Media Transparency is the concept of determining how and why Information is conveyed through various means ^[79] In 2007, Kuwait was ranked second in the Middle East after Israel in the freedom of press index. Freedom Constitutional or statutory protections pertaining to freedom of the press ^[80] Though the government funds several leading newspapers and satellite channels,^[81] Kuwaiti journalists enjoy greater freedom than their regional counterparts. ^[82] State-owned Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) is the largest media house in the country. The Ministry of Information regulates all media and communication industry in Kuwait. ^[83]

In 1998, there were 6 AM and 11 FM radio stations and 13 television stations. In 2000, there were 624 radios and 486 television sets for every 1,000 people. In 2001, there were 165,000 Internet subscribers served by three service providers. ^[84] Kuwait has ten satellite television channels of which four are controlled by the Ministry of Information. Satellite television is Television delivered by the means of Communications satellites as compared to conventional Terrestrial television and Cable State-owned Kuwait Television (KTV) offered first colored broadcast in 1974 and operates three television channels. ^[85] Government-funded Radio Kuwait also offers daily informative programming in four foreign languages including Persian, Urdu, Tagalog and English on the AM and SW.

In 1998, Kuwait had eight major daily newspapers in circulation of which two were in English and six were in Arabic. In 2002, the Arab Times was the most popular English daily followed by the Kuwait Times. The Arab Times is an English language Newspaper based in Kuwait. Founded by Yousuf Saleh Alyan in September 1961 the Kuwait Times is the first English-language daily Newspaper in the Gulf region, based Al-Anabaa, with a circulation of 106,800 copies, was the most widely read Arabic daily. ^[86] A press law forbids insulting references to God and Islamic prophet Muhammad. Muslims regard as Prophets of Islam ( Arabic: نبي) those non-divine humans chosen by Allah as Prophets IMPORTANT PLEASE READ ##### For all questions relating to the addition of (pbuh peace be upon him or other honorifics Another law which made leading newspaper publishers eligible for hefty fines for criticizing the ruling family was lifted in 1992. Leading newspapers continue to impose self-restraint while being critical of the emir. ^[87] However, no such restraint is observed while criticizing the government. ^[88]

See also

Communications in Kuwait Foreign relations of Kuwait National Offset Company - Kuwait Geography of Kuwait Human rights in Kuwait Kuwait Boy Scouts Association Kuwait Girl Guides Association Kuwaiti architecture

Kuwaiti Family Committee List of Kuwaiti companies List of Kuwaitis Madinat al-Hareer Military of Kuwait Gulf War Postal history and stamps Transportation in Kuwait

References

External links

• Kuwait Yellow Pages Guide
• The Office of the Amir of Kuwait
• (English) Kuwait Airways
• Kuwait at the Open Directory Project
• Wikimedia Atlas of Kuwait
• Kuwait travel guide from Wikitravel

The Open Directory Project ( ODP) also known as dmoz (from directory Wikitravel is a Web -based project "to create a free, complete up-to-date and reliable worldwide travel guide.

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