Table of Contents
KUWAIT0.1 officially the State of Kuwait,[b] is a country in West Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of the Arabian Peninsula at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the north and Iran with the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia to the south.[14] With a coastline of approximately 500 km (311 mi), Kuwait also shares a maritime border with Iran.[15] Most of the country’s population reside in the urban agglomeration of Kuwait City, the capital and largest city.[16] As of 2023, Kuwait has a population of 4.82 million, of which 1.53 million are Kuwaiti citizens while the remaining 3.29 million are foreign nationals from over 100 countries. In 2024 the population of Kuwait has risen to 4.93 million which is a population increase of 1.98% from 2023.[17]
Etymology
KUWAIT0.1The name “Kuwait” is from the Kuwaiti Arabic diminutive form of كوت (Kut or Kout), meaning “fortress built near water”.[24] The country’s official name has been the “State of Kuwait” since 1961.
History
Main article: History of Kuwait
Antiquity
KUWAIT0.1Following the post-glacial flooding of the Persian Gulf basin, debris from the Tigris–Euphrates river formed a substantial delta, creating most of the land in present-day Kuwait and establishing the present coastlines.[25] One of the earliest evidence of human habitation in Kuwait dates back to 8000 BC where Mesolithic tools were found in Burgan.[26] Historically, most of present-day Kuwait was part of ancient Mesopotamia.[27][28][29]
KUWAIT0.1During the Ubaid period (6500 BC), Kuwait was the central site of interaction between the peoples of Mesopotamia and Neolithic Eastern Arabia,[30][31][32][33][34] including Bahra 1 and site H3 in Subiya.[30][35][36][37] The Neolithic inhabitants of Kuwait were among the world’s earliest maritime traders.[38] One of the world’s earliest reed-boats was discovered at site H3 dating back to the Ubaid period.[39] Other Neolithic sites in Kuwait are located in Khiran and Sulaibikhat.[30]
1752–1945: Pre-oil
See also: Sheikhdom of Kuwait
In the early to mid 1700s, Kuwait City was a small fishing village. Administratively, it was a sheikhdom, ruled by local sheikhs from Bani Khalid clan.[91] Sometime in the mid 1700s, the Bani Utbah settled in Kuwait City.[92][93] Sometime after the death of the Bani Khalid’s leader Barak bin Abdul Mohsen [ar] and the fall of the Bani Khalid Emirate, the Utub were able to wrest control of Kuwait as a result of successive matrimonial alliances.[93]
After the Anglo-Ottoman Convention of 1913, Kuwait was established as an autonomous kaza, or district, of the Ottoman Empire and a de facto protectorate of Great Britain.
During World War I, the British Empire imposed a trade blockade against Kuwait because Kuwait’s ruler at the time, Salim Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, supported the Ottoman Empire.[113][114][115] The British economic blockade heavily damaged Kuwait’s economy.[115]
The Kuwait–Najd War of 1919–20 erupted in the aftermath of World War I. The war occurred because Ibn Saud of Najd wanted to annex Kuwait.[113][118] The sharpened conflict between Kuwait and Najd led to the death of hundreds of Kuwaitis. The war resulted in sporadic border clashes throughout 1919–1920.
Kuwait immensely declined in regional economic importance,[107] due to the trade blockades and the world economic depression.[113] Before Mary Bruins Allison visited Kuwait in 1934, Kuwait had already lost its prominence in long-distance trade.[107]
The Great Depression harmed Kuwait’s economy, starting in the late 1920s.[120] International trading was one of Kuwait’s main sources of income before oil.[120] Kuwait’s merchants were mostly intermediary merchants.[120] As a result of the decline of European demand for goods from India and Africa, Kuwait’s economy suffered. The decline in international trade resulted in an increase in gold smuggling by Kuwait’s ships to India.[120] Some local merchant families became rich from this smuggling.[121] Kuwait’s pearl industry also collapsed as a result of the worldwide economic depression.[121] At its height, Kuwait’s pearl industry had led the world’s luxury market, regularly sending out between 750 and 800 ships to meet the European elite’s desire for pearls.[121] During the economic depression, luxuries like pearls were in little demand.[121] The Japanese invention of cultured pearls also contributed to the collapse of Kuwait’s pearl industry.[121]
1946–1980: State-building
Between 1946 and 1980, Kuwait experienced a period of prosperity driven by oil and its liberal cultural atmosphere; this period is called the “golden era of Kuwait”.[122][123][124][125] In 1946, crude oil was exported for the first time. In 1950, a major public-work programme began to enable Kuwaiti citizens to enjoy a luxurious standard of living
_aerial_c1959.jpeg)
Although Kuwait formally gained independence in 1961, Iraq initially refused to recognize the country’s independence by maintaining that Kuwait is part of Iraq, albeit Iraq later briefly backed down following a show of force by Britain and Arab League support of Kuwait’s independence.[140][141][142]
Kuwait International Airport was opened in 1979 by the Al Hani Construction with a joint venture of Ballast Nedam.
1981–1991: Wars and terrorism
Main articles: 1983–1988 Kuwait terror attacks and Gulf War
During the Iran–Iraq War, Kuwait ardently supported Iraq. As a result, there were various pro-Iran terror attacks across Kuwait, including the 1983 bombings, the attempted assassination of Emir Jaber in May 1985, the 1985 Kuwait City bombings, and the hijacking of several Kuwait Airways planes. Kuwait’s economy and scientific research sector significantly suffered due to the pro-Iran terror attacks.[150]
During the Iraqi occupation, nearly 1,000 civilians were killed in Kuwait. In addition, 600 people went missing during Iraq’s occupation;[158] remains of approximately 375 were found in mass graves in Iraq. Kuwait celebrates February 26 as Liberation Day. The event marked the country as the centre of the last major war in the 20th century.
1992–present: Present era
See also: Kuwait and state-sponsored terrorism
In the early 1990s, Kuwait deported nearly 400,000 Palestinians.[159] Kuwait’s policy was a response to alignment of the PLO with Saddam Hussein. It was a form of collective punishment. Kuwait also deported thousands of Iraqis and Yemenis after the Gulf War.[160][1
In March 2014, David S. Cohen, who was then Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, accused Kuwait of funding terrorism.[176] Accusations of Kuwait funding terrorism have been very common and come from a wide variety of sources including intelligence reports, Western government officials, scholarly research, and renowned journalists.[177][178][179][180][181][182][183][184][185][176] In 2014 and 2015, Kuwait was frequently described as the world’s biggest source of terrorism funding, particularly for ISIS and Al-Qaeda.
Geography
Main article: Geography of Kuwait
Skyline of Kuwait City, capital and largest city of Kuwait
Located at the head of the Persian Gulf in the north-east corner of the Arabian Peninsula, Kuwait is one of the smallest countries in the world in terms of land area. Kuwait lies between latitudes 28° and 31° N, and longitudes 46° and 49° E. Kuwait is generally low-lying, with the highest point being 306 m (1,004 ft) above sea level.[14] Mutla Ridge is the highest point in Kuwait.
Climate
Main articles: Climate of Kuwait and Environmental issues in Kuwait
Due to Kuwait’s proximity to Iraq and Iran, the winter season in Kuwait is colder than other coastal countries in the region (especially UAE, Qatar, and Bahrain).[230] Kuwait is also less humid than other coastal countries in the region. The spring season in March is warm with occasional thunderstorms. The frequent winds from the northwest are cold in winter and hot in summer. Southeasterly damp winds 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.[231] Summers in Kuwait are some of the hottest on earth. The highest recorded temperature was 54.0 °C (129.2 °F) at Mitribah on 21 July 2016, which is the highest temperature recorded in Asia.
Nature reserves
At present, there are five protected areas in Kuwait recognized by the IUCN. In response to Kuwait becoming the 169th signatory of the Ramsar Convention, Bubiyan Island‘s Mubarak al-Kabeer reserve was designated as the country’s first Wetland of International Importance.[238] The 50,948 ha reserve consists of small lagoons and shallow salt marshes and is important as a stop-over for migrating birds on two migration routes.[238] The reserve is home to the world’s largest breeding colony of crab-plover.[238]
Biodiversity
Main article: Wildlfe of Kuwait
Currently, 444 species of birds have been recorded in Kuwait, 18 species of which breed in the country.[239] The arfaj is the national flower of Kuwait.[240] Due to its location at the head of the Persian Gulf near the mouth of the Tigris–Euphrates river, Kuwait is situated at the crossroads of many major bird migration routes and between two and three million birds pass each year.[241] Kuwait’s marine and littoral ecosystems contain the bulk of the country’s biodiversity heritage.[241] The marshes in northern Kuwait and Jahra have become increasingly important as a refuge for passage migrants.[241]
Water and sanitation
.svg)
Kuwait relies on water desalination as a primary source of fresh water for drinking and domestic purposes.[256][257] There are currently more than six desalination plants.[257] Kuwait was the first country in the world to use desalination to supply water for large-scale domestic use. The history of desalination in Kuwait dates back to 1951 when the first distillation plant was commissioned.
Government and politics
Main articles: Cabinet of Kuwait, Government of Kuwait, and Politics of Kuwait
Political system
Kuwait is an emirate,[5] which is sometimes described as “anocratic“.[261] The Polity data series[264] and Economist Democracy Index[265] both categorize Kuwait as an autocracy (dictatorship). Freedom House previously rated the country as “partly free” in the Freedom in the World survey.[266] The Emir is the head of state, he belongs to the Al Sabah ruling family. The political system consists of an appointed government and judiciary. The Constitution of Kuwait was promulgated in 1962.[267]
Al Sabah dynasty
Main article: House of Sabah
.jpg)
The Al Sabah ruling family adhere to the Maliki school of Sunni Islam. Article 4 of the Kuwait constitution stipulates that Kuwait is a hereditary emirate whose emir must be an heir of Mubarak Al-Sabah.[270] Mubarak had four sons, but an informal pattern of alternation between the descendants of his sons Jabir and Salem emerged since his death in 1915.[285] This pattern of succession had one exception before 2006, when Sheikh Sabah Al-Salim, a son of Salem, was named crown prince to succeed his half-brother Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem as a consequence of infighting and lack of consensus within the ruling family council.
Foreign relations
Main article: Foreign relations of Kuwait
The foreign affairs of Kuwait are handled at the level of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The first foreign affairs department bureau was established in 1961. Kuwait became the 111th member state of the United Nations in May 1963. It is a long-standing member of the Arab League and Gulf Cooperation Council.
Military
Main article: Kuwait Military Forces
The Kuwaiti armed forces consist of the Land Forces, the Air Force (including the Air Defense Force), the Navy (including the Coast Guard), the National Guard, and the Emiri Guard, with a total of 17,500 active personnel and 23,700 reservists. The Emiri Guard is tasked with the protection of the Emir of Kuwait. The National Guard remains independent of the regular armed forces command structure, subordinated directly to the Emir and the prime minister, and is involved in both internal security and external defense.
Legal system
Main article: Legal system of Kuwait
Kuwait follows the civil law system modeled after the French legal system;[302][303][304] Kuwait’s legal system is largely secular.[305][306][307][308] Sharia law governs only family law for Muslim residents,[306][309] while non-Muslims in Kuwait have a secular family law. For the application of family law, there are three separate court sections: Sunni (Maliki), Shia, and non-Muslim. According to the United Nations, Kuwait’s legal system is a mix of English common law, French civil law, Egyptian civil law and Islamic law.[310]
Administrative divisions
Main articles: Governorates of Kuwait and Areas of Kuwait
Kuwait is divided into six governorates: Al Asimah Governorate (or Capital Governorate); Hawalli Governorate; Farwaniya Governorate; Mubarak Al-Kabeer Governorate; Ahmadi Governorate; and Jahra Governorate. The governorates are further subdivided into areas.
Human rights and corruption
[edit]
Main articles: Human rights in Kuwait and Bedoon
Human rights in Kuwait has been the subject of significant criticism, particularly regarding the Bedoon (stateless people).[164][162][316][160] The Kuwaiti government’s handling of the stateless Bedoon crisis has come under criticism from many human rights organisations and even the United Nations.[317] According to Human Rights Watch in 1995, Kuwait has produced 300,000 stateless Bedoon.[318] Kuwait has the largest number of stateless people in the entire region.[162][319] Since 1986, the Kuwaiti government has refused to grant any form of documentation to the Bedoon including birth certificates, death certificates, identity cards, marriage certificates, and driving licences.[319][320] The Kuwaiti Bedoon crisis resembles the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar (Burma).[321] According to several human rights organizations, Kuwait is committing ethnic cleansing and genocide against the stateless Bedoon.[164][162][319] Additionally, LGBT people in Kuwait have few legal protections.
Economy
Main article: Economy of Kuwait
Kuwait has a wealthy petroleum-based economy.[334] Kuwait is one of the richest countries in the world.[335][336][337][338] The Kuwaiti dinar is the highest-valued unit of currency in the world.[339] According to the World Bank, Kuwait is the fifth richest country in the world by gross national income per capita, and one of five nations with a GNI per capita above $70,000.[335]
Kuwait is currently the GCC region’s most oil-dependent country with the weakest infrastructure and lowest share of economic diversification.