Kuwait — map and facts

About Kuwait

Kuwait is a small constitutional emirate located at the northwestern tip of the Persian Gulf, bordered by Iraq to the north and Saudi Arabia to the south. It has a population of approximately 4.5 million, though Kuwaiti nationals constitute a minority of roughly 30 percent; the majority of residents are expatriate workers. Kuwait City is the capital and primary urban centre. The country is governed as a constitutional monarchy under the Al-Sabah ruling family, which has led Kuwait since the mid-eighteenth century. The Emir serves as head of state and appoints the prime minister. Kuwait has a partially elected National Assembly, which gives it a more active parliamentary culture than many Gulf neighbours. The economy is almost entirely dependent on petroleum, which was discovered in commercial quantities in 1938; Kuwait holds approximately six to seven percent of the world's proven oil reserves. The country has a very high per-capita income and provides extensive social services to its citizens, including free healthcare and education. Arabic is the official language.

Geography and Landscape

Kuwait occupies approximately 17,800 square kilometres, making it one of the smaller countries in the Middle East. Its territory includes Kuwait Bay, a natural harbour that historically facilitated maritime trade, and a number of islands including Bubiyan, the largest, and Failaka Island, which has archaeological significance. The landscape is predominantly flat to gently undulating desert with limited surface water and no permanent rivers. The terrain consists mainly of sandy desert and gravel plains, with elevations rarely exceeding 300 metres. The highest point, Mutla Ridge, reaches around 290 metres in the northwest. The climate is one of the most extreme on Earth: summers are intensely hot and dry, with temperatures regularly exceeding 45°C and occasionally approaching 50°C, while winters are mild and occasionally rainy. Annual rainfall averages only around 120 millimetres and falls primarily in the winter months. There are no lakes or rivers and freshwater is obtained primarily through desalination. Wadi Al-Batin forms part of the western border.

History

Kuwait Bay's sheltered harbour attracted settlement for millennia. The modern state traces its origins to the early eighteenth century when the Bani Utub, a confederation of Arabian tribes, settled the area around 1710–1716. The Al-Sabah family emerged as rulers, establishing a sheikhdom that developed through pearl diving, fishing, and maritime trade. Kuwait became a British protectorate in 1899 when Sheikh Mubarak al-Sabah signed an agreement with Britain, seeking protection from Ottoman expansion. The protectorate arrangement persisted until Kuwait declared full independence on 19 June 1961. Oil was discovered in 1938 at the Burgan field, which remains one of the world's largest oil fields, and commercial production began after World War Two. Oil revenues transformed Kuwait into one of the world's wealthiest states per capita within a generation. On 2 August 1990, Iraqi forces under Saddam Hussein invaded and occupied Kuwait, triggering the Gulf War. A US-led international coalition liberated Kuwait in February 1991 following Operation Desert Storm. The reconstruction process was extensive, and Kuwait has since rebuilt its infrastructure and economy. The country joined the United Nations in 1963.