Kuwait

Location

The country of Kuwait is a pearl of an oyster lying at the north west corner of the

Arabian Gulf. Shaped roughly like a triangle, Kuwait is located at the northwestern tip of

the Persian Gulf. It is bounded to the north and west by Iraq and to south and east by the

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Arabian Gulf is Kuwait's eastern border and across the gulf

is Iran. Kuwait is situated on a 17,818 square kilometer strip of sandy plains. Kuwait is

approximately the size of New Jersey and is located at 30.27 degrees latitude north of

the Equator and 48.46 degrees longitude east of Greenwich. At its widest points, Kuwait

is 200 kilometers (124 miles) from north to south and 170 kilometers (106 miles) from

east to west.

Geography
Kuwait’s territorial waters are about 2,200 square meters. There are nine islands off the coast of Kuwait. The largest islands are the Failaka, Bubiyan, Warba, and Kubbar which are near six smaller islands: UM al-Maradim, Maskan, Awhah,Um al-Namel, and Qarouh. The country's most prominent geographical feature is Kuwait Bay, a large natural inlet that extends 40 km into the mainland. Most of Kuwait is made up of a flat sandy desert. Although there are no rivers or mountains, the sandy soil gradually slopes to sea level where coastal marshes, mud flats and salt depressions around the northern part of Kuwait Bay. Kuwait has beautiful sandy beaches along the Gulf.
Climate

Kuwait is in the desert zone of the Sahara geographical region. The highest recorded temperature is 125°F. Sandstorms and very hot northwesterly winds in June and July exaggerate the effects of the summer heat. Summer months are between May and October, and the winter has slight showers that start in November and last through the month of April. This is the time of the year when the desert vegetation begins to bloom and people can enjoy the weather.

History

Kuwait has had a rich and diverse history. The headland now occupied by Kuwait City was settled only 300 years ago. In the early 18th century, Kuwait was nothing more than a few tents. By the early 19th century, Kuwait was a thriving trading port. Kuwait spent the early 1920s fighting off the army commanded by Abdul Aziz in Abdul Rahman Al-Saud, the founder of modern Saudi Arabia. In 1923 the fighting ended with a British treaty. On 19, June 1961, Kuwait became an independent state. In 1963, Kuwait became a member of the United Nations, and later that year Iraq agreed to abandon its threats and recognize Kuwait's independence and borders in a treaty signed by both governments.

Despite political and economic tensions, by the mid-1990’s, the country's economic prospects looked bright, particularly when the eight-year Iran-Iraq war ended.

Important Dates

Important dates on Kuwait’s calendar are January 1-New Years Day, January 21-Festival of Sacrifice, February 10-Islamic New Year, February 25-National Day, February 26-Liberation Day, October 4-Start of Ramadon, November 3-End of Ramadon. The start of their work week is on a Saturday, ending their week on Wednesday. Their official weekly days off are Thursday and Friday.

Population

The total population of Kuwait reached 2.5 million as of June, 2003. The native

population of Kuwait consists of Arabs. A large proportion of the Kuwait population is young, about 60 percent being under 21 years of age. The bulk of the population lives in Deera City. The other two major towns are Ahmadi and Jahra. The majority of the population are the people of Kuwait, 37 % and the non-Kuwait 63 %. Among the Kuwait population, the females out number the males. Population growth rate is 3.36 %. Birth rate in Kuwait is 21.85 births per 1,000 people. The death rate in Kuwait is 2.44 deaths per 1,000 people. The life expectancy for males is 75.89 years of age. For females, the life expectancy is 77.86 years of age.

Currency

The Kuwait Dinar is the official currency and is divided into coins of 100,50,20,10 and 5 fils and bills of.1,5,10 and 20 Dinars. 1 KD equals 1,000 fils. This currency is accepted worldwide and complies with the International Monetary Fund exchange regulations.

Education

Today, Kuwait's education system is larger than ever. There are currently close to 500,000 students enrolled in Kuwaiti schools, constituting approximately 30 % of the entire population. There are three basic levels of education in Kuwait; elementary, intermediate, and secondary. Each level involves four years of study, and schooling usually begins at age six. Schooling in Kuwait is free and compulsory for all children. Kuwait also offers private schools and they actually cost very little money to attend. Students in all Kuwaiti schools study English beginning in the second grade. In higher levels of education, Kuwait University is the main form of academic discussion in Kuwait. Since its establishment in 1966, the university has grown from just over 400 students to nearly 18,000 men and women. In 1997, 5 % of the country’s gross national product was spent on education.

Language
The official language in Kuwait is Arabic although English is also spoken by all citizens. Again, both Arabic and English are taught in Kuwait schools, and English is also used as a second language.

Religion

Islam is the official religion of Kuwait and is practiced in the many mosques throughout the country. There are also churches for Christian residents, Protestants, Greek Orthodox, Maronite and an ecumenical church. 85 % of Kuwait citizens are Muslim. Fifteen percent fall into another category.

Agriculture

Agriculture and livestock do not play a significant role in Kuwait's economy because of the country's physical conditions. Kuwait only has 100 acres or so under cultivation in the whole country. This makes Kuwait one of the least agriculturalized countries in the world. Kuwait practically has no crops and very little fish. There is virtually no natural source of fresh water. Kuwait is importing animals such as cows, chickens, and sheep (from many countries). In 1997, agriculture only contributed 0.5 % of the GDP. Although Kuwait is not self-sufficient in agriculture, the country will be in the future. If agriculture is an industry of the future, fishing, together with pearling have been a major occupation in Kuwait, since the foundation of the state.

Trade

Despite it's small size and population, Kuwait is the UK's 3rd largest trading partner in the Gulf and one of its leading suppliers of goods and services worldwide, only the US and Japan supply more. Export partners of Kuwait include Japan, of course, with 21.3 %, South Korea with 14.9 %, US with 11.5 %, Singapore with 9.8 %, and Taiwan with 9.3 %. Their export commodities consist of oil and refined products and fertilizers. Kuwait imports food, construction materials, vehicles and parts, and clothing. This oil rich economy, heavily dependent on imports to satisfy most industrial and consumer demands, represents a good and varied market for UK exporters.

Food

Traditional Kuwait meals such as khouzi, baked lamb stuffed with rice are still eaten but many foods from around the world are also part of the diet. In Kuwait homes, foods from other Arab countries are commonly prepared. Favorites are (dolma), rolled vine leaves stuffed with flavored rice and meat, hummous, a ground chickpea mix, and tabbouleh, chopped parsley, tomato, onion and bulgur wheat. In addition, western style fast food is now easily available. It is especially popular among young people.

The population of Kuwait usually eat a light breakfast. Their main meal of the day and lunch, consists of many different dishes presented at once to allow individual choice. Dessert is usually a variety of fruits or prepared sweets. Common drinks consumed with the meal are water, soft drinks and leban or diluted yogurt. Tea or coffee are served in a sitting room after the meal. Dinner is a small meal. People from Kuwait abstain from pork and alcohol as Muslims are forbidden to consume such foods. Traditionally, the population of Kuwait sit on the floor, eating from a communal platter using their fingers of the right hand. Most Kuwait homes have both western-style dining tables as well as traditional dining facilities. Many of them still prefer to eat sitting at a low table, but are more likely to use individual plates, cutlery and napkins.

Landmarks
There are numerous sites to visit and tour while in Kuwait. The capital, Kuwait City is considered a great urban capital with high buildings and wide streets and hotels and is known for it’s beautiful gardens and parks and must be visited. The Scientific Center has the largest aquarium ever built in the Middle East. It serves as the center of excellence for environmental education in the Arabian Gulf region. Among the tourist features in Kuwait are the musical fountains, the Green Island, the Zoo, stock exchange market ,and the Grand Mosque with an area of about 50,000 square meters. The best time to visit Kuwait is in May or October, right before or right after summer, when the temperatures are civilized.

Courtney Miller