Despite its small size, the country of Kuwait has some of the largest oil reserves in the world. In 1990 the neighboring country of Iraq invaded Kuwait. The invasion led to the international conflict known as the Persian Gulf War. Although severely damaged in the war, Kuwait quickly recovered. The country's capital is Kuwait City.
Located in the Middle East, Kuwait sits on the northeastern part of the Arabian Peninsula. It borders Saudi Arabia to the south & southwest & Iraq to the north & northwest. The Persian Gulf is to the east. Several isl&s off the coast are part of Kuwait. The country covers an area of only 6,880 square miles (17,818 square kilometers).
Kuwait is largely a desert. The climate is generally hot & dry. Most of the l& is either flat or slightly rolling. Among the few truly fertile areas in the country is the Al-Jahra oasis at the western end of Kuwait Bay. Kuwait has no lakes or rivers. A number of deep basins in the north, west, & center of the country fill with water during the short rainy season. These basins provide water for people & animals living in the desert. The highest point in the country is Ash-Shaqaya peak in the west, which st&s 951 feet (290 meters) above sea level.
Because of the harsh climate, plant life in Kuwait consists mainly of scrub & low bushes. Saltwater plants grow in the marshy areas along the coast. The animals of the desert include some foxes, civets, & gazelles & reptiles such as lizards & snakes. Oil fires & other environmental damage caused by the Persian Gulf War severely hurt Kuwait's wildlife. Animal populations slowly recovered after the war.
Most of the people of Kuwait are Arabs. The majority of them were born in other countries & came to Kuwait to work. The non-Kuwaitis include people from neighboring Arab countries & South Asia. Arabic is the official language, but English is also widely spoken.
In the past Kuwait was populated by nomadic, or w&ering, groups such as the Bedouins. As a result of modernization, however, only small numbers of these people remain. Almost all of the people live in cities or towns, mostly in or around Kuwait City.
Most of Kuwait's people follow Islam, & only Muslims can become citizens. Kuwaiti culture draws heavily on the country's Islamic heritage. The Gr& Mosque in Kuwait City is one of the region's most spectacular houses of worship. The country's numerous museums house important Islamic art collections. Kuwait follows Islamic laws, but the laws are not followed as strictly as they are in neighboring countries. As a result, women in Kuwait enjoy greater freedom than those in other Muslim countries.
The economy of Kuwait is dominated by the oil industry. Kuwait controls about 10 percent of the world's oil reserves. Oil & oil-related products account for almost all of the country's exports. Much natural gas is produced as well. Other manufactured goods include food products, textiles, metal products, & chemicals.
Because of Kuwait's poor soil, only limited agriculture takes place in the country. The leading crops are tomatoes, cucumbers, & eggplants. Sheep, goats, cattle, & camels are kept as livestock. Fishing in the Persian Gulf provides some food, but most food & drinking water must be imported.
Faylakah isl& in Kuwait Bay was the site of a civilization as early as the 3rd millennium BC. The civilization flourished until 1200 BC, when it disappeared from the historical record. Greek colonists again settled the isl& in the 4th century BC.
For many centuries much of modern-day Kuwait was populated by nomadic peoples. One group founded Kuwait City in the early 18th century. In 1756 a member of the Sabah family became sheik, or ruler, of Kuwait. The Sabah dynasty continues to rule the country.
Kuwait first came to the attention of foreign powers in the late 19th century. Both Germany & the Ottoman Empire expressed interest in the territory. To keep out German & Ottoman influences, Kuwait agreed in 1899 to give Britain control of its foreign affairs. After the outbreak of war with the Ottomans in 1914, Britain officially took Kuwait under its protection.
Oil was discovered in Kuwait in 1938, & in the following decades the country developed into a major oil producer. On June 19, 1961, Kuwait gained independence from Britain. Days later Iraq laid claim to Kuwait. Although Iraq had never ruled Kuwait, Iraq's leaders had claimed the territory since the first oil discovery. British troops were sent to defend Kuwait. The Arab League recognized Kuwait's independence, & Iraq dropped its claim.
During the 1980s Kuwait sided with Iraq during that country's long war with Iran. After the war ended in 1990, however, relations between Kuwait & Iraq broke down. In August 1990 Iraq invaded & took control of Kuwait.
In response to the invasion, a United Nations military force led by the United States fought a brief war against Iraq in early 1991. Iraqi troops were driven out of Kuwait in late February. Thous&s of Kuwaitis had been killed, & nearly half of the country's 1,300 oil wells had been destroyed. In the years following the war, Iraq sometimes threatened renewed hostilities against Kuwait. These threats were countered by military actions from the United States. In the meantime, Kuwait repaired the damage caused by the war. Population (2001 estimate), 2,275,000.
