Kuwait: Land and People — Infoplease.com

	Site Map \| FAQ in Daily Almanac for Nov 7, 2009 Search White Pages
Skip Navigation Home American Indian Heritage Month Atlas Encyclopedia Dictionary Thesaurus Features Quizzes Timelines Countries Slideshows

Fact Monster Kid's reference,
games, quizzes

Editor's Favorites

Sponsored LinksTravel reviews & great deals at TripAdvisor:

Kuwait (Middle East)

Encyclopedia—Kuwait

Land and People

The country is a low, sandy region that is generally barren and sparsely settled. It has a warm climate, dry inland and humid along the coast. The population is about 80% Arab; however, somewhat more than half the population are non-Kuwaitis. Native Kuwaitis have an extremely high per capita income, pay no taxes, and enjoy numerous social services. Since the development of the oil industry, large numbers of foreigners have found employment in Kuwait; non-Kuwaitis represent about 80% of the labor force. Foreign ethnic groups include South Asians, Iranians, and others. Arabic is the official language, but English is widely spoken. Some 85% of the population is Muslim, with about twice as many Sunnis as Shiites. There are Christian, Hindu, and Parsi minorities.

Sections in this article:

Premium Partner Content

Related content from HighBeam Research on: Kuwait: Land and People

Petrodollars v smallholders; Cambodia, Kuwait and farmland.(Land disputes, oil dollars and poor rice farmers) (The Economist (US))

Investors spoilt for choice: a survey of the Middle East's real estate market reveals that Kuwait City has some of the most expensive land in the region, while Tripoli could be the next big thing for property developers.(INVESTMENT)(survey of real estate market) (MEED Middle East Economic Digest)

Soldiers from the 'Land of the Midnight Sun' Arrive in Kuwait (National Guard)

Missing out on the property boom: Kuwait is falling behind in the Gulf real estate sector as high land prices and delays in progressing flagship projects deter developers from investing in the country.(CONSTRUCTION)(Statistical data) (MEED Middle East Economic Digest)

High land prices limit opportunities: with most land outside of the densely packed urban areas owned by state energy provider Kuwait Oil Company, prices are reaching record levels, forcing investors to look elsewhere.(KUWAIT)(petrolium prises) (MEED Middle East Economic Digest)

Iraqi exile voices fears for the future; from exile in Kuwait to pillar of his local Islamic community, Sayed Moustafa Al Qazwini is a descendant of the Prophet who has lived the American dream. But in an interview with Pat McDonnell Twair, he reveals his disenchantment with US involvement in his native land, Iraq.(Interview) (The Middle East)

Kuwait: high operating costs are stagnating the market and forcing home developers to look further afield.(Special Report: Real Estate)(Company rankings) (MEED Middle East Economic Digest)

Kuwait debate hots up. (Rebuilding Kuwait, a MEED conference discusses issues of national interest)(includes other news briefs) (MEED Middle East Economic Digest)

Kuwait's real estate boom (Middle East)

Kuwait's real estate boom: Jon Gorvett reports from Kuwait on the revitalisation of the country's capital city.(BUSINESS & FINANCE) (The Middle East)

Infoplease Tools