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 Kuwait| Facts & Figures |
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| Emir:
Sheik Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah (2006) Prime Minister: Sheik Nasser Muhammad
al-Ahmad al-Sabah (2006) Total area: 6,880 sq mi (17,819 sq
km) Population (2009 est.): 2,691,158
(growth rate: 3.5%); birth rate: 21.8/1000; infant mortality rate:
8.9/1000; life expectancy: 77.7; density per sq km: 145
Capital (2003 est.):
Kuwait, 1,709,800 (metro. area), 32,600 (city
proper) Largest city:
as-Salimiyah, 146,900 Monetary unit:
Kuwaiti dinar (KD) More Facts & Figures |
GeographyKuwait is situated northeast of Saudi Arabia at
the northern end of the Persian Gulf, south of Iraq. It is slightly larger
than Hawaii. The low-lying desert land is mainly sandy and barren.
GovernmentKuwait is a constitutional monarchy, governed by
the al-Sabah family.
HistoryKuwait is believed to have been part of an early
civilization in the 3rd millennium
B.C.
and to
have traded with Mesopotamian cities. Archeological and historical traces
disappeared around the first millennium
B.C.
At the beginning of the 18th century, the
'Anizah tribe of central Arabia founded Kuwait City, which became an
autonomous sheikdom by 1756. 'Abd Rahim of the al-Sabah became the first
sheik, and his descendants continue to rule Kuwait today. In the late 18th
and early 19th centuries, the sheikdom belonged to the fringes of the
Ottoman Empire. Kuwait obtained British protection in 1897 when the sheik
feared that the Turks would expand their hold over the area. In 1961,
Britain ended the protectorate, giving Kuwait independence, but agreed to
give military aid on request. Iraq immediately threatened to occupy the
area, and the British sent troops to defend Kuwait. Soon afterward, the
Arab League sent in troops, replacing the British. Iraq's claim was
dropped when the Arab League recognized Kuwait's independence on July 20,
1961. Historically, Kuwait followed a neutral and mediatory policy among Arab
states.
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