Kuwait

دولة الكويت Dawlat al-Kuwayt State of Kuwait
Coat of arms of Kuwait Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: Al-Nasheed Al-Watani
Capital	Kuwait City 29°22′N 47°58′E
Largest city	capital
Official languages	Arabic
Government	Constitutional hereditary emirate1
- Emir	Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
- Crown Prince	Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
- Prime Minister	Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah
Independence
- from the UK	June 19, 1961
Area
- Total	17,818 km² (157th) 6,880 sq mi
- Water (%)	negligible
Population
- 2006 estimate	3,100,0002
- Density	131/km² 339/sq mi
GDP (PPP)	2005 estimate
- Total	$88,7 billion
- Per capita	$29,566
HDI  (2004)	0.871 (high)
Currency	Kuwaiti dinar (KWD)
Time zone	AST (UTC+3)
- Summer (DST)	(not observed) (UTC+3)
Internet TLD	.kw
Calling code	+965

The State of Kuwait (Arabic: الكويت ) is a small constitutional monarchy on the coast of the Persian Gulf, enclosed by Saudi Arabia to the south and Iraq to the north.

It is considered to be one of the 15 so-called "Cradle of Humanity" states.

Once a small gulf shaykhdom known locally as a center for pearl diving and boat construction, Kuwait came to international prominence in the post-World War II era largely because of its enormous oil revenues.

Geography

Map of Kuwait.

The name is a diminutive of an Arabic word meaning "fortress built near water."

Shaped roughly like a triangle, Kuwait borders the Persian Gulf to the east, with 121 miles (195 kilometers) of coast. The third side of the triangle is the 150 miles (240 kilometers) of historically contested border to the north and west that Kuwait shares with Iraq. Although the Iraqi government, which had first asserted a claim to rule Kuwait in 1938, recognized the borders with Kuwait in 1963, it continued to press Kuwait for control over Bubiyan and Warbah islands through the 1960s and 1970s. In August 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait and, shortly thereafter, for a short period, formally incorporated the entire country into Iraq.

Kuwait includes within its territory nine Persian Gulf islands, two of which, Bubiyan (the largest) and Warbah, are largely uninhabited but strategically important.

The island of Faylakah, at the mouth of Kuwait Bay, is densely inhabited. It is believed to be the outermost point of the ancient civilization of Dilmun, which was centered in what is present-day Bahrain. Faylakah is the site of an ancient Greek temple built by the forces of Alexander the Great.

South-eastern Kuwait from space. The majority of Kuwait's population lives in coastal areas.

Bubiyan is linked to the mainland by a concrete bridge. Following Kuwait's liberation in 1991, the island was converted to a military base from which civilians are barred.

Kuwait's most prominent geographic feature is Kuwait Bay, which indents the shoreline for about 25 miles (40 kilometers), providing natural protection for the port of Kuwait and accounting for nearly one half the state's shoreline.

The total land area is 6880 square miles (17,818 square kilometres), which is slightly smaller than New Jersey in the United States.

Kuwait consists mostly of desert and little difference in altitude. The lowest point is sea level while the highest point is an unnamed location of 1000 feet (306 meters).

Kuwait enjoys a variable continental climate. Summers (April to October) are extremely hot and dry with temperatures exceeding 124°F (51°C) in Kuwait City several times during the hottest months of June, July and August. April and October are more moderate. Winters (November through February) are cool with some precipitation and average temperatures around 56°F (13°C) with extremes from -2°C to 27°C. The spring season (March) is warm and pleasant with occasional thunderstorms. The wettest months are January through March.

File:Kuwaittowers.jpg

Built in 1979, the Kuwait Towers are the most famous landmark in Kuwait City.

Natural hazards include sudden cloudbursts from October to April, bringing heavy rain that can damage roads and houses, as well as sandstorms and dust storms that occur throughout the year, but are most common between March and August.

Environment concerns include limited natural fresh water resources, air and water pollution, and desertification. Some of world's largest and most sophisticated desalination facilities provide much of the water.

Kuwait City, the capital, had in 2005 an estimated population of 32,500 within city limits and 2.38 million in the metropolitan area. Located at the heart of the country on the shore of the Persian Gulf, and containing Kuwait's parliament (Majlis Al-Umma), most governmental offices, the headquarters of most Kuwaiti corporations and banks, it is the indisputable political, cultural and economical center of the emirate. Another city, Jahrah, is a 30-minute drive northwest of Kuwait City. The main residential and business areas are Salmiya and Hawalli. The main industrial area is Shuwaikh within the Al Asimah governorate. The main palace headquarter is located in Bayan, a wealthy suburb in the Al-Jahra governorate.

History

Bust of Alexander the Great.

During the Dilmun era (from around 3000 B.C.E.), which saw the establishment of neighboring Bahrain, the island of Failaka was already developing its own unique culture and religious pantheon. Worship of the sun appears to have been practiced. Shamash was the common Akkadian name of the sun-god and god of justice in Babylonia and Assyria. Human sacrifice may also have taken place.

It is believed that during Alexander the Great's advance through the region on his way to India in 326 B.C.E., the ancient Greeks colonized the island of Failaka, which they named Icarus, after the island of a similar shape off the Greek coast. Some elements of Greek mythology mixed with the local cults.

The island was inhabited through the seventh or eighth century C.E.. It is unknown when the island was settled in modern times.

Bani Utub

Kuwait was founded in the early eighteenth century by various clans of the Anaiza, who gradually migrated sometime in the late seventeenth century from Nejd, which became part of Saudi Arabia, to the shores of the Persian Gulf. In the course of these migrations, different tribal groups with different skills came together to form a new tribe, what became collectively known as Bani Utub.

According to one local tradition, the Sabahs migrated south to flee drought in Najd, but found conditions bleaker. Returning to Najd, they regrouped with other families and migrated to Zubara, on Qatar's west coast. Finding conditions no better there, they finally migrated north to Kuwait where they found water and consequently settled. On the last leg of the journey they had atabu ila al-shamal (moved to the north), one explanation of the origin of the name Bani Utub. When they arrived at Kuwait, the Bani Utub found a small Bani Khalid settlement. The Banu Khalid were the rulers of the eastern province of Saudi Arabia, they also controlled Kuwait for about a century. Possibly the Bani Khalid or Bani Utub had built a fortress from which the name Kuwait, a diminutive of kut or fortress, derives.

While the desert-oriented Bani Khalid dominated the area, the Bani Utub developed new maritime skills. Kuwait had arguably one of the best natural harbors in the Persian Gulf; its location allowed it to benefit from the caravan trade to Aleppo and Baghdad, Shatt al-Arab trade, and from smuggling trade into Ottoman territory that high tariffs encouraged. The Bani Utub traded in horses, wood, spices, coffee, dates and especially pearls; Kuwait was located within close sail of the pearl banks that stretched down the Persian Gulf coast. In the summer, boats sailed for pearls; in the winter, they turned to entrepôt trade.

As trade became the basis of the economy, the Bani Utub developed new political and social arrangements. Tribal traditions were retained, but trade became tightly and hierarchically organized. Pearl divers were distinguished occupationally from ropepullers, captains, or merchants. The proceeds from the pearling industry were divided on the basis of occupation; at the top, a stratum of merchants, the core of which composed of Bani Utub, became the elite. Above the merchants were the Al-Sabah family, who early on enjoyed some pre-eminence.

Sabah leadership starts

Soon after the colony was founded, a Sabah became leader, ruling until his death in 1762. Many theories exist as to the origin of Sabah power. The Sabahs, because of their role in the caravan (as opposed to sea) trade, developed closer ties with the desert, and as a result became the tax collectors there, an important revenue source. Their rise has also been attributed to administrative functions; control of the harbor required administration and also increased the Shaikh's power by giving him access to resources independent of the desert, hence some independence from tribal alliances.

In 1762 Sabah I died and was succeeded by his youngest son, Abdullah. Shortly after Sabah's death, in 1766, the al-Khalifa and, soon after, the al-Jalahima, left Kuwait en masse for Zubara in Qatar. Domestically, the al-Khalifa and al-Jalahima had been among the top contenders for power. Their emigration left the Sabahs in undisputed control, and by the end of Abdullah I's long rule (1762-1812), Sabah rule was secure, and the political hierarchy in Kuwait was well established, the merchants deferring to direct orders from the Shaikh. By the nineteenth century, not only was the ruling Sabah much stronger than a desert Shaikh but also capable of naming his son successor.

Kuwait's first contact with Britain occurred in 1775 when first plague, then the Persians,^{[citation needed]} struck Basra and East India Company made arrangements to have the Persian Gulf-Aleppo Mail Service diverted through Kuwait. Also during this period, the British established a base in the region. The British became increasingly interested in Kuwait, and the Middle East in general, as the Germans made plans to extend their proposed Berlin-Baghdad railway into Kuwait, where they intended to locate a coaling station.

Sabah family rule, though well established, remained limited until well into the twentieth century. This is because the merchants, owing to their financial power, could still check Sabah designs. The financial influence of the merchants came from their control of trade and imports, duties on which sustained the Shaikh.

Mubarak the Great

File:Mubarak Al-Sabah.jpg

Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah.

Although Kuwait was nominally governed from Basra, the Kuwaitis had traditionally maintained a relative degree of autonomy. In the 1870s, the Ottomans intervened militarily in 1871.. The Ottomans were bankrupt, and when the European banks took control of the Ottoman budget in 1881, additional income was required from Kuwait and the Arabian peninsula. Midhat Pasha, the governor of Iraq, demanded that Kuwait submit to Ottoman rule. The al-Sabah found diplomatic allies in the British Foreign Office. In May 1896, Shaikh Muhammad Al-Sabah was assassinated by his half-brother, Mubarak al-Sabah (the Great) who, in early 1897, was recognized, by the Ottoman sultan, as the provincial sub-governor)of Kuwait.

In July 1897, Mubarak invited the British to deploy gunboats along the Kuwaiti coast. This led to what is known as the First Kuwaiti Crisis, in which the Ottomans demanded that the British stop interfering with their empire. In the end, the Ottoman Empire backed down, rather than go to war.

In January 1899, Mubarak signed an agreement with Britain that required British consent for any of Kuwait's international relations, and gave Britain responsibility for Kuwait's national security. In return, Britain agreed to grant an annual subsidy of 15,000 Indian rupees (£1500) to the ruling family.

In 1911 Mubarak raised the taxes, prompting three of wealthy businessmen led a protest and they made Bahrain their main trading point, hurting the Kuwaiti economy. Mubarak apologized and the three businessmen returned to Kuwait. In 1915 Mubarak the Great died and was succeeded by his son Jaber II Al-Sabah for just over one year until on his death in early 1917 his brother Sheikh Salim Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah succeeded him.

The Anglo-Ottoman Convention

In the Anglo-Ottoman Convention of 1913, the British concurred with the Ottoman Empire in defining Kuwait as an “autonomous caza” of the Ottoman Empire, and that the Shaikhs of Kuwait were not independent leaders, but rather provincial sub-governors of the Ottoman government. The convention ruled that Shaikh Mubarak had authority over an area extending out to a radius of 50 miles (80km) from the capital. This region was marked by a red circle and included the islands of Auhah, Bubiyan, Failaka, Kubbar, Mashian, and Warba. A green circle designated an area extending out an additional 62 miles (100km) in radius, within which the sub-governor was authorized to collect tribute and taxes from the natives.

Border war with Najd

After |World War I, the Ottoman Empire was defeated and the British invalidated the Anglo-Ottoman Convention, declaring Kuwait to be an "independent sheikhdom under British protectorate." The power vacuum left by the fall of the Ottomans sharpened conflict between Kuwait and Najd. Shaikh Salim Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah insisted that Kuwait was in full control of all territory out to a radius of 87 miles (140km) from the capital; however, the ruler of Najd, Abdul Aziz ibn Abdul Rahman ibn Saud, argued, in September 1920, that the borders of Kuwait did not extend past the walls of the capital. ibn Saud noted that the Convention had never been ratified and that Kuwait was not effectively in control of the disputed territory.

In May 1920 ibn Saud's Wahhabi Bedouins of Najd had attacked a Kuwaiti detachment in southern Kuwait, forcing its retreat. In October they raided Jahra, 25 miles (40km) from the capital. In response, the British deployed gunboats, armored cars and aircraft. The Bedouins withdrew.

The Uqair border protocol

The 1920s and 30s saw the collapse of the pearl fishery and with it Kuwait's economy. This is attributed to the invention of the artificial cultivation of pearls. Kuwait became one of the world's poorest countries and became even more dependent on Britain for protection.

In response to the various Bedouin raids, the British High Commissioner in Baghdad, Sir Percy Cox, imposed the Uqair Protocol of 1922 that defined the boundaries between Iraq and Nejd; and between Kuwait and Nejd. On April 19, 1923, the British government confirmed that it recognized the outer green line of the Anglo-Ottoman Convention the border between Iraq and Kuwait. This decision limited Iraq's access to the Persian Gulf to 36 miles (58km) of mostly marshy and swampy coastline. As this would make it difficult for Iraq to become a naval power, since the territory did not include any deepwater harbours, the Iraqi monarch Faisal I, whom the British installed as a puppet king, did not agree, but as his country was under British mandate, he had little say. The border was re-recognized in 1927. The protocol also established the Kuwait-Saudi Arabia Neutral Zone, an area of about 2000 square miles (5180 square kilometers). adjoining Kuwait's southern border.

In 1941 on the same day as the German invasion of Russia (22 June) the British took control of Iraq and Kuwait. The British and Russians would invade the neighboring Iran in September of that year.

Oil wealth

Oil later transformed Kuwait into one of the richest countries in the Arab peninsula and in 1953 the country became the largest exporter of oil in the Persian Gulf. This massive growth attracted many immigrant labourers and foreign workers. Having amassed great wealth, Kuwait was the first of the Persian Gulf Arab states to declare independence, on June 19, 1961. This declaration was challenged by Iraq which claimed that Kuwait was an integral part of Iraqi territory. It threatened to invade Kuwait but was deterred by the British, who flew in troops. But in 1963, Iraq reaffirmed its acceptance of Kuwaiti sovereignty and the boundary it agreed to in 1913 and 1932.

In December 1969, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement dividing the neutral zone (to be called the divided zone) and demarcating a new international boundary. Both countries share equally the divided zone’s petroleum, onshore and offshore.

An important period in Kuwait's political, social and economic development was the Souk Al-Manakh stock market crash of 1982. This was a major crash that had widespread consequences and has endured in the public memory even decades later.

Gulf war

USAF aircraft (F-16, F-15C and F-15E) fly over Kuwaiti oil fires, set by the retreating Iraqi army during Operation Desert Storm in 1991.

Kuwait was allied with Iraq during the Iran-Iraq War (1980-88). Kuwait paid Iraq to protect it from what it perceived as a threat posed by Iran. On August 2, 1990, Kuwait was invaded and annexed by Iraq under Saddam Hussein, who claimed that Kuwaiti territory was an Iraqi province, and that annexation was retaliation for alleged slant drilling into oil supplies on Iraqi territories. Saddam Hussein deposed the monarchy and installed a new Kuwaiti governor, Saddam Hussein's cousin, Ali Al-Majid, also known as "Chemical Ali" for his role in gassing thousands of Kurdish civilians in Halabja in 1988.

Authorized by the UN Security Council, an American-led coalition of 34 nations fought the Persian Gulf War to remove Saddam's control from Kuwait. After six weeks of fierce fighting, the coalition forced Iraq to withdraw its troops from Kuwait on February 26, 1991. During their retreat, the Iraqi armed forces exacted a scorched earth policy by setting fire to Kuwaiti oil wells or releasing oil from those wells into the gulf. The fires took more than nine months to extinguish fully and the cost of repairs to the oil infrastructure exceeded $5.12-billion. Certain buildings and infrastructural facilities (including Kuwait International Airport) were severely damaged during the war.

Politics

Kuwait is a constitutional monarchy and has the oldest directly elected parliament of the Persian Gulf Arab countries. Chief of state is the Amir (Amir), a hereditary title. The Amir also known as Sheikh appoints the prime minister, who until recently was also the crown prince. A council of ministers aids the prime minister in his task as head of government which must contain at least one of elected members of the parliament. The number of ministers must not exceed ⅓ of the elected members of the parliament.

The parliament has the power to dismiss the prime minister or anyone of his cabinet through a series of constitutional procedures. According to the constitution, nomination of a new crown prince or head of state (Emir) by the ruling family has to be confirmed by the National Assembly. If he does not win the votes of an absolute majority of the assembly, the Emir (or the royal family members) must submit the names of three candidates to the National Assembly, and the Assembly must select one of these to be the new crown prince. The parliament known as the Majlis Al-Umma (National Assembly), consists of elected fifty members, who are chosen in elections held every four years. Government ministers, according to the Constitution of the State, are given automatic membership in the parliament, and can number up to fifteen.

Prior to 2005, only 15% of the Kuwaiti citizen population was allowed to vote, with all women, "recently naturalized" citizens (i.e. those of less than thirty years' citizenship), and members of the armed forces excluded. On May 16 2005, Parliament permitted women's suffrage by a 35-23 vote, subject to misconcepted Islamic law and effective for the 2006 Parliamentary Election. The decision could raise Kuwait's voter rolls from 139,000 to as many as 339,000 if all eligible women register; the total number of Kuwaitis is estimated at more than 960,000. Recently, the former Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah announced the appointment of Dr Massouma Mubarak as planning minister and minister of state for administrative development affairs. The appointment of a woman as a cabinet minister was a major breakthrough in Kuwaiti political system and it makes Kuwait the third country in the conservative Persian Gulf Arab monarchies to have a woman cabinet minister. On the other hand, the government has managed to pass laws in the years 2005-2006 that restrict the freedom of speech. Laws such as the new media law, has become a huge obstacle for writers and citizens who might consider criticizing the government's performance. Lately there have been plenty of news papers writers sent to court for stating their opinions regarding the government or specific ministries performance. A court order to shut down a leading Kuwaiti news paper AlWatan for three days (first in Kuwait's history). Moreover a magazine editor was sent to jail for criticizing the government action towards a specific incident, which is also one of the first in Kuwait's history.

Administrative divisions

Map of Kuwait

Kuwait is divided into six governorates (muhafazat, sing. muhafadhah):

• Al Ahmadi
• Al Farwaniyah
• Al Asimah
• Al Jahra
• Hawalli
• Mubarak Al-Kabeer

The major cities are the capital Kuwait City and Jahrah (a thirty-minute drive northwest of Kuwait City). The main residential and business areas are Salmiya and Hawalli. The main industrial area is Shuwaikh within the Al Asimah Governorate. The main palace headquarter is located in Bayan, a wealthy suburb in the Al-Jahra governorate.

Economy

Kuwait, for the size of the country, is a rich and a relatively open economy with proven crude oil reserves of 96 billion barrels (15 km³), estimated to be 10% of the world's reserves. Petroleum accounts for nearly half of GDP, 95% of export revenues, and 80% of government income. Kuwait's climate limits agricultural development. Consequently, with the exception of fish, it depends almost wholly on food imports. About 75% of potable water must be distilled or imported. Higher oil prices put the FY99/00 budget into a €1.7 billion ($2 billion) surplus. The FY00/01 budget covers only nine months because of a change in the fiscal year. The budget for FY01/02 envisioned higher expenditures for salaries, construction, and other general categories. Kuwait continues its discussions with foreign oil companies to develop fields in the northern part of the country. By 1990, the country earned more from foreign investment than from oil exports. The expenses of the Iraqi invasion and postwar reconstruction placed a heavy economic burden on the country, but by the mid-1990s Kuwait had resumed its pre-invasion prosperity. Gross domestic product (GDP) for 2005 was $53.31 billion, giving Kuwait a per-capita GDP of $22,800. The labour force totals 2,335,648 people, with only about two fifths of this number equalling the citizens that are of Kuwaiti Nationality.[1]The Central Bank of Kuwait in the capital city issues Kuwait’s currency, the Kuwaiti dinar. The dinar is currently valued at 0.351676 KWD per 1EUR and at 0.292010 KWD per 1USD making it the highest valued currency unit in the world.

Oil industry

An oil refinery in Mina-Al-Ahmadi, Kuwait

Since the government owns the oil industry, it controls most of the country's economy; in all, about 75 percent of the GDP. Kuwait’s oil exports vary depending on internal needs – almost all of Kuwait’s energy is derived from oil – and on international demand and prices and production quotas fixed by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), of which Kuwait is a member. OPEC’s quotas, however, are difficult to enforce, and Kuwait and other countries have been accused of violating them. In 2002, oil production was 692 million barrels.

Kuwait's chief oil companies are:

Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC)

International marketing and mother company.

Kuwait Oil Company (KOC)

Crude oil exploration and development company.

Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC)

Runs oil refineries across Kuwait.

Petrochemicals Industries Company (PIC)

Petrochemical and fertilizer manufacturer.

Kuwait Petroleum International (KPI, also known as "Q8")

Runs refining and marketing business overseas.

Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company (KUFPEC)

International oil exploration company.

EQUATE PETROCHEMICAL COMPANY (EQUATE)

A petrochemical company formed by PIC and Dow Chemical.

Petroleum Training Centre (PTC)

Responsible for all training and career development within the KPC companies.

Kuwait Oil Tanker Company (KOTC)

Crude oil shipping

Kuwait Aviation Fuelling Company (KAFCO)

Aircraft fuel

Kuwait Gulf Oil Company (KGOC)

Oil and gas exploration and production in the Saudi-Kuwaiti neutral zone; joint venture with Saudi Arabia.

Oil Sector Services Company (OSSC)

Handles all construction projects, maintenance, security, fire-fighting, and medical services to all oil sector employees and their families.

Oil Development Company (ODC)

Demographics

Kuwait's current population estimates roughly around 3-3.5 million people; counting both locals and foreigners. Roughly 1 million (or nearly one third) of Kuwait's population is local, with 2-2.5 million residents registered as foreigners/non-locals. It is estimated that one in every 3-4 people in Kuwait are of Kuwaiti citizenship.

The foreign population of Kuwait mainly consists of Egpytians followed by Indian, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Filipino and Sri Lankan residents. Other foreigners consist of European, North American and Northeast Asian communities - but these are neglegible...

As for Kuwait's local/citizen population, 60-65% are Arab (Brown), 30-35% are Persian (White), and 5-10% are signified as "others". "Others" mostly includes Africans (Black), East Asian, or European (White)...

Non-Arabs (Africans, Persians, East Asians, Europeans, other black or white populations) are generally socially-classed as "Ajam". "Ajam" is a term to describe a non-Arab. Most Ajam are of Persian ancestry, although the Persian population has been declining due to low birth rates, interracial marriages, and sudden influx of Arab populations into the country by naturalization. It is estimated that population percentage of Persians [and other ajmis] might decrease by 5-10% within the next decade.

Racially speaking, Kuwaitis are described usually as White or Tan/Black. (Beedh, Sumur, respectively)... However the government does not include this in its database. Civil IDs have no form of racial/ethnic identities.

Racism is very rare in Kuwait's society. The society is well built such that racism tends to exist in lower forms. However, religious prejudism does exist well within the society.

Kuwaitis are predominantly Muslim, though there are a few christians or atheists. 99% of Kuwaits population is Muslim. 65% of Kuwaiti muslims are Sunni, with the rest being Shiite muslims. Some other minor Muslim sects do exist in Kuwait's society, but in very small or rare numbers.

Most foreigners are either Muslim, Hindus or Buddhists.

Kuwait's official language is Arabic, though roughly half the country speaks the language primarily. Most foreigners speak Hindi, Urdu, Filipino or Bengali. Some Kuwaitis are also bilingual in that they speak more than one language. E.g. English, Persian, etc. It is estimated that the Hindi language will out-speak and out-number the Arabic language within the next few years. Since Arabic is the official language, it will still remain a priority despite differences within the linguistic populations. However, the Indian languages will gain significant importance over the Arabic language in social and economic aspects and will eventually gain superiority over the recessive side.

Kuwait has numerous cases of illegal immigration. It is thought that there are at least 10-15,000 illegal immigrants in the country. These immigrants were not deported back to their homelands after their contracts expired. Instead, they remained in Kuwait living off the expense of other immigrants. The population of illegals is increasing by 5,000 individuals each year. It is a hard task deporting or catching the citizens. The last solution would be to naturalize them, but in this case it would affect the demographics of Kuwait significantly. Most illegals are of Bengali or Pakistani decent.

Other population difficulties encountered in Kuwait involves stateless people who claim residency for Kuwait. Critics argue that these people migrated from Iraq and Saudi Arabia after the economic boom of Kuwait. Since Kuwait's standard of living increased, many have flocked to the country. Most stateless people are Arabs, and count upto 100,000 people. Some are slowly naturalized through different legislative processes, which is ultimately increasing the Arab population of Kuwaiti people. Most obtain nationality by marrying Kuwaiti women. 30-35% of stateless men in adulthood (capable of marital status) have married Kuwait women, and this number is rising.

Some encourage the assimilation of stateless and illegal people.

Kuwaitis are most importantly categorized by class of citizenship. Every Kuwait person's passport includes a class category for his residency. Kuwaitis are placed in the following: 1. First class; 2. Second class; 3. Third class citizenships. The first class Kuwaitis were those who arrived to Kuwait before the 20th century (1900s), before the exploration of oil and during the time Kuwait was a poor country. Second class citizens arrived to Kuwait after the 20th century (1900) but before the economic boom of Kuwait during the 1960s. The 3rd class people are ones who entered Kuwait after 1960-1965... First class citizens are, however, the minority group of all 3 distinct groups. They only contribute to 5-15% of the total population, and is ever so declining. The second class citizens make up the second least populous group. The most populous group are 3rd class citizens.

Infrastructure

File:LiberationTower.jpg

The skyline of Kuwait City. At 372 m (1,220 ft), the Liberation Tower (seen in background) is the world's thirteenth-tallest free-standing structure.

Kuwait's infrastructure was severely damaged during the First Gulf War. Fleeing Iraqi soldiers were also ordered to set hundreds of oil wells on fire and the country's oil production had come to standstill. Much has changed since the end of the Gulf War. The Kuwaiti government has spent billions of dollars to construct an elaborate roadway system, and, the telecommunication industry achieved an incredible growth rate. Kuwait City boasts more than two dozen five-star hotels and resorts and several skyscrapers dominate the city's skyline. Kuwait Infrastructure Maintenance Management System overlooks the oil-rich country's infrastructure. Kuwait's energy sector is the main source for 47% of the country's annual income.

Kuwait several major infrastructure projects planned, including one of the biggest sea front projects in the world, Madinat al-Hareer. If completed, this project would include the world's tallest tower, and, numerous housing, health, education, environmental, business, and tourism centres. Other major projects are the development of a deep-water port on the Bubiyan island, which could become a gateway for trade into Iraq and western Iran.

However, political tension between the National Assembly and the government has severely delayed and hampered the approval and development of most infrastructure projects.

Transportation

Kuwait’s transportation system is modern and efficient, with a road system that is well developed by regional standards. Roads total 4,450 kilometers (2,765 mi), of which 81% are paved and 350 kilometers (217 mi) are freeways. The network includes over 250 bridges. Most people travel by automobile.

There is no railway system in Kuwait, however the government announced plans to construct an underground metro in an effort to ease traffic congestion. An international airport is located in the southern outskirts of the Kuwait city metropolitan area. The government is working on plans to expand the airport, and, eventually increase it's capacity to 55 million passengers per annum. Kuwait Airways is the national airline, owned by the government. In 2004 Kuwait allowed the first privately owned airline, Jazeera Airways, to base itself in and operate out of the country. Jazeera Airways is a "no-frills" low cost carrier. Another private airline, Wataniya Airways, has been granted the license to operate. The country has three modern seaports, one of which specializes in oil exports. There are plans of another major to be built on the country's larger island; Bubiyan island.

Education

Oil revenues have allowed Kuwait to build an extensive educational system, yielding a literacy rate of 90 percent. There are a lot of private schools in Kuwait, including The New English School, which was the first private school to open in Kuwait. the Fahaheel Al-Watanieh Indian Private School, Indian Community School, Al-Bayan Bilingual School, Carmel School, The British School of Kuwait, The Gulf English School, The American School of Kuwait, American International School, American Creativity Academy, The English School amongst several others. All private schools offer different and competitive programs, and whilst each school strives to be the best at private education, different parents and expatriates prefer different private schools naturally. Public schooling is free and compulsory from the age of 5 to 18, and several private schools also teach this age group. Kuwait University is Kuwait's only public university, but has a prestigious reputation in the Middle East. The medical school, in particular, provides up-to-date training for students. Both the extensive library system at Kuwait University and the collection at Kuwait National Museum (1957) were heavily damaged and looted during the Iraqi occupation in the 1991 Persian Gulf War. The up-to-date list of the private universities/colleges is: AUK (American University of Kuwait), GUST (Gulf University for Science and Technology), ACK (Australian College of Kuwait)[Name soon to be changed to The Tazmanian University of Kuwait], and AOU (Arab Open University).

The Gulf University for Science and Technology is the first private university established in Kuwait in 2002. It currently has two campuses in Hawalli and will open its third soon in the same town where the Australian College of Kuwait is located. The American University of Kuwait and the Australian College of Kuwait both opened in 2004 and there are more universities and colleges to come in a few years.

Culture

Media

Kuwait has ten TV channels (four controlled by the Ministry of Information); two modern English FM stations (mostly targeting Westerners residing in Kuwait, one playing current pop music while the other plays jazz and other light music); a few Arabic radio stations; Radio Kuwait also offers daily informative programming in four foreign languages including Persian, Urdu, Tagalog and English on the AM and SW targeting listeners who speak these languages residing in Kuwait and abroad, five daily newspapers published in Arabic; and three daily newspapers published in English (including the Arab Times, Kuwait Times and The Daily Star). The newspapers exercise self-censorship. Although no newspaper is permitted to criticize the executive authority, the criticism of other members of the ruling family is permitted. All newspapers in Kuwait were established with a "Amiri decree". For the past thirty years there have been demands to allow the establishment of other newspapers, but with no response from government.

There is also one private radio station, Martina FM, named after the shopping complex "Marina Mall", which has gained notoriety all over the gulf countries for its flirtatious visitors.

See also

Communications in Kuwait Foreign relations of Kuwait Geography of Kuwait Human rights in Kuwait Kuwait Boy Scouts Association Kuwait Girl Guides Association Kuwaiti architecture

Kuwaiti Family Committee List of Kuwaiti companies Madinat al-Hareer Military of Kuwait Gulf War Postal history and stamps Transportation in Kuwait

External links

• Official site of Kuwait
• BBC News Country Profile - Kuwait
• CIA World Factbook - Kuwait
• Kuwait Information Guide
• Kuwaiti-Slovak Archaeological Mission (KSAM)
• EQUATE PETROCHEMICAL COMPANY
• Al-Diwan Al-Amiri (H.H. The Amir's Office), State of Kuwait
• Kuwait Health - Promoting health reform

Credits

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• Kuwait  ^history

The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia:

• History of "Kuwait"

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