Category: Kuwait

Kuwait (pronounced kueit) is a small Islamic country on the Arabian Peninsula, bathed by the Persian Gulf and rich in oil. There are 2.8 million residents. The capital is Kuwait City. Archaeological evidence shows that the territory of present-day Kuwait has been inhabited for thousands of years. From 1521, the Portuguese controlled trade in the Persian Gulf, building some forts on the coast. It is possible that some of these forts were built in the territory of present-day Kuwait, perhaps on the historic Failaka Island, occupied by the Greeks in Antiquity and referred to by the Portuguese as Aguada Island, but archaeological research in the area is not conclusive. In the 17th century, there was an Arab settlement in the area of ​​present-day Kuwait City, referred to on old maps as Grane or Kurein, in addition to other spellings. It is known that, in the 18th century, Arabs dominated the area of ​​present-day Kuwait. In the late 19th century, it became a British protectorate. Independence was achieved in 1961.