Kuwait Overview
Country Profile
Kuwait is located at the northwest end of the Persian Gulf in Western Asia. “Kuwait” in Arabic means “small castle.” Covering an area of 17,800 square kilometers, Kuwait has a population of 2.33 million, of whom about 38% are Kuwaitis, with the rest foreign nationals. Residents are Muslim. Arabic is the official language, and English is also spoken. The Kuwaiti dinar is the currency. The capital is Kuwait City (A1 Kuwait).
Kuwait National Flag
A black trapezoid is on the flagpole side of the Kuwaiti flag, with green, white, and red stripes from the top down. Black symbolizes fighting, green is a symbol of an oasis, white symbolizes purity, and the red symbolizes blood for the motherland.
History Summary
In the 7th century, Kuwait was part of the Arab Empire. Since 1581,the same family has ruled Kuwait since Khalid. In 1756, the ruling Al Sabah family was granted the right to establish the Emirate of Kuwait. In 1871, Kuwait became a province of the Ottoman Empire, Basra County. In 1899, the British signed a secret agreement, forcing Kuwait to become a “sovereign state.” In 1939, Kuwait officially become a British “protectorate.” In 1954, chief Abdullah Sabah headed the Supreme Council. In 1960, the council took over from the British judicial system and monetary management. On June 19, 1961, Kuwait declared independence. After armed invasion by Iraq in 1991, Iraq announced the abolition of and five-year annexation of Kuwait.
Economy and Culture Overview
Over 50% of Kuwait’s territory lies at an altitude of 100 meters below the desert. Oil-rich Kuwait is one of the world’s most important oil-exporting countries, and oil revenue is the country’s main income, so it is said to be “oil country”or the “Golden State.” Other industries include refining, liquefied natural gas, desalination, construction materials, and others. Livestock is developed, with an output of meat and leather. With rich fishery resources, the main export is shrimp products. Kuwait’s average annual precipitation is 50 to 77 mm, and there is no perennial flow of water in rivers and lakes. Water is more precious than oil, the so-called “water of the country.”
Kuwait, with the world’s highest per capita income, has a typical oil economy. Oil revenues in recent years, and there has been large-scale foreign investment. The government has implemented a high-welfare system and exempted from personal income tax in order to provide free health and education, provide jobs, set prices, control rents, subsidize marriage, and so on.
Kuwait’s desalination project
Kuwait’s prouduction of desalinated water ranks in the world. In multi-level, pure sea water distillation, the more the water is under pressure, the lower the boiling point. Also, the larger the area, the greater the amount of vaporization. There are as many as 32 gradually decompressing levels in Kuwait’s desalination plant. When sea water is sprayed into each level from the bottom up, numerous tiny drops of water are formed, which can evaporate to a great extent, not only reducing energy consumption, but also increasing production. After the water evaporates, cool iron pipes re-condense the liquid as distilled water. Kuwait built the world’s largest desalination plant.
Feilaikai Island
This island is located 20 kilometers east of the capital in the bay. The island was built in the 3rd century BC to the Greek gods by Alexander. In recent years, a large number of cultural relics have been unearthed in succession, located stone utensils, various images, and stones engraved with text. Excavation has also found more than 400 round stone seals from the Delmon time, exquisitely engraved with a variety of people and animals. According to research, the island is the birthplace of the seal.
Kuwait Map
