Kuwait (State of Kuwait)
Flag of Kuwait |
Historically, most of present-day Kuwait was part of ancient Mesopotamia. Pre-oil Kuwait was a strategic trade port between Mesopotamia, Persia and India. Oil reserves were discovered in commercial quantities in 1938. In 1946, crude oil was exported for the first time. From 1946 to 1982, the country underwent large-scale modernization, largely based on income from oil production. In the 1980s, Kuwait experienced a period of geopolitical instability and an economic crisis following the stock market crash. In 1990, after oil production disputes with neighbouring Iraq, Kuwait was invaded, and later annexed into one of Iraq's governorates by Iraq under Saddam Hussein. The Iraqi occupation of Kuwait came to an end on February 26, 1991, after military intervention by a military coalition led by the United States and various other countries.
Kuwait is an emirate. The emir is the head of state and the Al Sabah is the ruling family which dominates the country's political system. Kuwait's official state religion is Islam. Kuwait is a developing country with a high-income economy, backed by the world's sixth largest oil reserves. The Kuwaiti dinar is the highest valued currency in the world. In 2009, Kuwait had the highest Human Development Index in the Arab world. Kuwait has the largest number of stateless people in the entire region. Kuwait is a founding member of the GCC and is also a member of the UN, AL, OPEC and the OIC. Kuwait named the emir's son as the country's new prime minister on July 24, 2022 to replace caretaker premier Sheikh Sabah al-Khalid, who faced a combative parliament as head of cabinet in a feud hindering fiscal reform.
The country's name is from the Arabic diminutive form of كوت, meaning "fortress built near water". Since 1961, the official name of the state is the "State of Kuwait".
Currency / Language
ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
---|---|---|---|
KWD | Kuwaiti dinar | دك | 3 |
ISO | Language |
---|---|
AR | Arabic language |
EN | English language |