Page protected with pending changes level 1

Kuwait

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
This article is about the modern country in the Persian Gulf. For the former autonomous state in southern Arabia, see Qu'aiti. For the series of paintings, see Kuwait (Kanso series).
State of Kuwait
دولة الكويت
Dawlat al-Kuwait
Flag Emblem
Anthem: "Al-Nasheed Al-Watani"
"National Anthem"
Location of  Kuwait  (red)in the Arabian Peninsula  (light yellow)
Location of  Kuwait  (red)

in the Arabian Peninsula  (light yellow)
Capital
and largest city		 Kuwait City
29°22′N 47°58′E / 29.367°N 47.967°E / 29.367; 47.967
Official languages Arabic
Ethnic groups
  • 60% Arab (31.3% Kuwaiti, 27.9% other Arabs)[1]
  • 37.8% Asian
  • 1.9% African
Religion Islam
Demonym Kuwaiti
Government Unitary parliamentary
constitutional monarchy[1]
 -  Emir Sabah al-Sabah
 -  Crown Prince Nawaf al-Sabah
 -  Prime Minister Jaber al-Sabah
Legislature National Assembly
Establishment
 -  Independence from the Emirate of Al Hasa 1752 
 -  Anglo-Ottoman Convention 1913 
 -  End of treaties with the United Kingdom 19 June 1961 
Area
 -  Total 17,820 km2 (157th)
6,880 sq mi
 -  Water (%) negligible
Population
 -  2014 estimate 4,044,500 (140th)
 -  2005 census 2,213,403 [2]
 -  Density 200.2/km2 (61st)
518.4/sq mi
GDP (PPP) 2014 estimate
 -  Total $283.976 billion[3] (52nd)
 -  Per capita $71,020[3] (5th)
GDP (nominal) 2014 estimate
 -  Total $172.350 billion[3] (55th)
 -  Per capita $43,103[3] (23rd)
HDI (2013) Decrease 0.814[4]
very high · 46th
Currency Kuwaiti dinar (KWD)
Time zone AST / KSA (UTC+3)
 -  Summer (DST) not observed (UTC+3)
Date format dd/mm/yyyy (CE)
Drives on the right
Calling code +965
ISO 3166 code KW
Internet TLD .kw
a. Nominal succession within the House of Sabah.
b. Emirate
You may need rendering support to display the Arabic text in this article correctly.

Kuwait Listeni/kuːˈweɪt/ (Arabic: دولة الكويت‎), officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in Western Asia. Situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, it shares borders with Iraq and Saudi Arabia. As of 2014, Kuwait has a population of 4.1 million people; 1.2 million are Kuwaitis and 2.8 million are expatriates.[5]

In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Kuwait was a prosperous trade port.[6][7] Starting in the early 20th century, its regional economic importance declined, and by 1934 Kuwait had lost its prominence in long-distance trade.[8] Kuwait's economy was devastated by several trade blockades,[9] starting with the British Empire's blockade during World War I.[10][11] Following the Kuwait-Najd War of 1919–1920, Saudi Arabia imposed a trade blockade against the country from 1923 until 1937.[9][12]

Oil reserves were discovered in 1938. From 1946 to 1982, the country underwent large-scale modernization. In the 1980s, Kuwait experienced a period of geopolitical instability and an economic crisis following the stock market crash. In 1990, Kuwait was invaded by Iraq. The Iraqi occupation came to an end in 1991 after military intervention by United States-led forces. At the end of the war, there were extensive efforts to revive the economy and rebuild national infrastructure.

Kuwait is a constitutional emirate. Kuwait has a high income economy backed by the world's sixth largest oil reserves. The Kuwaiti dinar is the highest valued currency in the world.[13] In recent years, political instability has hindered the country's economic diversification.[14][15]

History[edit]

Main article: History of Kuwait

Early history[edit]

In 1613, the town of Kuwait was founded in modern-day Kuwait City. In 1716, the Bani Utubs settled in Kuwait. At the time of the arrival of the Utubs, Kuwait was inhabited by a few fishermen and primarily functioned as a fishing village.[16] In the eighteenth century, Kuwait prospered and rapidly became the principal commercial center for the transit of goods between India, Muscat, Baghdad and Arabia.[17][18] By the mid 1700s, Kuwait had already established itself as the major trading route from the Persian Gulf to Aleppo.[19]

During the Persian siege of Basra in 1775–1779, Iraqi merchants took refuge in Kuwait and were partly instrumental in the expansion of Kuwait's boat-building and trading activities.[20] As a result, Kuwait's maritime commerce boomed.[20] Between the years 1775 and 1779, the Indian trade routes with Baghdad, Aleppo, Smyrna and Constantinople were diverted to Kuwait.[19][21] The East India Company was diverted to Kuwait in 1792.[22] The East India Company secured the sea routes between Kuwait, India and the east coasts of Africa.[22] After the Persians withdrew from Basra in 1779, Kuwait continued to attract trade away from Basra.[23]

Kuwait was the center of boat building in the Persian Gulf region.[24][25] During the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, vessels made in Kuwait carried the bulk of trade between the ports of India, East Africa and the Red Sea.[26][27][28] Kuwaiti ship vessels were renowned throughout the Indian Ocean.[29] Regional geopolitical turbulence helped foster economic prosperity in Kuwait in the second half of the 18th century.[30] Kuwait became prosperous due to Basra's instability in the late 18th century.[31] In the late 18th century, Kuwait partly functioned as a haven for Basra's merchants fleeing Ottoman government persecution.[32] According to Palgrave, Kuwaitis developed a reputation as the best sailors in the Persian Gulf.[29][33][34]

During the reign of Mubarak Al-Sabah, Kuwait was dubbed the "Marseilles of the Gulf" because its economic vitality attracted a large variety of people.[35] In the early 20th century, Kuwait immensely declined in regional economic importance,[8] mainly due to many trade blockades and the world economic depression.[9] Before Mary Bruins Allison visited Kuwait in 1934, Kuwait lost its prominence in long distance trade.[8] During World War I, the British Empire imposed a trade blockade against Kuwait because Kuwait's ruler supported the Ottoman Empire.[10][11] The British economic blockade heavily damaged Kuwait's economy.[11]

The Great Depression negatively impacted Kuwait's economy starting in the late 1920s.[12] International trading was one of Kuwait's main sources of income before oil.[12] Kuwaiti merchants were mostly intermediary merchants.[12] As a result of European decline of demand for goods from India and Africa, the economy of Kuwait suffered. The decline in international trade resulted in an increase in gold smuggling by Kuwaiti ships to India.[12] Some Kuwaiti merchant families became rich due to gold smuggling to India.[36] Kuwait's pearling industry also collapsed as a result of the worldwide economic depression.[36] At its height, Kuwait's pearling industry led the world's luxury market, regularly sending out between 750 and 800 ship vessels to meet the European elite's need for pearls.[36] During the economic depression, luxuries like pearls were in little demand.[36] The Japanese invention of cultured pearls also contributed to the collapse of Kuwait's pearling industry.[36]

Following the Kuwait–Najd War of 1919–1920, Ibn Saud imposed a trade blockade against Kuwait from the years 1923 until 1937.[9][12] The goal of the Saudi economic and military attacks on Kuwait was to annex as much of Kuwait's territory as possible.[9] At the Uqair conference in 1922, the boundaries of Kuwait and Najd were set.[9] Kuwait had no representative at the Uqair conference.[9] Ibn Saud persuaded Sir Percy Cox to give him two-thirds of Kuwait's territory.[9] More than half of Kuwait was lost due to Uqair.[9] After the Uqair conference, Kuwait was still subjected to a Saudi economic blockade and intermittent Saudi raiding.[9]

In 1937, Freya Stark wrote about the extent of poverty in Kuwait at the time:[12]

Poverty has settled in Kuwait more heavily since my last visit five years ago, both by sea, where the pearl trade continues to decline, and by land, where the blockade established by Saudi Arabia now harms the merchants.

Some merchant families left Kuwait in the early 1930s due to the prevalence of economic hardship. At the time of the discovery of oil in 1937, most of Kuwait's inhabitants were impoverished.

Golden Era (1946–1982)[edit]

From 1946 to 1982, Kuwait experienced a period of prosperity driven by oil and its liberal atmosphere.[37][38][39] In popular discourse, the years between 1946 and 1982 are referred to as the "Golden Era".[37][38][39][40] In 1950, a major public-work programme began to enable Kuwaitis to enjoy a modern standard of living. By 1952, the country became the largest oil exporter in the Persian Gulf region. This massive growth attracted many foreign workers, especially from Palestine, Egypt and India. In June 1961, Kuwait became independent with the end of the British protectorate and the sheikh Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah became an Emir. Under the terms of the newly drafted constitution, Kuwait held its first parliamentary elections in 1963. Kuwait was the first Gulf country to establish a constitution and parliament.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Kuwait was the most developed country in the region.[41][42][43] Kuwait was the pioneer in the Middle East in diversifying its earnings away from oil exports.[44] The Kuwait Investment Authority is the world's first sovereign wealth fund. From the 1970s onward, Kuwait scored highest of all Arab countries on the Human Development Index.[43] Kuwait University was established in 1966.[43] Kuwait's theatre industry was well-known throughout the Arab world.[37][43]

In the 1960s and 1970s, Kuwait's press was described as one of the freest in the world.[45] Kuwait was the pioneer in the literary renaissance in the Arab region.[46] In 1958, Al Arabi magazine was first published, the magazine went on to become the most popular magazine in the Arab world.[46] Many Arab writers moved to Kuwait for freedom of expression because Kuwait had greater freedom of expression than elsewhere in the Arab world.[47][48] Kuwait was a haven for writers and journalists from all parts of the Middle East. The Iraqi poet Ahmed Matar left Iraq in the 1970s to take refuge in the more liberal environment of Kuwait.[49]

Kuwaiti society embraced liberal and Western attitudes throughout the 1960s and 1970s.[50] Most Kuwaiti women did not wear the hijab in the 1960s and 1970s.[51][52] At Kuwait University, mini-skirts were more common than the hijab.[53]

1980s to present day[edit]

In the early 1980s, Kuwait experienced a major economic crisis after the Souk Al-Manakh stock market crash and decrease in oil price.[54]

During the Iran-Iraq war, Kuwait supported Iraq. Throughout the 1980s, there were several terror attacks in Kuwait, including the 1983 Kuwait bombings, hijacking of several Kuwait Airways planes and attempted assassination of Emir Jaber in 1985. Kuwait was a regional hub of science and technology in the 1960s and 1970s up until the early 1980s,[55] the scientific research sector significantly suffered due to the terror attacks.[55]

Oil fires in Kuwait in 1991, which were a result of the scorched earth policy of Iraqi military forces retreating from Kuwait.

After the Iran-Iraq war ended, Kuwait declined an Iraqi request to forgive its US$65 billion debt.[56] An economic rivalry between the two countries ensued after Kuwait increased its oil production by 40 percent.[57] Tensions between the two countries increased further in July 1990, after Iraq complained to OPEC claiming that Kuwait was stealing its oil from a field near the border by slant drilling of the Rumaila field.[57]

In August 1990, Iraqi forces invaded and annexed Kuwait. After a series of failed diplomatic negotiations, the United States led a coalition to remove the Iraqi forces from Kuwait, in what became known as the Gulf War. On 26 February 1991, the coalition succeeded in driving out the Iraqi forces. As they retreated, Iraqi forces carried out a scorched earth policy by setting oil wells on fire.[58] During the Iraqi occupation, more than 1,000 Kuwaiti civilians were killed.[59] In addition, more than 600 Kuwaitis went missing during Iraq's occupation,[60] approximately 375 remains were found in mass graves in Iraq.

In March 2003, Kuwait became the springboard for the US-led invasion of Iraq. Upon the death of the Emir Jaber, in January 2006, Saad Al-Sabah succeeded him but was removed nine days later by the Kuwaiti parliament due to his ailing health. Sabah Al-Sabah was sworn in as Emir. In 2011–2012, there were protests calling for reforms. The parliament was dissolved in December 2011 due to protests against the parliament. The prime minister stepped down following protests.

In June 2015, a suicide bombing took place at a Shia mosque. It was the largest terror attack in Kuwait's history.

Politics[edit]

Main articles: Politics of Kuwait, Government of Kuwait and National Assembly of Kuwait
Kuwait National Assembly Building

Kuwait is a constitutional emirate with a semi-democratic political system.[61][62] The Emir is the head of state. The hybrid political system is divided between an elected parliament and appointed government (dominated by the ruling family).[63][64]

Human rights in Kuwait has been the subject of criticism, particularly regarding migrant workers rights and the Bedoon. Expatriates account for 70% of Kuwait's total population. The kafala system leaves migrant workers prone to exploitation. Human rights organizations have criticized Kuwait for failing to protect foreign workers from exploitation.

Law[edit]

Kuwait follows the "civil law system" modeled after the French legal system,[65][66][67] Kuwait's legal system is largely secular.[68][69][70] Sharia law governs only family law for Muslim residents,[69][71] non-Muslims in Kuwait have a secular family law. For the application of family law, there are three separate court sections: Sunni, Shia and non-Muslim.[72] According to the United Nations, Kuwait's legal system is a mix of British common law, French civil law, Egyptian civil law and Islamic law.[73]

The court system in Kuwait is secular.[74][75] Unlike other Gulf states, Kuwait does not have Sharia courts.[75] Sections of the civil court system administer family law.[75] Kuwait has the most secular commercial law in the Gulf.[76]

Foreign relations[edit]

Main article: Foreign relations of Kuwait
Location of diplomatic missions of Kuwait:
  Kuwait
  Embassy

Foreign affairs relations of Kuwait is handled at the level of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The first foreign affairs department bureau was established in 1961. Kuwait became the 111th member state of the United Nations in May 1963. It is a long-standing member of the Arab League and Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf.

Before the Gulf War, Kuwait was the only "pro-Soviet" state in the Gulf.[77] Kuwait acted as a conduit for the Soviets to the other Gulf states and Kuwait was used to demonstrate the benefits of a pro-Soviet stance.[77] Between 1961 and 1991, Kuwait had an uneasy relationship with the United States characterized by mistrust and hostility.[78] In July 1987, Kuwait refused to allow U.S. military bases in its territory.[79] As a result of the Gulf War, Kuwait's relations with the U.S. have improved significantly and currently hosts thousands of US military personnel and contractors within active U.S. facilities. Kuwait is one of America's closest allies in the Middle East and the Arab World.

Military[edit]

The Military of Kuwait traces its original roots to the Kuwaiti cavalrymen and infantrymen that used to protect Kuwait and its wall since the early 1900s. These cavalrymen and infantrymen formed the defense and security sources in metropolitan areas; charged with protecting outposts outside the wall of Kuwait.

The Military of Kuwait consists of several joint defense forces. The governing bodies are the Kuwait Ministry of Defense, the Kuwait Ministry of Interior, the Kuwait National Guard and the Kuwait Fire Service Directorate. The Emir of Kuwait is the commander-in-chief of all defense forces.

Geography[edit]

Main article: Geography of Kuwait
Satellite image of Kuwait

Kuwait City is located on Kuwait Bay, a natural deep-water harbor. 90% of Kuwait's population live within the Kuwait Bay coast. The country is generally low lying, with the highest point being 306 m (1,004 ft) above sea-level.[1] It has nine islands, all of which, with the exception of Failaka Island, are uninhabited.[80] With an area of 860 km2 (330 sq mi), the Bubiyan is the largest island in Kuwait and is connected to the rest of the country by a 2,380 m (7,808 ft) long bridge.[81] The only 0.6% of the land area is considered arable[1] with sparse vegetation found along its 499-kilometre (310 mi) long coastline.[1]

Kuwait's Burgan field having a total capacity of approximately 70 billion barrels (1.1×1010 m3) of proven oil reserves. During the 1991 Kuwaiti oil fires, more than 500 oil lakes were created covering a combined surface area of about 35.7 km2 (13.8 sq mi).[82] The resulting soil contamination due to oil and soot accumulation had made eastern and south-eastern parts of Kuwait uninhabitable. Sand and oil residue had reduced large parts of the Kuwaiti desert to semi-asphalt surfaces.[83] The oil spills during the Gulf War also drastically affected Kuwait's marine resources.[84]

Climate[edit]

Main article: Climate of Kuwait

The spring season in March is warm with occasional thunderstorms. The frequent winds from the northwest are cold in winter and hot in summer. Southeasterly damp winds spring up between July and October; hot and dry south winds prevail in spring and early summer. The shamal, a northwesterly wind common during June and July, causes dramatic sandstorms.[85] The temperature in Kuwait during summer is above 25 °C (77 °F). The highest recorded temperature was 54.4 °C (129.9 °F) which is the highest temperature recorded in Asia.[86][87]

Governorates[edit]

Main article: Governorates of Kuwait

Kuwait is divided into six governorates. The governorates are further subdivided into areas.

Economy[edit]

Main article: Economy of Kuwait
Al Hamra Tower is the tallest sculpted tower in the world.
Arraya Tower.

Kuwait has a petroleum-based economy, petroleum and fertilizers are the main export products. The Kuwaiti dinar is the highest-valued currency unit in the world.[13] Petroleum accounts for nearly half of GDP and 94% of export revenues and government income.[1] The Kuwait Stock Exchange is the second-largest stock exchange in the Arab world.

Kuwait was the pioneer in the Middle East in diversifying its earnings away from oil exports.[44] However the country has struggled to diversify its economy since the Gulf War. In recent years, the hostile relationship between the elected parliament and government has prevented the implementation of economic reforms.[88]

In the past five years, there has been a significant rise in entrepreneurship and small business start-ups in Kuwait.[89][90] The informal sector is also on the rise,[91] mainly due to the popularity of Instagram businesses.[92][93][94] Many Kuwaiti entrepreneurs are using the Instagram-based business model.[95]

International holdings

The Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA) is Kuwait's sovereign wealth fund specializing in foreign investment. The KIA is the world's oldest sovereign wealth fund. Since 1953, the Kuwaiti government has directed investments into Europe, United States and Asia Pacific. As of 2015, the holdings were valued at $592 billion in assets.[96]

Kuwait is the Arab world's largest foreign investor, with $8.4 billion in FDI outflows in 2013.[97] Kuwait consistently tops regional rankings in FDI outflows. In 2013, Kuwait almost tripled its foreign investments.[97] Over the last 10 years, Kuwait has doubled investments in the UK to more than $24 billion.[98][99] In 2014, Kuwait became the largest foreign investor in China's RMB market.[100]

Demographics[edit]

Kuwaiti youth celebrating Kuwait's independence and liberation, 2011
Main article: Demographics of Kuwait

Kuwait's 2014 population was 4.1 million people, of which 1.2 million were Kuwaitis, 1.1 million Arab expatriates, 1.4 million Asian expatriates, and 76,698 Africans.[101]

Ethnic groups[edit]

Expatriates account for 70% of Kuwait's total population. 60% of Kuwait's total population is Arab (including Arab expats).[1] In 2013, there were 700,000 Indians, 500,000 Egyptians, 200,000 Bangladeshis, 160,000 Filipinos, 140,000 Syrians and 120,000 Pakistanis living in Kuwait.[102]

Religion[edit]

Main article: Religion in Kuwait
Mosque in Kuwait

Most of Kuwait's population is Muslim. Kuwait also has a large community of expatriate Christians (est. 450,000), Hindus (est. 600,000), Buddhists (est. 100,000), and Sikhs (est. 10,000).[103] The majority of Kuwait's citizen population is Muslim;[104][105] there are no official figures, but it is estimated that 70% are Sunni and 30% are Shia.[106][107][108] Some other minor Muslim sects do exist in Kuwait's society, but in very small or rare numbers. Kuwait has a native Christian community, there are between 259-400 Christian Kuwaiti citizens.[109] Kuwait is the only GCC country besides Bahrain to have a local Christian population who hold citizenship. There is also a small number of Bahá'í Kuwaiti citizens,[103][110] it is likely that 18 Kuwaiti citizens follow the Bahá'í religion.[104][note 1]

Languages[edit]

Kuwait's official language is Modern Standard Arabic. Kuwaiti Arabic is Kuwait's colloquial dialect. Kuwaiti Sign Language is used by the deaf community. English is widely understood and often used as a business language.

Culture[edit]

Main article: Culture of Kuwait
Kuwait Towers, the country's most famous landmark.

Within the Gulf Arab states, the culture of Kuwait is the closest to the culture of Bahrain; this is evident in the close association between the two states in terms of accents, food, and clothes, in addition to the similar degrees of openness in the two societies.[111]

Theatre[edit]

Kuwait is known for its home-grown tradition of theatre.[112] Kuwait is the only country in the Gulf with a theatrical tradition.[113] The theatrical movement in Kuwait constitutes a major part of the country's cultural life.[114] Theatrical activities in Kuwait began in the 1920s when the first spoken dramas were released.[115] Theatre activities are still popular today.[114]

Soap operas[edit]

Kuwaiti soap operas (المسلسلات الكويتية) are the among the most-watched soap operas in the Arab world.[116] Although usually performed in the Kuwaiti dialect, they have been shown as far away as Tunisia with success.[117]

Literature[edit]

Kuwait was the pioneer of literary movement in the region. In 1958, Al Arabi magazine was first published, the magazine went on to become the most popular magazine in the Arab world.[46] In the 1970s, writers moved to Kuwait where they enjoyed greater freedom of expression than elsewhere in the Arab world.[47]

Arts[edit]

Kuwait has the oldest modern arts movement in the Arabian Peninsula.[118] Beginning in 1936, Kuwait was the first Gulf country to grant scholarships in the arts.[118] The Kuwaiti artist Mojeb al-Dousari was the earliest recognized visual artist in the Gulf region.[119] He is regarded as the founder of portrait art in the region.[120] In 1943, al-Dousari launched Kuwait's first art gallery.

See also[edit]

Portal icon Geography portal
Portal icon Asia portal
Portal icon Middle East portal

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Kuwait". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. 10 April 2015. 
  2. ^ "Population of Kuwait". Kuwait Government Online. 2013. 
  3. ^ a b c d "IMF Report for Selected Countries and Subjects : Kuwait". International Monetary Fund. Retrieved 2 May 2015. 
  4. ^ "2014 Human Development Report Summary" (PDF). United Nations Development Programme. 2014. pp. 21–25. Retrieved 27 July 2014. 
  5. ^ "2013 Population Census". Government of Kuwait. 2013. 
  6. ^ Furlong, Tom (14 April 1991). "The Rocky Road That Faces Many Kuwaiti Merchants". Los Angeles Times. Before oil was discovered in Kuwait 53 years ago, the country was largely a nation of merchant traders. Its natural harbor made Kuwait a hub of Middle East commerce and a center for boat building. 
  7. ^ Berkowitz, Peter (11 July 2003). "Democracy in Kuwait". The Weekly Standard. Home to one of only two natural ports in the Persian Gulf, Kuwait has for hundreds of years been a commercial and cosmopolitan center. 
  8. ^ a b c Allison, Mary Bruins, MD (1994). Doctor Mary in Arabia: Memoirs. Austin, Texas: The University of Texas Press. ISBN 9780292792272. 
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Tétreault, Mary Ann (1995). The Kuwait Petroleum Corporation and the Economics of the New World Order. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 2–3. ISBN 0-89930-510-5. LCCN 94-15877. 
  10. ^ a b Lea, David, ed. (2001). A Political Chronology of the Middle East. London: Europa Publications. p. 142. ISBN 9781857431155. 
  11. ^ a b c Scudder, Lewis R. (1998). The Arabian Mission's Story: In Search of Abraham's Other Son. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. 104. ISBN 9780802846167. 
  12. ^ a b c d e f g Al-Jassar, Mohammad Khalid A. (May 2009). Constancy and Change in Contemporary Kuwait City: The Socio-cultural Dimensions of the Kuwait Courtyard and Diwaniyya (PhD thesis). The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. p. 80. 
  13. ^ a b "10 Most Valuable Currencies in the World". Silicon India. 21 March 2012. 
  14. ^ Bladd, Joanne (31 May 2014). "Battling Inertia – Kuwait’s Dilemma Continues". Gulf Business. 
  15. ^ "Political instability halts development projects in Kuwait". CPI Financial. 13 May 2013. 
  16. ^ Al-Jassar, Mohammad Khalid A. (May 2009). Constancy and Change in Contemporary Kuwait City: The Socio-cultural Dimensions of the Kuwait Courtyard and Diwaniyya (PhD thesis). The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. p. 64. ISBN 9781109229349. 
  17. ^ Bell, Gawain, Sir (1983). Shadows on the Sand: The Memoirs of Sir Gawain Bell. p. 222. 
  18. ^ "ʻAlam-i Nisvāṉ" 2 (1–2). University of Karachi. 1995. p. 18. Kuwait became an important trading port for import and export of goods from India, Africa and Arabia. 
  19. ^ a b Al-Jassar, Mohammad Khalid A. (May 2009). Constancy and Change in Contemporary Kuwait City: The Socio-cultural Dimensions of the Kuwait Courtyard and Diwaniyya (PhD thesis). The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. p. 66. 
  20. ^ a b Bennis, Phyllis; Moushabeck, Michel, eds. (1991). Beyond the Storm: A Gulf Crisis Reader. Brooklyn, New York: Olive Branch Press. p. 42. ISBN 9780940793828. 
  21. ^ Lauterpacht, Elihu; Greenwood, C. J.; Weller, Marc (1991). The Kuwait Crisis: Basic Documents. Cambridge international documents series, Issue 1. Cambridge, UK: Research Centre for International Law, Cambridge University Press. p. 4. ISBN 9780521463089. 
  22. ^ a b Al-Jassar, Mohammad Khalid A. (May 2009). Constancy and Change in Contemporary Kuwait City: The Socio-cultural Dimensions of the Kuwait Courtyard and Diwaniyya (PhD thesis). The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. p. 67. 
  23. ^ Abdullah, Thabit A. J. (2001). Merchants, Mamluks, and Murder: The Political Economy of Trade in Eighteenth-Century Basra. Albany, New York: State University of New York Press. p. 72. ISBN 9780791448076. 
  24. ^ Sagher, Mostafa Ahmed. The impact of economic activities on the social and political structures of Kuwait (1896–1946) (PDF) (PhD). Durham, UK: Durham University. p. 108. 
  25. ^ Sweet, Louise Elizabeth (1970). Peoples and Cultures of the Middle East: Cultural depth and diversity. American Museum of Natural History, Natural History Press. p. 156. The port of Kuwait was then, and is still, the principal dhow-building and trading port of the Persian Gulf, though offering little trade itself. 
  26. ^ Nijhoff, M. (1974). Bijdragen tot de taal-, land- en volkenkunde (in Dutch). Volume 130. Leiden, Netherlands: Koninklijk Instituut voor Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde. p. 111. 
  27. ^ Aggarwal, Jatendra M., ed. (1965). Indian Foreign Affairs. Volume 8. p. 29. 
  28. ^ Sanger, Richard Harlakenden (1970). The Arabian Peninsula. Books for Libraries Press. p. 150. 
  29. ^ a b Donaldson, Neil (2008). The Postal Agencies in Eastern Arabia and the Gulf. Lulu.com. p. 93. ISBN 9781409209423. 
  30. ^ Al-Jassar, Mohammad Khalid A. Constancy and Change in Contemporary Kuwait City: The Socio-cultural Dimensions of the Kuwait Courtyard and Diwaniyya (PhD thesis). The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. p. 68. 
  31. ^ Hasan, Mohibbul, ed. (2007) [First published 1968]. Waqai-i manazil-i Rum: Tipu Sultan's mission to Constantinople. Delhi, India: Aakar Books. p. 18. ISBN 9788187879565. For owing to Basra's misfortunes, Kuwait and Zubarah became rich. 
  32. ^ Fattah, Hala Mundhir (1997). The Politics of Regional Trade in Iraq, Arabia, and the Gulf, 1745–1900. Albany, New York: State University of New York Press. p. 114. ISBN 9780791431139. 
  33. ^ Agius, Dionisius A. (2012). Seafaring in the Arabian Gulf and Oman: People of the Dhow. New York: Routledge. p. 48. ISBN 9781136201820. 
  34. ^ Ágoston, Gábor; Masters, Bruce (2009). Encyclopedia of the Ottoman Empire. New York: Infobase Publishing. p. 321. ISBN 9781438110257. 
  35. ^ Potter, Lawrence G., ed. (2009). The Persian Gulf in History. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 272. ISBN 9780230618459. 
  36. ^ a b c d e Casey, Michael S. (2007). The History of Kuwait. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 57. ISBN 9780313340734. 
  37. ^ a b c Al Sager, Noura, ed. (2014). Acquiring Modernity: Kuwait's Modern Era Between Memory and Forgetting. National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters. p. 7. ISBN 9789990604238. 
  38. ^ a b Al-Nakib, Farah, ed. (2014). "Kuwait's Modernity Between Memory and Forgetting". Academia.edu. p. 7. 
  39. ^ a b Farid, Alia (2014). "Acquiring Modernity: Kuwait at the 14th International Architecture Exhibition". aliafarid.net. 
  40. ^ Gonzales, Desi (November–December 2014). "Acquiring Modernity: Kuwait at the 14th International Architecture Exhibition". Art Papers. 
  41. ^ "Looking for Origins of Arab Modernism in Kuwait". Hyperallergic. 
  42. ^ Al-Nakib, Farah (1 March 2014). "Towards an Urban Alternative for Kuwait: Protests and Public Participation". Built Environment 40 (1): 101–117. 
  43. ^ a b c d "Cultural developments in Kuwait". March 2013. 
  44. ^ a b Chee Kong, Sam (1 March 2014). "What Can Nations Learn from Norway and Kuwait in Managing Sovereign Wealth Funds". Market Oracle. 
  45. ^ al-Nakib, Farah (17 September 2014). "Understanding Modernity: A Review of the Kuwait Pavilion at the Venice Biennale". Jadaliyya (Arab Studies Institute). 
  46. ^ a b c Sajjad, Valiya S. "Kuwait Literary Scene A Little Complex". Arab Times. A magazine, Al Arabi, was published in 1958 in Kuwait. It was the most popular magazine in the Arab world. It came out it in all the Arabic countries, and about a quarter million copies were published every month. 
  47. ^ a b Gunter, Barrie; Dickinson, Roger, eds. (2013). News Media in the Arab World: A Study of 10 Arab and Muslim Countries. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing USA. p. 24. ISBN 9781441102393. 
  48. ^ Sager, Abdulaziz; Koch, Christian; Tawfiq Ibrahim, Hasanain, eds. (2008). Gulf Yearbook 2006-2007. Dubai, UAE: I. B. Tauris. p. 39. The Kuwaiti press has always enjoyed a level of freedom unparalleled in any other Arab country. 
  49. ^ Kinninmont, Jane (15 February 2013). "The Case of Kuwait: Debating Free Speech and Social Media in the Gulf". ISLAMiCommentary. 
  50. ^ Muslim Education Quarterly 8. Islamic Academy. 1990. p. 61. Kuwait is a primary example of a Muslim society which embraced liberal and Western attitudes throughout the sixties and seventies. 
  51. ^ Rubin, Barry, ed. (2010). Guide to Islamist Movements. Volume 1. Armonk, New York: M.E. Sharpe. p. 306. ISBN 9780765641380. 
  52. ^ Wheeler, Deborah L. The Internet In The Middle East: Global Expectations And Local Imaginations. Albany, New York: State University of New York Press. p. 99. ISBN 9780791465868. 
  53. ^ Osnos, Evan (11 July 2004). "In Kuwait, conservatism a launch pad to success". Chicago Tribune. In the 1960s and most of the '70s, men and women at Kuwait University dined and danced together, and miniskirts were more common than hijab head coverings, professors and alumni say. 
  54. ^ "Kuwait’s Souk al-Manakh Stock Bubble". Stock-market-crash.net. 2012-06-23. Retrieved 2013-01-14. 
  55. ^ a b Bansal, Narottam P.; Singh, Jitendra P.; Ko, Song; Castro, Ricardo; Pickrell, Gary; Manjooran, Navin Jose; Nair, Mani; Singh, Gurpreet (eds.). "Processing and Properties of Advanced Ceramics and Composites" 240. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. p. 205. ISBN 9781118744116. 
  56. ^ "Iraqi Invasion of Kuwait; 1990". Acig.org. Retrieved 28 June 2010. [dead link]
  57. ^ a b Gregory, Derek (2004). The Colonial Present: Afghanistan, Palestine, Iraq. Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN 978-1-57718-090-6. Retrieved 28 June 2010. 
  58. ^ "Iraq and Kuwait: 1972, 1990, 1991, 1997". Earthshots: Satellite Images of Environmental Change. Retrieved 2013-01-14. 
  59. ^ "The Use of Terror During Iraq’s Invasion of Kuwait". Jewish Agency for Israel. Retrieved 2 May 2015. 
  60. ^ "Iraq and Kuwait Discuss Fate of 600 Missing Since Gulf War". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. 9 January 2003. 
  61. ^ Selvik, Kjetil (2011). "Elite Rivalry in a Semi-Democracy: The Kuwaiti Press Scene". Middle Eastern Studies: 478. 
  62. ^ "Kuwait Country Report". Bertelsmann Foundation. 2010. 
  63. ^ Selvik, Kjetil (2011). "Elite Rivalry in a Semi-Democracy: The Kuwaiti Press Scene". Middle Eastern Studies 47 (3): 477–496. 
  64. ^ Ulrichsen, Kristian Coates (2014). "Politics and Opposition in Kuwait: Continuity and Change". Journal of Arabian Studies: Arabia, the Gulf, and the Red Sea 4 (2): 214–230. 
  65. ^ "Kuwaiti Constitution". World Intellectual Property Organization. The Kuwait Legal system is based on civil law jurisdiction; it is derived from Egyptian and French laws. 
  66. ^ "Doing business in Kuwait". Practical Law. Thomson Reuters. 
  67. ^ Tarakji, Ziad (September 2011). "Kuwait Legal Provisions" (PDF). Switzerland Global Enterprise. Embassy of Switzerland. Retrieved 9 September 2013. 
  68. ^ Nyrop, Richard F. (1985). "Persian Gulf states: Country Studies". p. 80. In addition, Kuwait has established a secular legal system, unique among the Gulf states. 
  69. ^ a b Hopkins, Nicholas S.; Ibrahim, Saad Eddin, eds. (1997). Arab Society: Class, Gender, Power, and Development (3rd. ed.). Cairo, Egypt: American University of Cairo. p. 417. ISBN 9789774244049. 
  70. ^ Maddex, Robert L. Constitutions of the World. Abingdon, UK: Routledge. p. 153. ISBN 9781136217890. 
  71. ^ Liebesny, Herbert J. (1974). The Law of the Near and Middle East: Readings, Cases, and Materials. Albany, New York: State University of New York Press. p. 110. ISBN 9780873952569. 
  72. ^ "Kuwait, State of". Law.emory.edu. 
  73. ^ "State of Kuwait, Public Administration Country Profile" (PDF). United Nations. September 2004. p. 7. 
  74. ^ "State of Kuwait". London School of Economics. 21 Mar 2011. The court system in Kuwait is secular and tries both civil and criminal cases. 
  75. ^ a b c Price, David (2009). The Development of Intellectual Property Regimes in the Arabian Gulf States: Infidels at the Gates. Abingdon, UK: Routledge-Cavendish. p. 23. ISBN 9781134024964. 
  76. ^ Hafeez, Zeeshan Javed. Islamic Commercial Law and Economic Development. San Fabcisco, California: Heliographica. p. 10. ISBN 9781933037097. 
  77. ^ a b Yetiv, Steve (1995). America and the Persian Gulf: The Third Party Dimension in World Politics. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 51. ISBN 9780275949730. 
  78. ^ Panaspornprasit, Chookiat (2005). US-Kuwaiti Relations, 1961–1992: An Uneasy Relationship. Abingdon, UK: Routledge. p. 75. ISBN 9781135767228. 
  79. ^ Wallace, Charles P. (20 July 1987). "No Military Bases for U.S., Kuwait Says". Los Angeles Times. 
  80. ^ "Bubiyan (island, Kuwait)". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 28 June 2010. 
  81. ^ "Structurae [en]: Bubiyan Bridge (1983)". En.structurae.de. 19 October 2002. Retrieved 28 June 2010. 
  82. ^ Pendick, Daniel. "Kuwaiti Oil Lakes". Encarta. Archived from the original on 31 October 2009. 
  83. ^ "The Economic and Environmental Impact of the Gulf War on Kuwait and the Persian Gulf". American.edu. Retrieved 28 June 2010. 
  84. ^ "Kuwait (country)". Encarta. Archived from the original on 31 October 2009. 
  85. ^ "Kuwait: Climate". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 28 June 2010. 
  86. ^ Masters, Jeff (15 January 2012). "2012: Earth's 10th warmest year on record, and warmest with a La Niña - New country and territory hottest temperature records set in 2012". Weather Underground. Retrieved 2014-08-18. 
  87. ^ Burt, Christopher (22 October 2010). "2012: Hottest air temperatures reported on Earth". Weather Underground. Retrieved 2014-08-18. 
  88. ^ "Bright future for Kuwait projects market". MEED Media. 27 November 2014. (subscription required (help)). 
  89. ^ Al-Kharafi, Naeimah (12 October 2014). "Encouraging social entrepreneurship in Kuwait – Special report". Kuwait Times. 
  90. ^ Saltzman, Jason (11 November 2014). "Keeping Up With Kuwaiti Connection: The Startup Circuit In Kuwait Is Up And At 'Em". Entrepreneur Middle East. 
  91. ^ Etheridge, Jamie (27 February 2014). "What’s behind the growth of Kuwait’s informal economy". Kuwait Times. 
  92. ^ Greenfield, Rebecca (12 July 2013). "In Kuwait, Instagram Accounts Are Big Business". The Wire: News for the Atlantic. 
  93. ^ Kuo, Lily; Foxman, Simone (16 July 2013). "A rising class of Instagram entrepreneurs in Kuwait is selling comics, makeup and sheep". Quartz. 
  94. ^ "Kuwait's booming Instagram economy". kottke.org. 12 July 2013. 
  95. ^ al-Wazir, Yara (23 August 2014). "How Kuwaitis are Instagramming a business revolution". Al Arabiya News. 
  96. ^ "Kuwait Investment Authority Profile Page". Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute. 
  97. ^ a b "Kuwait Top Arab Investor Abroad In 2013". 
  98. ^ "Kuwait fund says more than doubled UK investment in past 10 years". Reuters. 28 June 2013. 
  99. ^ Macdonald, Fiona (30 June 2013). "Kuwait Wealth Fund Doubles Investments in U.K. to $24 Billion". Bloomberg. 
  100. ^ Ishigami, Miyoko (22 January 2014). "Kuwait becomes top foreign investor in China RMB market" (Press release). Kuwait News Agency. 
  101. ^ "Kuwait residency cap for expats touches off maelstrom". Gulf News. 1 February 2014. 
  102. ^ "Kuwait MP seeks five-year cap on expat workers’ stay". Gulf News. 30 January 2014. 
  103. ^ a b "International Religious Freedom Report for 2007". US State Department. 2007. 
  104. ^ a b "Nationality By Relegion and Nationality". Government of Kuwait (in Arabic). 
  105. ^ "The Evolution of U. S.-Turkish Relations in a Transatlantic Context" (PDF). Strategic Studies Institute. p. 87. 
  106. ^ "International Religious Freedom Report". US State Department. 2002. 
  107. ^ "International Religious Freedom Report". US State Department. 2004. 
  108. ^ "International Religious Freedom Report". US State Department. 2001. 
  109. ^ "International Religious Freedom Report". US State Department. 1999. 
  110. ^ "البهائيون في الكويت 100 منتمٍ... ومحفل يديره تسعة أشخاص" (in Arabic). Al Rai Media. 
  111. ^ Zubir, S.S.; Brebbia, C.A., eds. (2014). The Sustainable City VIII (2 Volume Set): Urban Regeneration and Sustainability. Volume 179 of WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment. Ashurst, Southampton, UK: WIT Press. p. 599. ISBN 9781845647469. 
  112. ^ Watson, Katie (18 December 2010). "Reviving Kuwait's theatre industry". BBC News. 
  113. ^ Hammond, Andrew (2007). Popular Culture in the Arab World: Arts, Politics, and the Media. Cario, Egypt: American University in Cairo Press. p. 277. ISBN 9789774160547. 
  114. ^ a b Herbert, Ian; Leclercq, Nicole, eds. (2000). "An Account of the Theatre Seasons 1996-97, 1997-98 and 1998-99". The World of Theatre (2000 Edition ed.). London: Taylor & Francis. p. 147. ISBN 9780415238663. 
  115. ^ Rubin, Don, ed. (1999). "Kuwait". The World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre. Volume 4: The Arab world. London: Taylor & Francis. p. 143. ISBN 9780415059329. 
  116. ^ Fattahova, Nawara (26 March 2015). "First Kuwaiti horror movie to be set in ‘haunted’ palace". Kuwait Times. 
  117. ^ Mansfield, Peter (1990). Kuwait: vanguard of the Gulf. Hutchinson. p. 113. Some Kuwaiti soap operas have become extremely popular and, although they are usually performed in the Kuwaiti dialect, they have been shown with success as far away as Tunisia. 
  118. ^ a b Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art & Architecture: Three-Volume Set. p. 405. 
  119. ^ Al Qassemi, Sultan Sooud (22 November 2013). "Correcting misconceptions of the Gulf’s modern art movement". Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East. 
  120. ^ "Kuwait". Atelier Voyage. 
  1. ^ 2014 Census shows only three religion categories: "Muslim", "Christian" and "Other". Reasonably assuming majority of "Other" Kuwaiti citizens is Bahá'í.

Further reading[edit]

External links[edit]

Find more about
Kuwait
at Wikipedia's sister projects
Search Wiktionary Definitions from Wiktionary
Search Commons Media from Commons
Search Wikinews News stories from Wikinews
Search Wikiquote Quotations from Wikiquote
Search Wikisource Source texts from Wikisource
Search Wikibooks Textbooks from Wikibooks
Search Wikiversity Learning resources from Wikiversity
 Iraq  Iraq  Iraq
 Iraq Persian Gulf •  Iran
  Kuwait Kuwait  
 Saudi Arabia  Saudi Arabia Persian Gulf
Kuwait articles
History
Coat of arms of Kuwait.svg
Geography
Politics
Military
Economy
Culture
Authority control
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kuwait&oldid=679325786"