Kuwait

Capital: Kuwait City Population: 2,818,042 Official Languages: Arabic Time Zone: +3 Dialing Code: +965

Government: Unitary hereditary Area: 17,820 km2 largest city: Kuwait City Currency : Kuwaiti dinar ISO 3166 code: KW

Basic Info

Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf and is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south (at Khafji) and Iraq to the north (at Basra). The name "Kuwait" is derived from the Arabic ākwāt, the plural of kūt, meaning "fortress built near water". The country covers an area of 17,820 square kilometers (6,880 square miles) and has a population of about 2.8 million.

Geography

Located in the north-east corner of the Arabian Peninsula, Kuwait is one of the smallest countries in the world in terms of land area. It lies between latitudes 28° and 31° N, and longitudes 46° and 49° E. The flat, sandy Arabian Desert covers most of Kuwait. The country is generally low lying, with the highest point being 306 m (1,004 ft) above sea-level. It has nine islands, all of which, with the exception of Failaka Island, are uninhabited. 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. The land area is considered arable and sparse vegetation is found along its 499 km long coastline. Kuwait City is located on Kuwait Bay, a natural deep-water harbor.

Climate

The spring season in March is warm and pleasant with occasional thunderstorms. The frequent winds from the northwest are cold in winter and spring and hot in summer. Southeasterly winds, usually hot and damp, 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. The temprature in Kuwait during summer is above 25 and lower than 67. 67 was the highest recored Temprature in a Middle Eastern Country

Religion

About 85% of the population in Kuwait identify themselves as muslims. 75%-80% of muslims in Kuwait belong to the Sunni and 20%-25% are Shi'as. The majority of the Shi'as follow the Twelvers school. Despite islam being the state religion, among the non-Kuwaiti citizens, the country has a large community of Christians (est. 300,000 to 400,000), Hindus (est. 300,000), Buddhists (est. 100,000), and Sikhs (est. 10,000). Hindus account for the largest number of expatriates in Kuwait. Virtually all Kuwaiti Arabs are muslim.

Administrative divisions

Kuwait is divided into 6 governorates (muhafazah). The governorates are further subdivided into districts.

1 Al Jahra (3) 2 Al Asimah (2) 3 Al Farwaniyah 4 Hawalli 5 Mubarak Al-Kabeer 6 Al Ahmadi (1)

See Other Map

(1) The Neutral Zone was dissolved on 18 December 1969, and the northern part with 2590 km² was added to Al Ahmadi (with small part in the northwest added to Al Jahra)

(2) including the islands of Failaka, Miskan, and Auhah

(3) including the islands of Warbah and Bubiyan

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