KUWAIT, BY SOME TOURISTS!

Kuwait is country in the northeast Arabian Peninsula at the head of the Persian Gulf. It was settled by Arab tribes in the early 18th century, later became a British protectorate in 1897 and later an independent kingdom in 1961. Its population is overwhelmingly Arab and its languages includes Arabic (official), Persian, and English; their official religion is Islam and unit of currency is Kuwaiti dinar.

The nomadic 'Anizah tribe of central Arabia founded Kuwait city in 1710, and 'Abd al-Rahim of the Sabah dynasty became sheikh in 1756; the family continues to rule Kuwait. Kuwait is a constitutional emirate with an area of 6,177 sq mi (16,000 sq km), located in the North Eastern corner of the Arabian peninsula, at the head of the Persian Gulf. Kuwait is bounded by Saudi Arabia on the south and by Iraq on the north and west. The capital is Al-Kuwait or Kuwait which has been transformed into a modern city.

Kuwait is a low, sandy region that is generally barren and sparsely settled. It has a warm climate, dry inland and humid along the coast. The population is about 80% Arab; however, somewhat more than half the population are non-Kuwaitis. Native Kuwaitis have an extremely high per capita income, pay no taxes, and enjoy numerous social services. Since the development of the oil industry, large numbers of foreigners have found employment in Kuwait; non-Kuwaitis represent about 80% of the labor force. Foreign ethnic groups include South Asians, Iranians, and others. Arabic is the official language, but English is widely spoken. Some 85% of the population is Muslim, with about twice as many Sunnis as Shiites. There are Christian, Hindu, and Parsi minorities.

According to my tourists friends, Kuwait has a population of about three million people, two million of them are foreigners who run the country on behalf of native Kuwaitis. The international dialing code for Kuwait is: 965 ! Let me know you saw this as promised!