Kuwait
Kuwait holds the record for the hottest temperature ever reliably recorded in Asia, 54C, and it is one of the driest countries on Earth.
- CapitalKuwait CityAt the head of the Persian Gulf
- PopulationAbout 4.3 millionAround 70 per cent are foreign nationals
- Area17,818 km2Almost entirely flat desert
- Record heat54CAmong the hottest ever recorded on Earth
Kuwait is small, flat and almost entirely desert, sitting at the northern head of the Persian Gulf between Iraq and Saudi Arabia. It has no rivers, no lakes and virtually no farmland.
Before oil was found in the 1930s, Kuwait lived by pearl diving, fishing and building dhow trading ships. Oil transformed it into one of the wealthiest countries in the world within a generation.
National symbols
- National bird Falcon
- National emblem A dhow sailing ship above a falcon
- National anthem Al-Nasheed Al-Watani (Translation: National Anthem)
- National day National Day, 25 February
Map of Kuwait
Geography
Kuwait covers 17,818 km2 and borders Iraq and Saudi Arabia, with the Persian Gulf to the east. It includes nine offshore islands, the largest being Bubiyan.
The land is flat, low desert with no permanent rivers or lakes. The highest point is only around 300 m. Kuwait Bay provides a deep natural harbour, which is why the city grew there.
Climate
Kuwait has one of the most extreme hot desert climates in the world. Summer temperatures routinely exceed 45C and have passed 50C, with very low humidity inland.
Winters are short and mild, occasionally cold enough for frost at night. Rainfall is under 120 mm a year. Dust storms and sandstorms are frequent, especially in early summer.
Culture
Arabic is the official language and English is widely used in business. Around 70 per cent of residents are foreign nationals, mostly from India, Egypt and other Arab countries.
Nearly all Kuwaiti citizens are Muslim. The diwaniya, a regular gathering in a reception room where men meet to discuss politics and business, is a distinctive social institution. Traditional dhow boatbuilding and pearl diving are remembered in museums and festivals.
Economy
Oil is around 90 per cent of export earnings and most government revenue. Kuwait holds some of the largest proven reserves in the world relative to its size.
The Kuwait Investment Authority, founded in 1953, is the oldest sovereign wealth fund in the world and invests oil income abroad to provide for the future.
The flag
Three horizontal bands of green, white and red, with a black trapezoid along the flagpole edge. These are the pan-Arab colours.
The colours come from a line of Arabic poetry: green for the fertile land, white for the purity of deeds, red for the blood on the swords of defenders, and black for the dust of battle. It was adopted in 1961 when Kuwait became independent from Britain.