Portal:Kuwait

The Kuwait Portal

Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia and the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. It is situated in the northern edge of the Arabian Peninsula at the head of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the north and Saudi Arabia to the south. With a coastline of approximately 500 km (311 mi), Kuwait also shares a maritime border with Iran, across the Persian Gulf. Kuwait is a city-state, most of the country's population reside in the urban agglomeration of Kuwait City, the capital and largest city. As of 2024^[update], Kuwait has a population of 4.82 million, of which 1.53 million are Kuwaiti citizens while the remaining 3.29 million are foreign nationals from over 100 countries. Kuwait has the world's third largest number of foreign nationals as a percentage of the population, where its citizens make up less than 30% of the overall population.

The territory of modern-day Kuwait has been occupied by humans since antiquity, particularly due to its strategic location at the head of the Persian Gulf near the mouth of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. In the early 18th century, the territory of modern-day Kuwait was under the jurisdiction of the Bani Khalid Emirate of the Bani Khalid clan; then the territory became known as the Sheikdom of Kuwait, it became a British protectorate in 1899. Prior to the discovery of oil reserves in 1938, the territory of modern-day Kuwait contained a regional trade port. The protectorate agreements with the United Kingdom ended in June 1961 when Kuwait officially became an independent state.

From 1946 to 1982, Kuwait 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. It suffered pro-Iranian attacks during the Iran–Iraq War, as a result of Kuwait's financial support to Iraq. In 1990, the state of Kuwait was invaded, installed a puppet regime, and subsequently annexed by Iraq under the leadership of Saddam Hussein following disputes over oil production. The Iraqi occupation of Kuwait ended on 26 February 1991, after a U.S and Saudi Arabia–led international coalition expelled Iraqi forces from the country during the Gulf War. (Full article...)

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The COVID-19 pandemic in Kuwait was a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first confirmed case in Kuwait was announced on 24 February 2020.

Kuwait ended the full curfew on 30 May 2020 and started taking steps towards a gradual return to normal life by placing a partial curfew from 6 pm until 6 am. This step was a first of five with each phase tentatively lasting for 3 weeks which could vary depending on the assessment by the Ministry of Health. Initially, the country started with a voluntary stay-at-home approach from midnight of 11 March, with the government suspending work across all government sectors except emergency services. All commercial air travel and border travel were suspended from midnight of 14 March 2020 (start of 15 March 2020). Partial curfew was implemented from 22 March 2020 where curfew hours were between 5 pm until 4 am. This was amended on 6 April, where end of curfew hours were extended from 4 am to 6 am. With the start of the holy month of Ramadan on 24 April 2020, the partial curfew was further amended to 4 pm until 8 am with special permissions for deliveries from 5 pm until 1 am (under strict health code conditions). On 10 May, the country was placed under full curfew based on the assessment of the Ministry of Health, until 31 May 2020. Then again, a curfew of one month was imposed from 5 p.m. until 5 a.m. starting 7 March 2021 until 8 April 2021, after 1,716 new coronavirus cases were recorded on 4 March 2021. (Full article...)

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Did you know...

...that the fourteen nations designated Major non-NATO ally are the only countries outside of NATO to whom the United States government will consider selling depleted uranium anti-tank rounds?

...that more than one million Koreans moved to Arab countries and Iran between 1975 and 1985?

...that in Kuwait, the freedom of the press is restricted mostly by self-censorship rather than active government action?

... that incidents of violent crime against foreign citizens are rare in Kuwait?

... that after events of the Gulf War in February 1991, the highway which connects Kuwait City to Al Jahra became known as the Highway of Death?

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Image 1Ancient coins found Failaka Island of Kuwait
Image 2The Kuwait Towers
Image 3The Kuwait City skyline, 2008
Image 4A view of Salmiya
Image 5Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Centre (also known as, Kuwait Opera House)
Image 6A date vendor in the old souq in Kuwait City
Image 7Satellite image of Kuwait, November 2001
Image 8Ash Shu'aybah port in Kuwait