Kuwait-General

Kuwait is the Islamic Middle Eastern state, situated at the northwest extreme of the Persian Gulf, and is somewhat overshadowed and overwhelmed by its neighbors Iran, Saudi Arabia, and especially war-torn Iraq. Despite the troubled neighbors it possesses, Kuwait is slowly starting to attract tourists and businessmen from the West, especially Americans. Those visiting Kuwait today are filled with a lust for adventure that has nothing to do with adrenalin-producing experiences, but rather a yearning to explore a not too radical fundamentalist Muslim culture and witness a country undergoing post-war reconstruction. Its Arabic names means fort, and in essence that's exactly how it was formed, as it was once home to a small desert community until the Al-Sabah family took control, and literally built the first (fortified) settlement in the mid-1700s.

As I said earlier, Kuwait is bordered by Iraq to the North and West, Saudi Arabia to the South, and the Persian Gulf on the East. The capital of Kuwait is Kuwait City, which is situated halfway between the top and bottom of the country, along the eastern coast and right off the Kuwait Bay. The country has about 310 miles of coastline with hardly any bodies of water within it. Most of Kuwait is an entirely flat and dry barren desert of sandy plains. The land (desert) begins to rise slightly in the southwest, along the border with Saudi Arabia. As is understandable, Kuwait has very limited agricultural development because of its blazing hot climates and the sandy desert topography. Subsequently, with the exception of fish, it depends almost completely on imported food to feed its people.

The country of Kuwait is a very nice place to visit now but it has not always been that way. Kuwait has had a dreadfully turbulent past that has killed off relations between it and its neighbors. On television, with the world watching, Kuwait was attacked and overrun by Iraq on August 2, 1990. At this time Iraq claimed Kuwait as its 19th province. Following weeks of aerial bombardment, a US-led, UN coalition began a ground assault on February 23, 1991, that liberated Kuwait in just four days. Now the country is separated from its threatening neighbor by a wall along its border. This small, oil-rich nation, has resumed a somewhat normal life since the costly Gulf War, however, in the volatile Middle East, controversy is often just around the corner.

The ruined capital, Kuwait City, has risen from the ashes of war to become a buzzing metropolis with gleaming high rises, numerous luxury hotels and lush parks set along wide avenues. The city's major landmark is the Kuwait Towers, visible from the harbor where oil tankers come and go, docking alongside hundreds of cargo ships and pleasure craft. Kuwait is now regarded as a relatively safe destination with plenty to interest the traveler, not only in Kuwait City itself but throughout, from its arid desert plateau to the fertile coastal belt and the nine small offshore islands over which it has sovereignty.

The main good that Kuwait is known for is their oil. They do not produce a whole lot of things so their oil is their trademark and staple. The small Middle East country holds 10 percent of the world's proven oil reserves. During the late 1940s, the extent of Kuwait's oil resources began to emerge and the long term potential of the petroleum industry was realized. Kuwait has the world's fifth largest oil reserves and is one of the richest countries in the world per capita. Petroleum and petroleum products now account for nearly 95% of export revenues, and 80% of government income. Plainly put, the oil reserves that Kuwait is blessed with sets the country up for economic stability and prosperity. Their economy is booming because of the oil that they possess.

Kuwait has a proven crude oil reserves of 104 billion barrels (15 km³), and as I said earlier it is estimated to be 10 percent of the world's reserves. According to the Kuwaiti constitution, all natural resources in the country and associated revenues are government property. Being a tax-free country, Kuwait's oil industry accounts for 80% of government revenue. That is an extremely large amount of the profit for the country. As we can see, they are so dependent on this oil, that without it this country would surely fail. Petroleum and petrochemicals accounts for nearly half of GDP and 95% of export revenues. Increase in oil prices since 2003 has caused a surge in Kuwait's economy. However, Kuwait's economy was badly affected by the global financial crisis of 2008.

The country is a bit diverse. As of 2007, Kuwait's population was estimated to be 3 to 3.5 million people which included approximately 2 million non-nationals. Kuwaiti citizens are therefore a minority of those who reside in Kuwait. The government rarely grants citizenship to foreigners to maintain status quo. They have a stable education system there but only one public university, Kuwait University. Despite that, their oil yields have allowed them to invest in education which resulted in Kuwait having a literacy rate of 93.3 percent. Kuwait is a country just waiting to break through and become a major player on the world stage.