KUWAIT. State of Kuwait
A state in Asia, in the northeastern part of the Arabian Peninsula, on the northwestern coast of the Persian Gulf. Kuwait owns 9 islands in the Persian Gulf: Bubiyan (836 km²), Warbah, Failaka, and others. Since 1965, it has been jointly administering the Divided (formerly Neutral) Zone with Saudi Arabia. The territory is 17,818 km². The capital is Kuwait City. The administrative division consists of 6 provinces. The population is 2.6 million; of which Kuwaitis are 943 thousand (35.7% of the country's population), the rest are Indians, Bangladeshis, Egyptians, and others. The official language is Arabic, with English widely spoken. The state religion is Sunni Islam, with 30% of believers being Shia.
The currency unit is the Kuwaiti dinar = 1000 fils.
It has diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation (established with the USSR on March 11, 1963).
The national holiday is February 25 - National Day (1961).
Kuwait is a constitutional monarchy. According to the constitution (adopted on November 11, 1962), legislative power belongs to the emir (head of state) and the National Assembly. Executive power is vested in the emir and the Council of Ministers. The current emir of Kuwait is Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, who has been on the throne since December 31, 1977. He also serves as the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. The Crown Prince is Sheikh Saad al-Abdallah al-Salem al-Sabah. The unicameral National Assembly (parliament), according to the constitution, consists of 50 deputies elected by direct secret ballot for a term of 4 years, and 15 government members appointed by the emir.
The current composition of the National Assembly was elected on July 5, 2003. The chairman is Jassem al-Khorafi. The current cabinet of ministers was formed on September 14, 2003, with Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah as its head.
There are no political parties in the country.
The territory of Kuwait was part of the Arab Caliphate since the 7th century, and from the 16th century, it was part of the Ottoman Empire. The area of modern Kuwait began to be settled in the 17th century by Arab tribes coming from the interior of the Arabian Peninsula. In the early 20th century, Kuwait was a sheikhdom with tribal relations under British protection (1899-1961). Its population at that time was about 35,000, including approximately 15,000 nomadic Bedouins. The main income came from transit trade and pearl fishing. In 1946, industrial oil production began in Kuwait. Its pace increased rapidly: in 1946 - 0.8 million tons, in 1950 - 17.3 million tons, in 1960 - 85.6 million tons. The main role was played by the Anglo-American "Kuwait Oil Company." The 1950s also marked a construction boom. A large influx of foreign labor flowed into the country.
The rise of the national liberation movement had a significant impact on Kuwaiti society. On June 19, 1961, the treaty with Great Britain regarding the protectorate from 1899 was canceled. Kuwait gained state independence. Shortly before, on November 25, 1961, Sheikh Abdullah al-Salem al-Sabah accepted the title of emir (this date is celebrated as a national holiday).
Kuwait is a member of the UN (since 1963), the Arab League (since 1961), the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Gulf Cooperation Council, and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, and participates in the Non-Aligned Movement.
On August 2, 1990, it was occupied by Iraq. On January 17, 1991, coalition forces, consisting of 29 countries, began a large-scale operation to liberate Kuwait based on a UN Security Council resolution. On November 26, 1991, Kuwait was liberated. On November 10, 1994, Iraq officially recognized the sovereignty of Kuwait and its borders. Iraqi aggression called into question Kuwait's previous concept of regional security, which traditionally relied on the principle of self-reliance. In September 1991,
a Kuwait-US agreement on military cooperation was signed for a period of 10 years. In February 1992, a similar agreement was signed with Great Britain, in August with France, and in December 1993 with Russia.
Kuwait actively supported the preparation and conduct of the US and its allies' military operation to overthrow the regime of S. Hussein in Iraq in March-April 2003, providing its territory for the deployment of a coalition strike force.
Kuwait's GDP in 2004 amounted to $49 billion.
The foundation of Kuwait's national economy is oil, with proven reserves of 13 billion tons. Approximately 100 million tons of oil are extracted annually.
Only 1% of the country's territory is suitable for agriculture. The majority of food is imported. Since 1972, fishing has been controlled by the company "Kuwait United Fisheries." It satisfies 40% of domestic demand. An important industry is shrimp fishing for export. Trade and shipping consist of about 100 vessels.
Kuwait is an active exporter of capital. The country's foreign assets amount to $60-70 billion, while the volume of private deposits is $40 billion. The main part of Kuwaiti investments is in shares of the largest companies and banks in the world.
For a long time, Kuwait's main trading partners have been Japan, the USA, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Great Britain, and France.
Daily newspapers: "Al-Anba," "Al-Watan," "Al-Qabas," "Ar-Rai al-Amm," "As-Siyasa" - in Arabic, "Arab Times," "Kuwait Times" - in English. There are government agencies such as the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), broadcasting services, and television.
