Food

Food plays a large part in Kuwaiti culture. The national dish of Kuwait known as machboos (Arabic: مكبوس‎) consists mainly of mutton, chicken, or fish placed over or mixed in a large mass of well-cooked and prepared [[rice]. Food is almost always prepared and served in large amounts, and it is extremely common for households to invite guests over to share meals.

Geology

The land was formed in a recent geologic era. In the south, limestone rises in a ong, north-oriented dome that lies beneath the surface. It is within and below this formation that the principal oil fields, Kuwait’s most important natural resource, are located. In the west and north, layers of sand, gravel, silt, and clay overlie the limestone to a depth of more than 210 meters. The upper portions of these beds are part of a mass of sediment deposited by a great wadi whose most recent channel was the Wadi al Batin, the broad shallow valley forming the western boundary of the country. On the western side of Ar Rawdatayn geological formation, a freshwater aquifer was discovered in 1960 and became Kuwait’s principal water source. The supply is insufficient to support extensive irrigation, but it is tapped to supplement the distilled water supply that fills most of the country’s needs. The only other exploited aquifer lies in the permeable zone in the top of the limestone of the Ash Shuaybah field south and east of the city of Kuwait. Unlike water from the Ar Rawdatayn aquifer, water from the Ash Shuaybah aquifer is brackish. Millions of liters a day of this water are produced for commercial and household purposes.

Kuwait

Kuwait (or Al-Kuwait – الكويت) – the largest city of Kuwait, 191 000 inhabitants (1991), situated on the Gulf Kuwejcką, the capital of the state. The town was founded on the spot of the Portuguese fortress XVIw., Founded in 1710 to today’s immigrants from areas of Saudi Arabia. In the early 60th it was a small village separated by the street. However, soon transformed into a modern city. Najokazalsze buildings to Kuwait Towers (Towers Kuwaiti) and Seif palace, which is based Emir.

Natural

* Area Nizinna, mainly (92.2%) and deserts półpustynie. The highest areas in the north-eastern parts of the country, reaching 306 m above sea level For agricultural use are 0.2% of the country, meadows – 7.5%, and forests – 0.1% of the area.
* There are no permanent rivers, periodic – after major rainfall. Continuous water deficit causes the flora and fauna are very poor, are mainly typical desert species.
* Tropical continental dry climate. The average January temperature of 12 ° C, July 35 ° C. Cold winter, strong winds from the northern storms piaskowymi. Dry and hot summer, temperatures often exceed 50 ° C. Precipitation – only half of rain in the summer, often torrential, Wed. annual rainfall of 100-200 mm.
* Natural resources: vast deposits of crude oil.

Geography

Kuwait is bordered to the north and south Iraq to Saudi Arabia. In the East, the Persian Gulf with nine small islands, which also includes Kuwait. The landscape consists mostly of highlands and desert from a flat, fertile coastal strip.

History

The history of Kuwait goes back to the year 1612. Tribes from central Arabia settled in Kuwait under the suzerainty of the Banu Khaled in the 18th-century after experiencing a massive drought in their native land. These tribes came to be known as the Utub of Qurain. Qurain, as Kuwait was known before, became a major center for spice trading between India and Europe. By late 18th-century, most of the local people made a living selling pearls. Because of internal conflicts and rivalry with the other rivaling dynasties of the Arabian Peninsula, Benu Khaled’s influence over Kuwait gradually waned and the Utub gained greater independence. In 1756, the Utub elected Sabah I bin Jaber as the first emir of Kuwait. The current ruling family of Kuwait, al-Sabah, are descendants of Sabah I.

During the rule of the al-Sabah, Kuwait progressively became a center of trade and commerce. It now served as a hub of trade between India, the horn of Africa, the Nejd, Mesopotamia and the Levant. Up until the advent of Japanese pearl farming, Kuwait had one of the largest sea fleets in the Persian Gulf region and a flourishing pearling industry. Trade consisted mainly of pearls, wood, spices, dates and horses.

Governorates

Kuwait is divided into six governorates (muhafazat, sing. muhafadhah):

• Al Ahmadi
• Al Farwaniyah
• Al Asimah
• Al Jahra
• Hawalli
• Mubarak Al-Kabeer

The governorates are subdivided into districts.

The major cities are the capital Kuwait City and Jahrah (a thirty-minute drive northwest of Kuwait City). The main residential and business areas are Salmiya and Hawalli. The main industrial area is Shuwaikh within the Al Asimah Governorate. The main palace is the As-Seef Palace in the old part of Kuwait City where the Emir runs the daily matters of the country whilst the government headquarters are in the Bayan Palace and the Emir lives in Dar Salwa.

When to Go

The best time to visit Kuwait is in May or October – right before or right after summer, when the temperatures are civilised. Between February and April, the desert is laced in a gossamer of lime green and the city is decorated with petunias, making it the most pleasant time to visit.

Kuwait City

Kuwait City (Arabic: مدينة الكويت, transliteration: Madīnat al-Kūwait), is the capital and largest city of Kuwait. It has an estimated population of 32,500 (2005 estimate)^{[citation needed]} within city limits and 2.38 million in the metropolitan area. Located at the heart of the country on the shore of the Persian Gulf, and containing Kuwait’s parliament (Majlis Al-Umma), most governmental offices, the headquarters of most Kuwaiti corporations and banks, it is the indisputable political, cultural and economical center of the emirate.

Kuwait City’s trade and transportation needs are served by Kuwait International Airport, Mina Al-Shuwaik (Shuwaik Port) and Mina al-Ahmadi (Ahmadi Port) 50 kilometers to the south, on the Persian Gulf coast.

The State of Kuwait

The State of Kuwait (Arabic: دولة الكويت‎) is a sovereign emirate on the coast of the Persian Gulf, enclosed by Saudi Arabia to the south and Iraq to the north and west. The name is a diminutive of an Arabic word meaning “fortress built near water.”^[4] It has a population of 3.1 million and an area of 17,818 km². Kuwait is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of government and Kuwait City serves as its political and economic capital.

Kuwait has the world’s fifth largest proven oil reserves^[5] and is the fourth richest country in the world per capita.^[6] Kuwait’s oil fields were discovered and exploited in the 1930s and after it gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1961, the nation’s oil industry saw unprecedented growth. Petroleum and petroleum products now account for nearly 95% of export revenues, and 80% of government income.^[7]

In 1990, Kuwait was invaded and annexed by neighboring Iraq. The seven month-long Iraqi occupation came to an end after a direct military intervention by United States-led forces. Nearly 700 Kuwaiti oil wells were set ablaze by the retreating Iraqi army resulting in a major environmental and economic catastrophe.^[8] Kuwait’s infrastructure was badly damaged during the war and had to be rebuilt.