30 Engrossing Facts About Kuwait

Kuwait is a small country in western Asia with a population of just over a million people. Mesopotamians were the first settlers in Kuwait, arriving between 6,500 and 3,800 BCE. Kuwaiti culture is defined by traditional social values and traditions. Many elements of Western culture have been adopted by the country, but Kuwaiti cultural traditions have largely remained unchanged. The majority of Kuwaitis are Muslims, and Kuwait’s law and social norms are governed mainly by Islamic rules. It is one of the wealthiest countries in the world due to having ample reserves of fossil fuels. Have a look at these 30 amazing facts about Kuwait that you may not know.

1. The official name of Kuwait is the state of Kuwait or Dawlat al-Kuwait (Arabic). The word “Kuwait” is derived from the Arabic word أكوات (ākwāt), which is the plural of the word كوت kūt, meaning “fortress built near water.”
2. The currency share borders with the Persian Gulf to the east, Iraq to the west and north, and Saudi Arabia to the south.
3. Kuwait has the 6th largest oil reserves in the world. The country holds 101,500,000,000 barrels of oil and 6.1% of the total world’s oil reserve.
4. Kuwait has the 8th largest per capita income on the planet with $72,096 of GDP(PPP) per capita. This is due to a high number of natural oil resources.
5. An 1899 treaty basically granted Britain control of Kuwait’s foreign affairs. Following the outbreak of World War I (1914–18), Kuwait became a British protectorate.
6. On 2nd August 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait, resulting in a seven-month-long Iraqi occupation of the country.
7. The world’s oldest fingerprint was discovered in northern Kuwait. The fingerprint was found on a piece of clay and is approximately 7300 years old.
8. In 1989 the country came under the rule of Britishers. Then in June 1961, it got independence from British rule.
9. Kuwait was the first country in the Gulf region to have a constitution and parliament.
10. The currency of Kuwait (Kuwaiti dinar) is the most valued currency in the world. The currency rates are 1 KWD values 3.27 in USD and 1 KWD in values 2.78 in EURO.
11. The country has an unbalanced sex ratio; in 2015, the male to female ratio was 142.82 males per 100 females.
12. Till date, there is no railway system in the country. However, multiple railways and metro projects are planned by the government of Kuwait.
13. Islam is the prominent religion in the country. Over 70%-80% are Sunni Muslims, and 20%-30% are Shia Muslims.
14. Kuwait has a population of 4.5 million people, out of which1.3 million are Kuwaitis, and 3.2 million are expatriates that accounts for approximately 70% of the total population residing in the country.
15. The national bird and national emblem of the country is Falcon.
16. The country became the first country to introduce camel racing in 2006. The racing was held by robot jockeys.
17. Kuwait is the only country on the planet to have no permanent natural water supply. The country relies on groundwater and import about 20 million m³ of water every year from Saudi Arabia.
18. Kuwait has a total of 9 desert islands, mostly rich in oil. Bubiyan Island is the biggest island, and Qaruh island is the smallest.
19. During the month of the holy period Ramadan, the people have to follow some rituals and rules. The citizens are allowed to work for six hours and must fast. Plus, there should be no drinking, eating, smoking, or use of chewing gum before the sun sets down.
20. The country is among the first Arab countries to have an elected parliament.
21. Before 2005 women did not have a right to vote in Kuwait until an ordinance passed by the government granting women the right to vote. After four years, women were given full political rights, and four women were elected to the Kuwait parliament for the first time.
22. Al Hamra Tower is the tallest tower in the country and the 34th tallest tower in the world, with a height of 412.6 meters and 80 floors.
23. With 42.8 percent of its people fat, Kuwait is the most affected country and ranks among the top 10 in the world for obesity. With obesity rates of 35.2% and 33.1%, respectively, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are not faring any worse.
24. The country has one of the highest literacy rates in the Arab world, with over 96.04% of people are literate.
25. The liberation tower of Kuwait is the 13th highest telecom tower and 39th tallest building on the globe.
26. The country has one of the lowest proportions of arable land. It only has 8.62 % of its total land is arable, which is the 22nd least arable land on the planet earth.
27. The top five items that Kuwait exports are crude petroleum ($62.6B), refined petroleum ($16.8B), petroleum gas ($3.51B), sulfonated, nitrated, or nitrosated hydrocarbons ($3.23B), and acyclic alcohols ($2.79B). The majority of these products are exported to China ($24.3B), India ($15B), South Korea ($10.8B), Japan ($8.64B), and Chinese Taipei ($7.34B).
28. Most of Kuwait’s imports come from the United Arab Emirates ($13B), China ($10.2B), Saudi Arabia ($5.91B), United States ($4.72B), Japan ($2.57B), and cars ($5.12B), followed by jewelry ($2.95B), broadcasting equipment ($1.35B), and gold ($3.25B).
29. The country comes on the 38th rank in the world in terms of the average wage. It has an average gross household income of 1854 USD per Month.
30. Kuwait is banned from the Olympic games and meetings. It was suspended back in October 2015 due to a new sports law.