Kuwait - geography
Kuwait curves over a major bay southwest of
the Euphrates and Tigris' deltas. The bay is located by ancient trade routes to
and from Iraq and the northern part of the Arabian Peninsula. The country
stretches 60-100 km from the coast into the desert; the borders of the
neighboring states are drawn through completely barren areas. Before the oil
discoveries in 1938, the small population subsisted as nomads, pearl fishermen
and traders.
The climate is subtropical and extremely dry with very hot summers. The light
rainfall falls from November to April, where it can also be quite cool. Spring
and early summer are characterized by regular sandstorms, and in summer
temperatures above 50 °C are not entirely uncommon. Kuwait has neither river
water nor groundwater reservoirs for the water supply, which are instead handled
by large, energy-intensive desalination plants.
The largest oil fields are located towards Saudi Arabia; it was not until
1966 that the two countries agreed on where the border should go, and the
revenues from the border zone's oil production continued to be shared between
the two countries. Regarding this area, see neutral Zone.
Population
Kuwait's population rose from 152,000 in 1950 to 2 million. in 1989
corresponding to a doubling per. ten years. The Kuwaitis themselves contributed
to the growth by giving birth to many children and by radically improving health
conditions, but the bulk of the growth was due to immigration. As early as the
end of the 1950's, foreigners made up 45 per cent of the population and in 1989
61 per cent, corresponding to 1.3 million. people; they came to get work for a
shorter or longer period of time. The largest group were stateless Palestinians,
for whom Kuwait became a new homeland; however, only a few of them were granted
citizenship due to the country's restrictive laws.
- Countryaah:
Do you know how many people there are in Kuwait? Check this site to see
population pyramid and resident density about this country.
After the Iraqi invasion in 1990, approximately 1/2 million. Kuwaiters
and 800,000 guest workers out of the country within a few months, and several
thousand were deported, killed or forced to change citizenship as part of Iraqi
plans to incorporate Kuwait into Iraq. After the defeat of Iraq in February
1991, the population was estimated at 700,000, and in the months that followed,
only a few Kuwaitis and guest workers returned; on the contrary, the
deportations continued, but now launched by Kuwaiti security forces with the aim
of getting rid of the Palestinians, who were accused of collaborating with the
occupying forces.
It is estimated that before the occupation, there were 450,000 Jordanians and
Palestinians in Kuwait. From 1992, the fleeing Kuwaitis began to return. The
emirate's stated goal was that the jobs of the guest workers should increasingly
be taken over by the Kuwaitis themselves. However, this policy has failed and
foreign workers are flocking back into the country. But instead of hiring
Palestinians, Jordanians and Egyptians, they are now importing labor from South
and East Asia; it is both cheaper and politically easier to manage.
The vast majority of the workforce is employed in the oil sector, in trade
and finance and in the service sector in general. Agriculture and fisheries are
disappearing.
The Kuwaiti royal family, along with the majority of the population, are
Sunni Muslims and through family ties linked to Saudi Arabia. Other powerful
families come from Iraq, and up to 30 percent of Kuwaitis are oriented toward
Shia Muslim Iran through lineage or religion.
Development strategy
Kuwait has no problems financing its development. There is always a surplus
on the trade balance and plenty of capital left over for public and private
accounts and investments abroad. Exports are unilaterally characterized by oil,
but unlike many other oil-exporting countries, Kuwait has not chosen to initiate
a more versatile economic development through, for example, investments in other
industries. Instead, the country seeks to secure its future through investment
abroad. This strategy makes Kuwait dependent on stability and growth in the
countries, but this dependence is hardly more risky than the current bond to
stable oil prices, and it is probably small compared to the danger of losing
solid values in Kuwait itself during a future war or invasion.
The Iraqi occupation can be seen as a test of the Kuwaiti survival strategy:
in a short time, the Kuwaiti rulers and the majority of the citizens were able
to bring themselves to safety in Saudi Arabia and from there continue and
unimpededly dispose of Kuwaiti funds abroad. By contrast, it is hard on the
bereaved values in Kuwait as 1/2 million. Iraqis looted
homes, dismantled hospitals, schools and refineries and eventually set fire to
half of the oil fields. Reconstruction after the war has happened quickly. As
early as 1994, oil production was at pre-war levels; since 1992, it has more
than doubled.
Kuwait - language
Official language is modern standard Arabic, which is also a written language
and is used in the education system. The spoken language is Eastern
Arabic; furthermore, the southern Arabic dialect Mahri is spoken by
15,000. The language situation is affected by the country's many guest
workers. Therefore, in addition to Farsi and Urdu, various South Asian
languages are spoken as a minority language. English is widely used as a
commercial language. See also Arabic.
Kuwait - religion
Of the Kuwaiti citizens, approximately 70% Sunni and approximately 30% Shia Muslims. Only
very few Kuwaitis are Christians, and these few belong to different
denominations. Since independence, there has been a special ministry for Islamic
affairs, which is also responsible for the operation of the so-called awqaf,
private foundations that conduct, for example, education or various forms of
social work. Islamic legal traditions play a central role in private and family
law.
|
