Kuwait City
Kuwait City
مدينة الكويت Madinat Al-Kuwayt | |
---|---|
AST ) |
Kuwait City (
As of 2018,[update] the metropolitan area had roughly 3 million inhabitants (more than 70% of the country's population).[1] The city itself has no administrative status. All six governorates of the country comprise parts of the urban agglomeration, which is subdivided in numerous areas. In a narrower sense, Kuwait City can also refer only to the town's historic core, which nowadays is part of the Capital Governorate and seamlessly merges with the adjacent urban areas.
Kuwait City's trade and transportation needs are served by
History
In the early to mid 1700s, Kuwait City was a small
During the Persian siege of Basra in 1775–1779, Iraqi merchants took refuge in Kuwait and were partly instrumental in the expansion of Kuwait's boat-building and trading activities.[7] As a result, Kuwait's maritime commerce boomed.[7] Between the years 1775 and 1779, the Indian trade routes with Baghdad, Aleppo, Smyrna and Constantinople were diverted to Kuwait.[6][8] The East India Company was diverted to Kuwait in 1792.[9] The East India Company secured the sea routes between Kuwait, India and the east coasts of Africa.[9] After the Persian withdrawal from Basra in 1779, Kuwait continued to attract trade away from Basra.[10]
Kuwait was the centre of
During the reign of
In 1937, Freya Stark wrote about the extent of poverty in Kuwait at the time:
Poverty has settled in Kuwait more heavily since my last visit five years ago, both by sea, where the pearl trade continues to decline, and by land, where the blockade established by Saudi Arabia now harms the merchants.
Some prominent merchant families left Kuwait in the early 1930s due to the prevalence of economic hardship. At the time of the discovery of oil in 1937, most of Kuwait's inhabitants were impoverished.
From 1946 to 1982, Kuwait experienced a period of prosperity driven by oil and its liberal atmosphere.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Kuwait was the most developed country in the region.
Kuwaiti society embraced liberal and Western attitudes throughout the 1960s and 1970s.[34] Most Kuwaiti women did not wear the hijab in the 1960s and 1970s.[35][36] At Kuwait University, mini-skirts were more common than the hijab.[37]
In the early 1980s, Kuwait experienced a major
The Kuwait National Assembly Building, a parliament building designed by the works of Jørn Utzon in its elements of Islamic architecture, was completed in 1982 by orders of his son Jan Utzon.
During the
The Kuwaiti government strongly advocated
In 1986, Emir Jaber suspended the parliament.After the Iran–Iraq War ended, Kuwait declined an Iraqi request to forgive its US$65 billion debt.
In August 1990, Iraqi forces
In March 2003, Kuwait became the springboard for the US-led
Geography
Kuwait City is located on
Kuwait's Burgan field has a total capacity of approximately 70 billion barrels (1.1×1010 m3) of proven oil reserves. During the 1991 Kuwaiti oil fires, more than 500 oil lakes were created covering a combined surface area of about 35.7 km2 (13.8 sq mi).[49] The resulting soil contamination due to oil and soot accumulation had made eastern and south-eastern parts of Kuwait uninhabitable. Sand and oil residue had reduced large parts of the Kuwaiti desert to semi-asphalt surfaces.[50] The oil spills during the Gulf War also drastically affected Kuwait's marine resources.[51]
Climate
Kuwait City has a
Sand storms occur at times during summer from the shamal wind. Sand storms can occur any time of year but occur mostly during summer, and less frequently during autumn.
Climate data for Kuwait City | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 29.8 (85.6) |
35.8 (96.4) |
41.2 (106.2) |
44.2 (111.6) |
49.0 (120.2) |
49.8 (121.6) |
52.1 (125.8) |
50.7 (123.3) |
47.7 (117.9) |
43.7 (110.7) |
37.9 (100.2) |
30.5 (86.9) |
52.1 (125.8) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 19.5 (67.1) |
21.8 (71.2) |
26.9 (80.4) |
33.9 (93.0) |
40.9 (105.6) |
45.5 (113.9) |
46.7 (116.1) |
46.9 (116.4) |
43.7 (110.7) |
36.6 (97.9) |
27.8 (82.0) |
21.9 (71.4) |
34.3 (93.7) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 8.5 (47.3) |
10.0 (50.0) |
14.0 (57.2) |
19.5 (67.1) |
25.4 (77.7) |
28.9 (84.0) |
30.7 (87.3) |
29.5 (85.1) |
26.2 (79.2) |
21.5 (70.7) |
14.5 (58.1) |
9.9 (49.8) |
19.9 (67.8) |
Record low °C (°F) | −4.0 (24.8) |
−3.3 (26.1) |
−0.1 (31.8) |
6.9 (44.4) |
14.7 (58.5) |
20.4 (68.7) |
22.4 (72.3) |
21.7 (71.1) |
16.0 (60.8) |
9.4 (48.9) |
2.0 (35.6) |
−1.5 (29.3) |
−4.0 (24.8) |
Average rainfall mm (inches) | 30.2 (1.19) |
10.5 (0.41) |
18.2 (0.72) |
11.5 (0.45) |
0.4 (0.02) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.4 (0.06) |
18.5 (0.73) |
25.5 (1.00) |
116.2 (4.57) |
Average rainy days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 5 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 19 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 198.1 | 222.5 | 217.6 | 229.3 | 272.5 | 304.5 | 307.1 | 301.6 | 285.1 | 252.2 | 216.5 | 193.5 | 3,000.5 |
Mean daily sunshine hours | 7.1 | 7.7 | 7.5 | 7.9 | 9.4 | 10.5 | 10.6 | 10.8 | 10.2 | 9.0 | 7.7 | 6.9 | 8.8 |
Percent possible sunshine | 68 | 69 | 63 | 62 | 69 | 77 | 76 | 78 | 77 | 79 | 72 | 67 | 72 |
Source: World Meteorological Organization (temperature and rainfall 1994–2008);[53] NOAA (sunshine and records, 1961–1990);[54] Wundergound (2012 records)[55] |
Economy
Kuwait has a petroleum-based economy, petroleum and fertilizers are the main export products. The Kuwaiti dinar is the highest-valued currency unit in the world.[56] Petroleum accounts for 43% of GDP and 70% of export earnings.[57]
Culture
Theatre
Kuwait is known for its home-grown tradition of theatre.[58] Kuwait is the only Arab country in the Persian Gulf region with a theatrical tradition.[59] The Arabic theatrical movement in Kuwait constitutes a major part of the country's Arabic cultural life.[60] Theatrical activities in Kuwait began in the 1920s when the first spoken dramas were released.[61] Theatre activities are still popular today.[60]
Soap operas
Kuwaiti soap operas (المسلسلات الكويتية) are among the most-watched soap operas in the Arab world.[62] Most Gulf soap operas are based in Kuwait. Although usually performed in the Kuwaiti dialect, some Kuwaiti soap operas were successful as far away as Tunisia.[63]
Sports
The city is home to the
From 13 to 15 February 2020 it held the first
Notable people
- Diana Karazon (born 1983), Kuwaiti-born Jordanian singer
- queen consort of Jordan
- Mishary Rashid Alafasy, Qari, imam, preacher and Nasheedartist
- Abdulfattah Owainat (born 1972), Kuwaiti-born Palestinian singer and songwriter
- Saleem Haddad (born 1983), Kuwaiti author and aid worker
- Yasser Al-Masri (born 1970, died 2018), Kuwaiti-born Jordanian actor
- Khaled Mazeedi (born 1986), Kuwaiti media magnate, internet entrepreneur, author and philanthropist
- Abdulhussain Abdulredha (15 July 1939 – 11 August 2017), Kuwaiti actor
- Omar Jarun (born 1983), former footballer and currently an assistant coach for Atlanta United 2
- Adline Castelino (born 1998), model, represented India in the Miss Universe 2020 pageant
See also
References
- ^ The World's Cities in 2018. Data Booklet (PDF), United Nations, retrieved 29 March 2021
- ^ Stockholm, Kuwait Embassy. "History of Kuwait". The Embassy of The State of Kuwain in Sweden. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
- ISBN 9781109229349. Archived from the original on 5 September 2015.)
{{cite book}}
:|work=
ignored (help - )
- ^ ʻAlam-i Nisvāṉ – Volume 2, Issues 1–2. p. 18.
Kuwait became an important trading port for import and export of goods from India, Africa and Arabia.
- ^ ISBN 9781109229349. Archived from the original on 5 September 2015.)
{{cite book}}
:|work=
ignored (help - ^ )
- ISBN 9780521463089.
- ^ ISBN 9781109229349.
- ISBN 9780791448076.
- ^ The impact of economic activities on the social and political structures of Kuwait (1896–1946) (PDF). p. 108.
- ^ Peoples and Cultures of the Middle East: Cultural depth and diversity. 1970. p. 156.
The port of Kuwait was then, and is still, the principal dhow- building and trading port of the Persian Gulf, though offering little trade itself.
- ^ M. Nijhoff (1974). Bijdragen tot de taal-, land- en volkenkunde, Volume 130. p. 111.
- ^ Aggarwal, Jatendra M. (1965). Indian Foreign Affairs. p. 29.
- ISBN 9780836953442.
- ^ )
- )
- ISBN 9788187879565.)
For owing to Basra's misfortunes, Kuwait and Zubarah became rich.
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:|work=
ignored (help - )
- )
- ISBN 9781438110257.
- )
- )
- ^ ISBN 9789990604238.
- ^ a b Farid, Alia (2014). "Acquiring Modernity: Kuwait at the 14th International Architecture Exhibition". aliafarid.net. Archived from the original on 21 February 2015.
- ^ Gonzales, Desi (November–December 2014). "Acquiring Modernity: Kuwait at the 14th International Architecture Exhibition". Art Papers. Archived from the original on 26 April 2017. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
- ^ "Looking for Origins of Arab Modernism in Kuwait". Hyperallergic.
- ^ a b c d "Cultural developments in Kuwait". March 2013. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
- ^ Chee Kong, Sam (1 March 2014). "What Can Nations Learn from Norway and Kuwait in Managing Sovereign Wealth Funds". Market Oracle.
- ^ a b "Kuwait Literary Scene A Little Complex". Archived from the original on 29 November 2014.
A magazine, Al Arabi, was published in 1958 in Kuwait. It was the most popular magazine in the Arab world. It came out it in all the Arabic countries, and about a quarter million copies were published every month.
- ISBN 9781441102393.
- ^ Sager, Abdulaziz; Koch, Christian; Tawfiq Ibrahim, Hasanain, eds. (2008). Gulf Yearbook 2006-2007. Dubai, UAE: I. B. Tauris. p. 39.
The Kuwaiti press has always enjoyed a level of freedom unparalleled in any other Arab country.
- ^ Kinninmont, Jane (15 February 2013). "The Case of Kuwait: Debating Free Speech and Social Media in the Gulf". ISLAMiCommentary. Archived from the original on 14 February 2017. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
- ^ Muslim Education Quarterly. Vol. 8. Islamic Academy. 1990. p. 61.
Kuwait is a primary example of a Muslim society which embraced liberal and Western attitudes throughout the sixties and seventies.
- ISBN 9780765641380.
- ISBN 9780791465868.
- ^ Osnos, Evan (11 July 2004). "In Kuwait, conservatism a launch pad to success". Chicago Tribune.
In the 1960s and most of the '70s, men and women at Kuwait University dined and danced together, and miniskirts were more common than hijab head coverings, professors and alumni say.
- ^ "Kuwait's Souk al-Manakh Stock Bubble". Stock-market-crash.net. 23 June 2012. Retrieved 14 January 2013.
- ^ Hunter, Shireen T. (1990). Iran and the world : continuity in a revolutionary decade. Indiana University Press. p. 117.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Frankenstein's Lament in Kuwait". November 2001.
- ^ "Iraqi Invasion of Kuwait; 1990". Acig.org. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-57718-090-6. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
- ^ "Iraq and Kuwait: 1972, 1990, 1991, 1997". Earthshots: Satellite Images of Environmental Change. Archived from the original on 29 April 2012. Retrieved 14 January 2013.
- ^ "The Use of Terror During Iraq's Invasion of Kuwait". Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
- ^ "Iraq and Kuwait Discuss Fate of 600 Missing Since Gulf War". Los Angeles Times. 9 January 2003.
- ^ a b c "Kuwait". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. 10 April 2015.
- ^ "Bubiyan (island, Kuwait)". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
- ^ "Structurae [en]: Bubiyan Bridge (1983)". En.structurae.de. 19 October 2002. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
- ^ Pendick, Daniel. "Kuwaiti Oil Lakes". Encarta. Archived from the original on 1 November 2009.
- ^ "The Economic and Environmental Impact of the Gulf War on Kuwait and the Persian Gulf". American.edu. Archived from the original on 19 December 2010. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
- ^ "Kuwait (country)". Encarta. Archived from the original on 21 October 2009. Retrieved 4 July 2011.
- ^ Birch, Hayley (22 July 2015). "Where is the world's hottest city?". the Guardian. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
- ^ "World Weather Information Service – Kuwait City". World Meteorological Organization. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
- ^ "Kuwait International Airport Climate Normals 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
- ^ "Dr. Jeff Masters' article published January 2013". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on 17 January 2013. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
- ^ "10 Most Valuable Currencies in the World". Silicon India.
- ^ "Foreign Trade in Figures".
- ^ "Reviving Kuwait's theatre industry". BBC News.
- ISBN 9789774160547.
- ^ ISBN 9780415238663.
- ISBN 9780415059329.
- ^ "Entertainment gets soapy during Ramadan in Kuwait". Archived from the original on 17 October 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
- ISBN 9780091736040.
Some Kuwaiti soap operas have become extremely popular and, although they are usually performed in the Kuwaiti dialect, they have been shown with success as far away as Mauritania.
- ^ tab=roster 2015 FIBA Asia Championship – Kuwait Roster, FIBA.com, accessed 16 February 2016.
- ^ "Double delight for Team Abu Dhabi riders at Kuwait Grand Prix - GulfToday". Gulftoday.ae. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
- ^ Forgot Username or Password (21 October 2020). "Kuwait's Abdulrazzeq wins ITU Aquabike World Championships' ..." Menafn.Com. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
External links
- Kuwait City travel guide from Wikivoyage