Kuwait City

Coordinates: 29°22′11″N 47°58′42″E / 29.36972°N 47.97833°E / 29.36972; 47.97833
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Kuwait City
مدينة الكويت
Madinat Al-Kuwayt
AST
)

Kuwait City (

Arabic: مدينة الكويت) is the capital and largest city of Kuwait. Located at the heart of the country on the south shore of Kuwait Bay on the Persian Gulf, it is the political, cultural and economic centre of the emirate, containing Kuwait's Seif Palace
, government offices, and the headquarters of most Kuwaiti corporations and banks. It is one of the hottest cities in summer on earth, with average summer high temperatures over 45 °C (113 °F) for three months of the year.

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

Mina Al Ahmadi
(Ahmadi Port).

History

Celebration at Seif Palace in 1944 for Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah

In the early to mid 1700s, Kuwait City was a small

Arabia.[4][5] By the late 1700s, Kuwait had already established itself as a trading route from the Persian Gulf to Aleppo.[6]

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 harbour in 1961

Kuwait was the centre of

sailors in the Persian Gulf.[16][20][21]

During the reign of

Marseilles of the Gulf" because its economic vitality attracted a large variety of people.[22] In the first decades of the twentieth century, Kuwait had a well-established elite: wealthy trading families who were linked by marriage and shared economic interests.[23]

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.

Persian Gulf country
to establish a constitution and parliament.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Kuwait was the most developed country in the region.

freedom of expression because Kuwait had greater freedom of expression than elsewhere in the Arab world.[31][32] Kuwait was a haven for writers and journalists from all parts of the Middle East, with the Iraqi poet Ahmed Matar leaving Iraq in the 1970s to take refuge in the more liberal environment of Kuwait.[33]

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

several Kuwait Airways planes and attempted assassination of Emir Jaber in 1985.[39] Kuwait was a leading regional hub of science and technology
in the 1960s and 1970s up until the early 1980s, the scientific research sector significantly suffered due to the terror attacks.

military forces
retreating from Kuwait.
Red Arrows over Kuwait City

The Kuwaiti government strongly advocated

government ministries.[40] By the mid-1980s, Kuwait was described as an autocracy.[40]
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

missing during Iraq's occupation,[45]
approximately 375 remains were found in mass graves in Iraq.

In March 2003, Kuwait became the springboard for the US-led

Sabah Al-Sabah
was sworn in as Emir.

Geography

Satallite image showing the extent of Kuwait City metropolitan area

Kuwait City is located on

above sea level.[46] It has nine islands, all of which, with the exception of Failaka Island, are uninhabited.[47] With an area of 860 km2 (330 sq mi), Bubiyan is the largest island in Kuwait and is connected to the rest of the country by a 2,380-metre-long (7,808 ft) bridge.[48] The land area is considered arable[46] and sparse vegetation is found along its 499-kilometre-long (310 mi)[dubious ] coastline.[46]

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

Aerial view of Kuwait City

Kuwait City has a

Köppen: BWh) with extremely hot, very prolonged summers and mild, short winters. It is one of the hottest cities in summer on Earth.[52]
Average summer high temperatures are above 45 °C (113 °F) for three months of the year, and during heat waves; the daytime temperature regularly exceeds 50 °C (122 °F) with nighttime lows often remaining above 30 °C (86 °F). In winter, nighttime temperatures frequently drop below 8 °C (46 °F). Considering its coastal position and relative distance to the equator in comparison with the hot desert climates in Africa and Saudi Arabia, the heat in the city is rather extreme - being surrounded in almost every direction by the hot desert.

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 International Airport
Smoke from burning Kuwait oil fields after Saddam Hussein set fire to during Gulf war.

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

Kuwait's national basketball team with key players.[64]

From 13 to 15 February 2020 it held the first

Notable people

See also

References

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  2. ^ Stockholm, Kuwait Embassy. "History of Kuwait". The Embassy of The State of Kuwain in Sweden. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
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  5. ^ 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.
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  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ M. Nijhoff (1974). Bijdragen tot de taal-, land- en volkenkunde, Volume 130. p. 111.
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  30. ^ 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.
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  62. ^ "Entertainment gets soapy during Ramadan in Kuwait". Archived from the original on 17 October 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  63. . 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.
  64. ^ tab=roster 2015 FIBA Asia Championship – Kuwait Roster, FIBA.com, accessed 16 February 2016.
  65. ^ "Double delight for Team Abu Dhabi riders at Kuwait Grand Prix - GulfToday". Gulftoday.ae. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
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External links