Kuwait

National name: Dawlat al- Kuwayt

Government
Kuwait is a constitutional monarchy, governed by the al- Sabah family.

Geography
Kuwait is situated northeast of Saudi Arabia at the northern end of the Persian Gulf, south of Iraq. The low-lying desert land is mainly sandy and barren.

Historical Background
Britain oversaw foreign relations and defense for the ruling Kuwaiti AL SABAH dynasty from 1899 until independence in 1961. Kuwait was attacked and overrun by Iraq on 2 August 1990. Following several weeks of aerial bombardment, a US-led, UN coalition began a ground assault on 23 February 1991 that liberated Kuwait in four days. Kuwait spent more than $5 billion to repair oil infrastructure damaged during 1990-91. Prime Minister Sheik Nasser Muhammad al Ahmad al-Sabah dissolved the opposition-led parliament in March 2008 and called for new elections. In May's parliamentary elections, radical Islamists took more than half of the body's 50 seats. No women were elected to Parliament.

Name

State of Kuwait

Capital

Kuwait City

Government

Constitutional hereditary emirate[1] -  Emir Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah -  Crown Prince Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah -  Prime Minister Nasser Mohammed l-Ahmed Al-Sabah -  Speaker of the National Assembly Jassem Mohammed Abdulmohsen Al-Kharafi

Area

Total 17,820 km2 (157th) 6,880 sq mi        

Population

2010 estimate 3,566,437[2] (130th)   

GDP (PPP)

2010 estimate -  Total $140.589 billion[3]

GDP (nominal)

 2010 estimate -  Total $135.062 billion[3]

Currency

Kuwaiti dinar (KWD)

Time zone

AST / KSA (UTC+3) -  Summer (DST) (not observed) (UTC+3)