Kuwait

The State of Kuwait is located in the Middle East on the coast of the Persian Gulf, and is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south and Iraq to the north. Kuwait operates as a constitutional monarchy, governed by a parliamentary system. Oil dominates the country's economy.

Oil was first discovered in Kuwait in the 1930s, but their export industry did not develop until independence from the United Kingdom in 1961. Today, the petroleum industry accounts for 95% of the nation's export revenue and 80% of government income. Kuwait has an estimated 101.5 billion oil reserves and in 2002, the country announced that as much as one billion barrels of light oil were found in the western part of the country at the Kara al-Marou field.Energy Information Administration: Oil

Kuwait was invaded by Iraq during the seven-month-long Gulf War in 1990. Though a military force led by the United States repelled the invasion, the retreating Iraqi army set more than 700 oil wells on fire and caused considerable damage to the country's infrastructure. In 2003, the country hosted another U.S. military invasion of Iraq as its border was used to lead troops into the country and oust the Iraqi leader Saddam HusseinBBC: Country Profile: Kuwait] (May 17, 2008)

• Mahalo's page on Kuwait Vacation

• Mahalo's page on Kuwait Restaurants

• Mahalo's page on Kuwait Tours

• Mahalo's page on Kuwait Hotels

• 

  Creative Commons image by "CIA World Factbook"

• Wikimedia: Atlas of Kuwait

• Kuwait Information Center: Kuwait Geography

• Wikipedia: Geography of Kuwait