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| دولة الكويت Dawlat al-Kuwayt State of Kuwait |
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| Anthem: Al-Nasheed Al-Watani |
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| Capital | Kuwait City | |||||
| Official languages | Arabic | |||||
| Demonym | Kuwaiti | |||||
| Government | Constitutional hereditary emirateNominal. | |||||
| - | Emir | Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah | ||||
| - | Prime Minister | Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah | ||||
| Independence | ||||||
| - | from the UK | June 19, 1961 | ||||
| Area | ||||||
| - | Total | 17,818 km² (157th) 6,880 sq mi |
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| - | Water (%) | negligible | ||||
| Population | ||||||
| - | 2006 estimate | 3,100,000Including approximately two million non-nationals (2005 estimate). (n/a) | ||||
| - | Density | 131/km² (68th) 339/sq mi |
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| GDP (PPP) | 2007 estimate | |||||
| - | Total | US$138.6 billion (CIA) (56thhttps://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2001rank.html) | ||||
| - | Per capita | US$55,300 (CIA) (4th) | ||||
| HDI (2007) | ▲ 0.891 (high) (33rd) | |||||
| Currency | Kuwaiti dinar (KWD) |
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| Time zone | AST (UTC+3) | |||||
| - | Summer (DST) | (not observed) (UTC+3) | ||||
| Internet TLD | .kw | |||||
| Calling code | +965 | |||||
The State of Kuwait (Arabic: دولة الكويت) is a sovereign emirate on the coast of the Persian Gulf, enclosed by Saudi Arabia to the south and Iraq to the north and west. The name is a diminutive of an Arabic word meaning "fortress built near water."http://www.arab.de/arabinfo/kuwaithis.htm It has a population of 3.1 million and an area of 17,818 km². Kuwait is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of government and Kuwait City serves as its political and economic capital.
Kuwait has the world\'s fifth largest proven oil reservesOil & Gas Journal, January, 2007 and is the fourth richest country in the world.https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2004rank.html Kuwait\'s oil fields were discovered and exploited in the 1930s and after it gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1961, the nation\'s oil industry saw unprecedented growth. Petroleum and petroleum products now account for nearly 95% of export revenues, and 80% of government income.https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ku.html
In 1990, Kuwait was invaded and annexed by neighboring Iraq. The seven month-long Iraqi occupation came to an end after a direct military intervention by United States-led forces. Nearly 700 Kuwaiti oil wells were set ablaze by the retreating Iraqi army resulting in a major environmental and economic catastrophe.http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/01/03/sproject.irq.kuwait.oil.fires/index.html Kuwait\'s infrastructure was badly damaged during the war and had to be rebuilt.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/country_profiles/791053.stm
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The history of Kuwait goes back to the year 1612.Kuwait Information Office, New Delhi, India. Kuwait\'s History. Retrieved on 2007-10-07. The word Kuwait came from the small Kout (or castle) built by Barrak Bin Ghuraif, prince of the Banu Khaled tribe.http://www.kuwait-info.com/sidepages/nat_history.asp Tribes from central Arabia settled in Kuwait under the suzerainty of the Banu Khaled in the 18th-century after experiencing massive drought in their native land. These tribes came to be known as the Utub of Qurain. Qurain, as Kuwait was known before, became a major center for spice trading between India and Europe. By late 18th-century, most of the local people made a living selling pearls. Because of internal conflicts and rivalry with the Wahhabis of the Arabian Peninsula, Benu Khaled\'s influence over Kuwait gradually waned and the Utub gained greater independence. In 1756, the Utub elected Sabah I bin Jaber as the first emir of Kuwait.http://www.kuwait-info.com/sidepages/nat_history.asp The current ruling family of Kuwait, al-Sabah, are descendants of Sabah I.
As the influence of the Ottoman Empire increased in the region, Kuwait was assigned the status of a caza of the Ottomans. After the signing of the Anglo-Ottoman Convention of 1913, then emir of Kuwait, Mubarak Al-Sabah, was diplomatically recognized by both the Ottomans and British as the ruler of the the autonomous caza of the city of Kuwait and the hinterlands.http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/35876.htm The 1922 Treaty of Uqair set Kuwait\'s border with Saudi Arabia and also established the Saudi-Kuwaiti neutral zone, an area of about 5,180 km² adjoining Kuwait\'s southern border. Oil was first discovered in Kuwait in the 1930s and the government became more proactive in establishing internationally recognized boundaries. After World War I, the Ottoman Empire was financially crippled and the invading British forces invalidated the Anglo-Ottoman Convention, declaring Kuwait to be an "independent sheikdom under British protectorate".
On June 19, 1961, Kuwait became fully independent following an exchange of notes between the United Kingdom and the then emir of Kuwait, Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah.http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/35876.htm The discovery of large oil fields, such as the Burgan field, triggered a large influx of foreign investments into Kuwait. The massive growth of the petroleum industry transformed Kuwait into one of the richest countries in the Arabian Peninsula and by 1952, the country became the largest exporter of oil in the Persian Gulf. This massive growth attracted many foreign workers, especially from Egypt and India. Kuwait settled its boundary disputes with Saudi Arabia and agreed on sharing equally the neutral zone\'s petroleum reserves, onshore and offshore. After a brief stand-off over boundary issues, Iraq formally recognized Kuwait\'s independence and its borders in October 1963. During the 1970s, the Kuwaiti government nationalized the Kuwait Oil Company, ending its partnership with Gulf Oil and British Petroleum. In 1982, Kuwait experienced a major economic crisis after the Souk Al-Manakh stock market crash.http://www.stock-market-crash.net/souk.htm
USAF aircraft (F-16, F-15C and F-15E) fly over Kuwaiti oil fires, set by the retreating Iraqi army during Operation Desert Storm in 1991.
Kuwait had heavily funded Iraq\'s eight year-long war with Iran. By the time the war ended, Kuwait decided not to forgive Iraq\'s US$ 65 billion debt.http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_213.shtml An economic warfare between the two countries followed after Kuwait increased its oil production by 40 percent.http://books.google.com/books?id=DejCbO1mvCYC&pg=PA156&dq=Kuwait+slant+drilling&sig=81dk_v5ZZ1F0oRhxuR6Fq7z61Qs Tensions between the two countries increased after Iraq alleged that Kuwait was slant drilling oil from its share of the Rumaila field.http://books.google.com/books?id=DejCbO1mvCYC&pg=PA156&dq=Kuwait+slant+drilling&sig=81dk_v5ZZ1F0oRhxuR6Fq7z61Qs. On 2 August, 1990 Iraqi forces invaded and annexed Kuwait. Saddam Hussein, then President of Iraq, deposed the emir of Kuwait, Jaber Al-Sabah, and installed Ali Hassan al-Majid as the new governor of Kuwait.http://cns.miis.edu/research/iraq/almajid.htm After a series of failed diplomatic negotiations, the United States-led coalition of thirty-four nations fought the Persian Gulf War to remove the Iraqi forces from Kuwait. The coalition successfully liberated Kuwait from Iraqi occupation on February 26, 1991.http://ehistory.osu.edu/middleeast/CountryView.cfm?ID=115 Kuwait paid the coalition forces US$17 billion for their war efforts.http://ehistory.osu.edu/middleeast/CountryView.cfm?ID=115
During their retreat, the Iraqi armed forces carried out a scorched earth policy by damaging 700 oil wells in Kuwait, of which approximately 600 were set on fire.http://earthshots.usgs.gov/Iraq/Iraqtext It was estimated that by the time Kuwait was liberated from Iraqi occupation, about 5 to 6 million barrels of oil was being burned in a single day because of these fires.http://www.american.edu/TED/kuwait.htm Oil and soot accumulation had affected the entire Persian Gulf region and large oil lakes were created holding approximately 25 to 50 million barrels of oilhttp://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/topstory/2003/0321kuwaitfire.html and covering 5% of Kuwait\'s land area.http://earthshots.usgs.gov/Iraq/Iraqtext In total, about 11 million barrels of oil was released into the Persian Gulfhttp://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/gulf.war/legacy/environment/index.html and an additional 2% of Kuwait\'s 96 billion barrels of crude oil reserves were burned by the time the oil fires were brought under control.http://www.espionageinfo.com/Ke-Lo/Kuwait-Oil-Fires-Persian-Gulf-War.html The fires took more than nine months to extinguish fully and it took Kuwait more than 2 years and US$50 billion in infrastructure reconstruction to reach pre-invasion oil output.http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?sf=2813&art_id=qw104820750289B262&click_id=2813&set_id=1 Kuwait has since largely recovered from the socio-economic, environmental, and public health effects of the Gulf war.
Majlis Al-Umma (مجلس الأمة, "The Council of the Nation"), the Kuwaiti parliament, in Kuwait City.
Kuwait is a constitutional monarchy and has the oldest directly elected parliament of the Persian Gulf Arab countries. The head of state is the Emir or Sheikh, a hereditary office. The Emir appoints the prime minister, who until recently was also the crown prince. A council of ministers aids the prime minister in his task as head of government which must contain at least one elected member of the parliament. The number of ministers must not exceed one-third of the elected members of the parliament.
The parliament has the power to dismiss the prime minister or anyone of his cabinet through a series of constitutional procedures. According to the constitution, nomination of a new crown prince or head of state (Emir) by the ruling family has to be confirmed by the National Assembly. If he does not win the votes of the majority of the assembly, the Emir (or the royal family members) must submit the names of three candidates to the National Assembly, and the Assembly must select one of these to be the new crown prince. The parliament known as the Majlis Al-Umma (National Assembly), consists of fifty elected members, who are chosen in elections held every four years. Government ministers, according to the Constitution of the State, are given membership in the parliament, and can number up to sixteen excluded from the fifty elected members.
Prior to 2005, only 15% of the Kuwaiti citizen population was allowed to vote, with all women, "recently naturalized" citizens (i.e. those of less than thirty years\' citizenship), and members of the armed forces excluded. On May 16, 2005, Parliament permitted women\'s suffrage by a 35-23 vote, subject to official interpretation of Islamic law and effective for the 2006 Parliamentary Election. The decision could raise Kuwait\'s voter rolls from 139,000 to as many as 339,000 if all eligible women register; the total number of Kuwaitis is estimated at more than 960,000. Recently, the former Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah announced the appointment of Dr Massouma Mubarak as planning minister and minister of state for administrative development affairs. The appointment of a woman as a cabinet minister was a major breakthrough in Kuwaiti political system and it makes Kuwait the third country in the conservative Persian Gulf Arab monarchies to have a woman cabinet minister. On the other hand, the government has managed to pass laws in the years 2005-2006 that restrict the freedom of speech. Laws such as the new media law, has become a huge obstacle for writers and citizens who might consider criticizing the government\'s performance. Lately there have been many newspaper writers sent to court for stating their opinions regarding the government or specific ministries\' performance including a court order to shut down a leading Kuwaiti newspaper AlWatan for three days and a magazine editor being sent to jail for criticizing the government action towards a specific incident.
Sandstorm over Kuwait in April, 2003
Located in the north-west corner of the Arabian Peninsula, Kuwait is one of the smallest countries in the world in terms of land area. The flat, sandy Arabian Desert covers most of Kuwait. Kuwait is the only country in the world which has no natural lake or water reservoir.http://www.canadiancontent.net/profiles/Kuwait.html There is little difference in the country\'s altitude with the highest point in the country being 306m above sea-level.https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ku.html It has nine islands, all of which with the exception of Failaka Island are uninhabited.http://www.britannica.com/eb/topic-82709/Bubiyan With an area of 860 sq km, the Bubiyan is the largest island in Kuwait and is connected to the rest of the country by a 2,380 m long bridge.http://en.structurae.de/structures/data/index.cfm?ID=s0000613 Sparse vegetation is found along its 499 km long coastline.https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ku.html Kuwait City is located on Kuwait Bay, a natural deep-water harbor.
Kuwait\'s desert soil limits agriculture and only 0.84% of the land area is considered arable.https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ku.html Kuwait has some of the world\'s richest oil fields with the Burgan field having a total capacity of approximately 70 billion barrels of proven oil reserves. During the 1991 Kuwait oil fires, more than 500 oil lakes were created covering a combined surface area of about 35.7 sq km.http://encarta.msn.com/sidebar_761594234/Kuwaiti_Oil_Lakes.html 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.http://www.american.edu/TED/kuwait.htm The oil spills during the Gulf war also had drastically affected Kuwait\'s marine resources.http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761563200_2/Kuwait_(country).html
Kuwait has a warm tropical climate. Summer, which last from April to September, is extremely hot and dry with temperatures easily crossing 45 °C (113 °F) during daytime.http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761563200/Kuwait_(country).html Winter season, from November through February, is cool with some precipitation and average temperatures around 13 °C (56 °F) with extremes from -2 °C to 27 °C. Annual rainfall averages less than 127 mm and occurs chiefly between October and April.http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-45144/Kuwait The spring season in March is warm and pleasant with occasional thunderstorms. The frequent winds from the northwest are cool in winter and spring and hot in summer. Southeasterly winds, usually hot and damp, spring up between July and October; hot and dry south winds prevail in spring and early summer. The shamal, a northwesterly wind common during June and July, causes dramatic sandstorms.http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-45144/Kuwait
Kuwait is divided into six governorates (muhafazat, sing. muhafadhah):
The governorates are subdivided into districts.
The major cities are the capital Kuwait City and Jahrah (a thirty-minute drive northwest of Kuwait City). The main residential and business areas are Salmiya and Hawalli. The main industrial area is Shuwaikh within the Al Asimah Governorate. The main palace is the As-Seef Palace in the old part of Kuwait City where the Emir runs the daily matters of the country whilst the government headquarters are in the Bayan Palace and the Emir lives in Dar Salwa.
Kuwait is a highly industrialized country with a GDP (PPP) of US$138.6 billionhttps://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/print/ku.html and a per capita income of US$55,300https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/print/ku.html, making it the fourth richest country in the world.https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2004rank.html Kuwait\'s human development index (HDI) stands at 0.871, the second highest in Middle East, after Israel and the highest in the Arab world. With a GDP growth rate of 5.7%, Kuwait has one of the fastest growing economies in the region.https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/print/ku.html According to the 2008 Index of Economic Freedom, Kuwait has the second-most free economy in the Middle East.[1] In 2008, Kuwait\'s foreign exchange reserves stood at US$213 billion.http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jI7mKGXJeZVPX7byJfK3_jl1RU5Q
Kuwait has a proven crude oil reserves of 104 billion barrels (15 km³)https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/print/ku.html, estimated to be 10% of the world\'s reserves. Being a tax-free country, Kuwait\'s oil industry accounts for 80% of government revenue. Petroleum and petrochemicals accounts for nearly half of GDP and 95% of export revenues. Increases in oil price since 2003 has caused a surge in Kuwait\'s economy.http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/summary_0198-219916_ITM Kuwait\'s current oil production of 2.8 million bpd is expected to increase to 4 million bpd by 2020.[2] To realize this production target, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation plans to spend US$51 billion between 2007 to 2012 to upgrade and expand the country\'s existing refineries.http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iwF-Yd3H2__0c-QDvThCQV8fhnaA Other major industries include shipping, construction, cement, water desalination, construction materials and financial services.https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/print/ku.html Kuwait\'s climate limits agricultural development. Consequently, with the exception of fish, it depends almost wholly on food imports. About 75% of potable water must be distilled or imported. The government is keen on decreasing Kuwait\'s dependence on oil to fuel its economy by transforming it into a regional trading and tourism hub. The planned US$77 billion City of Silk is the largest real estate development project in the Middle East.http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jI7mKGXJeZVPX7byJfK3_jl1RU5Q The Central Bank of Kuwait issues Kuwait’s currency, the Kuwaiti dinar. In December 2007, the dinar was the highest valued currency unit in the world.Floating exchange rate data taken from www.xe.com on December 22, 2007.
In 2007, estimated exports stood at US$59.97 billion and imports were around US$17.74 billion. Petroleum, petrochemical products, fertilizers and financial services are major export commodities. Kuwait imports a wide range of products ranging from food products and textiles to machinery. Kuwait\'s most important trading partners are Japan, South Korea, United States, China, European Union, Saudi Arabia and India.https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/print/ku.html
Tourism has begun to make a small, but significant, comeback in Kuwait. Kuwait has been added to the unofficial Ultra Xtreme Games tour for one if it\'s most notorious events: Extreme Dune Buggying. EDB made headlines last year when four Haliburton employees in Iraq were found guilty of reckless endangerment by planting real land mines on a course they had mapped out,and forgetting to remove them afterwards. They were fined $200 each, and told they could never plant landmines in Iraq again without the proper permits. Xtreme Dune Buggying uses land mines of course, however not military class landmines, the difference being they are not filled with harmful shrapnel, just plastic explosives. When the EDB tour arrives in Kuwait in September, Kuwaiti officals are hopeful that it will be the first of many western events to come to the country.
As of 2007, Kuwait\'s current population is estimated to be roughly 3 to 3.5 million people which included approximately 2 million non-nationals.Arab Times Online. Kuwait population hits 2.992 m; Citizens up in number, down in percentage. Retrieved on 2007-10-07. Kuwaiti citizens are therefore a minority of those who reside in Kuwait. The government only rarely grants citizenship to non-citizens (who are generally referred to as expatriates).
About 57% of Kuwaiti population is Arab, 39% Asian (including people from South Asia), and 4% are classified Bidoon.http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/35876.htm Bidoons are a group of stateless Arab expatriates. Other large groups of expatriates include Assyrians, Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and Filipinos. In 2003, more than 400,000 Indian nationals lived in Kuwait,The Hindu: Business Line. Special flight from Kuwait lands in Kochi. Retrieved on 2007-10-07. making them the largest expatriate community there.Kuwait Information Office, New Delhi, India. Kuwait Embassy Office, New Delhi, India, Services. Retrieved on 2007-10-07. After Kuwait was liberated from Iraqi occupation, most of the 400,000 Palestinians living in Kuwait were expelled because of their open support for the Iraqi forces. Only a few thousand Palestinians remain in Kuwait.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4089961.stm The population of ethnic Armenians in Kuwait also shrank drastically following the events of the Iraq-Kuwait war.Armenian General Benevolent Union. The Armenians of Kuwait: Rebuilding after the Gulf War. Retrieved on 2007-10-07.
80% of Kuwait\'s population practice Islam.http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/35876.htm However, there are large communities of Christians (est. 300,000 to 400,000), Hindus (est. 300,000), Buddhists (est. 100,000), and Sikhs (est. 10,000).U.S. Department of State. Kuwait: International Religious Freedom Report 2006. Retrieved on 2007-10-07. Of the Muslims in Kuwait, 70% are Sunni and 30% are Shia Muslims.Kuwait. Central Intelligence Agency, USA. Retrieved on 2007-10-07. Kuwait\'s official language is Arabic, though English is widely spoken. Other important languages include Persian, Hindi, Urdu, Filipino, and Bengali.
Kuwait\'s infrastructure was severely damaged during the First Gulf War. Fleeing Iraqi soldiers were also ordered to set hundreds of oil wells on fire and the country\'s oil production had come to standstill. Much has changed since the end of the Gulf War. The Kuwaiti government has spent billions of dollars to construct an elaborate roadway system, and, the telecommunication industry achieved an incredible growth rate. Kuwait City boasts more than two dozen five-star hotels and resorts and several skyscrapers dominate the city\'s skyline. Kuwait Infrastructure Maintenance Management System overlooks the oil-rich country\'s infrastructure. Kuwait\'s energy sector is the main source for 47% of the country\'s annual income.[citation needed]
Kuwait has several major infrastructure projects planned, including one of the biggest seafront projects in the world, Madinat al-Hareer.[citation needed] If completed, this project would include the world\'s tallest tower, and, numerous housing, health, education, environmental, business, and tourism centres. Other major projects are the development of a deep-water port on Bubiyan Island, which could become a gateway for trade into Iraq and western Iran.[citation needed] However, political tension between the National Assembly and the government has severely delayed and hampered the approval and development of most infrastructure projects.
Kuwait has an extensive, modern and well-maintained network of highways. Roadways extended 5,749 km, of which 4,887 km is paved.https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ku.html In 2000, there were some 552,400 passenger cars, and 167,800 commercial taxis, trucks, and buses in use. Since there is no railway system in the country, most of the people travel by automobiles.http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Asia-and-Oceania/Kuwait-TRANSPORTATION.html The government plans to construct US$11 billion rail network which will include a city metro for its capital.http://www.reuters.com/article/newIssuesNews/idUSL0455120120080204 Bus services are provided by City Bus and state-owned Kuwait Public Transportation Corporation.http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Middle_East/Kuwait/Transportation-Kuwait-BR-1.html
There are a total of seven airports in the country, of which four have paved runways. Kuwait International Airport serves as the principal hub for international air travel. State-owned Kuwait Airways is the largest airline in the country. In 2001, the airline carried 2,084,600 passengers on domestic and international flights.http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Asia-and-Oceania/Kuwait-TRANSPORTATION.html In 2004, the first private airline of Kuwait, Jazeera Airways, was launched.http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2002594401_kuwait31.html
Kuwait has one of the largest shipping industry in the Persian Gulf region. The Kuwait Ports Public Authority manages and operates ports across Kuwait.http://www.arab.net/kuwait/kt_kppa.htm The country’s principal commercial seaports are Shuwaikh and Shuaiba which handled combined cargo of 753,334 TEU in 2006.http://www.arabianbusiness.com/13916-kuwaits-ports-continue-to-break-records- Mina Al-Ahmadi, the largest port in the country, handles most of Kuwait\'s oil exports.http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/mina-al-ahmadi.htm Construction of another major port located in Bubiyan island started in 2005. The port is expected to handle 1.3 million TEU when operation starts in 2008.http://www.oxfordbusinessgroup.com/weekly01.asp?id=1159
Oil revenues have allowed Kuwait to build an extensive educational system, yielding a literacy rate of 82.9 percent. There are a lot of private schools in Kuwait, including The English School, The English School, Kuwait. Welcome. Retrieved on 2007-10-07. which was the first private school to open in Kuwait. Other private schools include the Fahaheel Al-Watanieh Indian Private School (Delhi Public School), Jabriya Indian School, Indian Community School, Al-Bayan Bilingual School,Gulf Indian School, Carmel School (Kuwait)Carmel School. Carmel School, Kuwait; Profile. Retrieved on 2008-01-06., The British School of Kuwait, Kuwait English School, The Gulf English School, The American School of KuwaitAmerican School of Kuwait. Welcome. Retrieved on 2007-12-26., American International School, American Creativity Academy, The New English School. All private schools offer different and competitive programs, and whilst each school strives to be the best at private education, different parents and expatriates prefer different private schools naturally. Public schooling is free and compulsory from the age of 5 to 18, and several private schools also teach this age group. Kuwait University is Kuwait\'s only public university. The medical school in particular, provides up-to-date training for students.[citation needed] Both the extensive library system at Kuwait University and the collection at Kuwait National Museum (1957) were heavily damaged and looted during the Iraqi occupation in the 1991 Persian Gulf War. Other universities in Kuwait include the American University of Kuwait, the Gulf University for Science and Technology, the Australian College of Kuwait, the Arab Open University (AOU) and the AUM.
The Gulf University for Science and Technology was the first private university established in Kuwait in 2002. It currently has two campuses in Hawalli and will open a third campus in Mishref where the Australian College of Kuwait is also located. The American University of Kuwait opened in 2004 with Dr. Shafeeq Al-Ghabra as founding president. The Australian College of Kuwait also opened in 2004 and there are more universities and colleges being discussed. Boxhill, an Australian women\'s college, opened it\'s doors in 2007.
The 372m tall Kuwait Telecommunications Tower is the main communication tower of Kuwait.
Kuwait has one of the most vocal and transparent media in the Arab World.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/country_profiles/791053.stm Though the government funds several leading newspapers and satellite channelshttp://www.kuwait-info.com/sidepages/media_over.asp, Kuwaiti journalists enjoy greater freedom than their regional counterparts.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/country_profiles/791053.stm State-owned Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) is the largest media house in the country. The Ministry of Information regulates all media and communication industry in Kuwait.http://www.kuwait-info.com/sidepages/media_mininfo.asp
In 1998, there were 6 AM and 11 FM radio stations and 13 television stations. In 2000, there were 624 radios and 486 television sets for every 1,000 people. In 2001, there were 165,000 Internet subscribers served by three service providers.http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Asia-and-Oceania/Kuwait-MEDIA.html Kuwait has ten satellite television channels of which four are controlled by the Ministry of Information. State-owned Kuwait Television (KTV) offered first colored broadcast in 1974 and operates three television channels.http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Asia-and-Oceania/Kuwait-MEDIA.html Government-funded Radio Kuwait also offers daily informative programming in four foreign languages including Persian, Urdu, Tagalog and English on the AM and SW.
In 1998, Kuwait had 8 eight major daily newspapers in circulation of which 2 were in English and 6 were in Arabic. In 2002, the Arab Times was the most popular English daily followed by the Kuwait Times. Al-Anabaa, with a circulation of 106,800 copies, was the most widely read Arabic daily.http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Asia-and-Oceania/Kuwait-MEDIA.html A press law forbids insulting references to God and Prophet Muhammed. Another law which made leading newspaper publishers eligible for hefty fines for criticizing the ruling family was lifted in 1992. Leading newspapers continue to impose self-restraint while being critical of the emir.http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/spring06/eisa/media.html However, no such restraint is observed while criticizing the government.http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Asia-and-Oceania/Kuwait-MEDIA.html
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