General Information
Hot deserts and cool beaches, lush oases and clamorous bazaars, ultramodern cities and relics of fallen empires
The State of Kuwait is a small, oil-rich country nestling at the top of the Gulf, flanked by large or powerful neighbours - Saudi Arabia to the south, Iraq to the north and Iran to the east.
When Iraqi troops were driven out in early 1991 and reconstruction work began in the ruins of Kuwait City, the government became obsessed with meticulously re-creating the country's pre-invasion appearance - right down to the pink marble steps at the entrance to the city's leading five-star hotel.
| Territory | 17 818 km2 |
| Population | 2.48 million |
| Capital | Kuwait City |
| Official language | Arabic |
| Political system | C onstitutional M onarchy |
| Head of State | Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah |
| Prime minister | Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah |
| Urban centers | Kuwait City , Ahmadi , Jahra |
| National currency | Kuwaiti dinar |
| Measures and scales | Metric system and regional measures |
| Time zones | GMT +3 |
