Kuwait

Middle East
Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

29 30 N, 45 45 E

Emir Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah	Prime Minister Nasser Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah

Capital
Kuwait City

Government
Constitutional hereditary emirate

Religion
Muslim 85% (Sunni 70%, Shia 30%), other (includes Christian, Hindu, Parsi) 15%.

Population
3,566,437

Ethnic group
45% Kuwaiti,35% Other Arabs,9% South Asian,4% Iranian,7% Other. 

National Language                   
Arabic
          
National Day
19 June 1961 (from the UK)
Anthem
Al-Nasheed Al-Watani

Currency
Kuwaiti dinar (KWD)

Attractions
Kuwait Towers, Marina World,  The Avenues
 
Website  

Art & Cultural

The ICON

The Kuwait Towers             The Kuwait Towers are three towers of reinforced concrete in Kuwait City. The main tower is 187 metres high and serves as a restaurant and water tower. It also has a Viewing Sphere which rises to 123 meters above sea level and completes a full turn every 30 minutes. The second tower is 145.8 metres high and serves as a water tower. The third tower houses equipment to control the flow of electricity and illuminates the two larger towers. The towers hold 4,500 cubic meters of water. The towers were designed by Sune Lindström and Malene Björn and built by Energoprojekt, a company from Belgrade, Yugoslavia. They opened to the public in March 1979. In 1991, after the liberation of Kuwait City during the First Gulf War, the towers were surveyed for structural damage. Substantial shell and bullet damage to the towers' exteriors was found. Interior damage was mainly to electrical gear, mostly lift equipment. Some of the large triangular glazed panels were also damaged by shell fire.

The Kuwait Towers