filipinosinkuwait.com - Facts at a Glance

The state that became modern Kuwait began in the middle of the eighteenth century when members of the Utub tribe from what is now Saudi Arabia settled in the area.

Since those long-ago days, many other Arabs have also settled in Kuwait but in general, it is fair to say that the ancestors of most Kuwaitis come from desert stock. At different points in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, these traditional sons of the desert adapted themselves to a life revolving around the sea: trade, fishing, pearl diving and boat building.

Life centred on the sea was not easy in those days but probably the harshest life of all was that of the desert bedouin. He roamed the desert in search of water and food for himself, his family and his animals. He generally gravitated to the town in the hotter weather and out into the desert in the winter. His life was based on his camels, his sheep and his goats.

After the discovery of oil in Kuwait, many of these people were invited to settle in government-supplied housing and, in the 1950s and 1960s, chose to do so.

In and around Kuwait, the names which are seen on shops and businesses indicate the origins of the owners. Some belong to the original Utub families and others to the great bedouin tribes of the Arabian desert.

Quick Facts
Full country name:	State of Kuwait
Area:	total: 17,820 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 17,820 sq km
Population:	2,257,549 (growth rate 3.36%)
Climate	Dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters
People:	Kuwaiti 45%, other Arab 35%, South Asian 9%, Iranian 4%, other 7%
Language:	Arabic is the official language. English is widely spoken and is recognized as the second language.
Religion:	Muslim 85%, (Sunni 70%, Shi'a 30%), Christian, Hindu, and other 15%
Government:	Nominal Constitution Monarchy
The Amir	H.H. Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah
The Crown Prince:	H.H. Sheikh Saad Al Sabah Al Abdullah Al Salem AL Sabah
The Prime Minister:	Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah
Major industries:	Petroleum, petrochemical, desalination, food processing, construction materials
Currency	Kuwaiti Dinar
Exchange Rates	Kuwaiti dinars per US dollar - 0.3 (2002)
Time:	3 hours ahead of GMT; 8 hours ahead of EST.
County code:	++(965) Kuwait has no city codes
Telephone System:	General assessment: the quality of service is excellent Domestic: new telephone exchanges provide a large capacity for new subscribers; trunk traffic is carried by microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and open-wire and fiber-optic cable; a cellular telephone system operates throughout Kuwait, and the country is well supplied with pay telephones.
Weights and Measures	Metric system and regional measures

Public Holidays
January 01	New Year's Day
February 25	Kuwait National Day
February 26	Liberation Day
Prophet's Birthday
The Ascension of the Prophet
Hijra New Year
Eid Al-Fitr	The "breaking of the fast"' at the end of Ramadan, is usually a three-day holiday.
Eid Al-Adha	Usually a four-day holiday.

Kuwait is a small, rich, relatively open economy with proven crude oil reserves of about 98 billion barrels - 10% of world reserves. Petroleum accounts for nearly half of GDP, 95% of export revenues, and 80% of government income. 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 desalinated or imported. Kuwait continues its discussions with foreign oil companies to develop fields in the northern part of the country.

All pork products, alcohol, and pornographic materials are forbidden in Kuwait. Narcotics and firearms are also prohibited. If you have any prescription drugs that you need to bring into Kuwait, it must be in the original properly-labeled container and accompanied by a legible doctor's prescription. There are no restrictions on currency taken in or out of the country.

Currently there are no health concerns for travelers within Kuwait. Visitors traveling from areas infected with cholera or yellow fever should have the appropriate vaccination certificates. Kuwaiti's health system meets international standards and medical care is provided for a minimal charge.

Expatriates coming to work to Kuwait will have to submit to medical examinations to verify that they are free of certain illnesses, notably AIDS and tuberculosis.

The standard work week is from Saturday to Wednesday, with Thursday and Friday making up the weekend.

Government offices: Saturday to Wednesday; 7:30 am to 2:30 pm in the winter, and 7 am to 1:30 pm in the summer.

Private sector hours vary, with some working split shifts around a long mid-day break, and others adopting a Western-style work day. Many private offices work half days on Thursdays.

Banking hours: Sunday to Thursday, 8 am to 1 pm. All banks have 24-hour automated teller machines (ATMs) throughout the urban areas.

Shops are generally open from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm and 4:30 to 9 pm. However, large stores and

and shopping malls do not generally close either for lunch or the weekends. All timings are liable to change during Ramadan, with hours becoming irregular.

When Kuwait gained full independence in 1961, the government decided to replace the old flag with a new design. This was promulgated by a law issued on September 7, 1961, some provisions of which were amended on November 18, 1961. The first Article stipulated that Kuwait’s national flag should consist of a horizontal rectangle which is twice as long as it is wide.This is divided into three equal horizontal stripes: the top one being green, the middle white and the bottom red; with the side next to the flag pole forming the base of a black trapezoid protruding into the stripes. The colours of the flag are derived from a poem by Safie Al-Deen Al-Hali. The words of his poem denote: