Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Kuwait City encyclopedia

Kuwait City

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search
Kuwait City
مدينة الكويت
Madinat Al Kuwayt
Kuwait City's skyline at night
Coordinates: 29°22′11″N 47°58′42″E / 29.36972°N 47.97833°E / 29.36972; 47.97833Coordinates: 29°22′11″N 47°58′42″E / 29.36972°N 47.97833°E / 29.36972; 47.97833
Country Kuwait
Governorate Al Asimah
Area
 - Metro 200 km2 (77.2 sq mi)
Population (2005 estimate)
 - City 96,100
 - Metro 2,380,000
Time zone EAT (UTC+3)
Kuwait City (Arabic: مدينة الكويت, transliteration: Madīnat al-Kuwayt), is the capital and largest city of Kuwait. It has an estimated population of 63,600 (2006 estimate)[citation needed] within city limits and 2.38 million in the metropolitan area. Located at the heart of the country on the shore of the Persian Gulf, and containing Kuwait's parliament (Majlis Al-Umma), most governmental offices, the headquarters of most Kuwaiti corporations and banks, it is the indisputable political, cultural and economic center of the emirate.
Kuwait City’s trade and transportation needs are served by Kuwait International Airport, Mina Al-Shuwaik (Shuwaik Port) and Mina al-Ahmadi (Ahmadi Port) 50 kilometers to the south, on the Persian Gulf coast.

Contents

[hide]

[edit] History

Kuwait City was first settled in the early 18th Century by the Al-Sabāh clan, later the ruling family of Kuwait and a branch of the Al-Utūb tribe (that also included the Al-Khalīfah clan, the ruling family of Bahrain), and their leader, Sheikh Sabāh I. Its name may have derived from an earlier abandoned fort located there, called "Kūt" (كوت) - Arabic for a fortress by the sea.
The settlement grew quickly, and by the time its first wall was built (1760), the town had its own dhow fleet of about 800 and trading relations to Baghdad and Damascus. It was a successful and thriving sea port by the early 19th Century.
It was unclear whether or not Kuwait was part of the Ottoman Empire, and as a result, tensions often broke out between the sheikhdom and the empire. These tensions peaked when, in 1896, Sheikh Mubārak Al-Sabāh assassinated his brother, the emir Muhammad Al-Sabāh, over Mubārak's deep suspicion that the Ottoman Empire was willing to annex Kuwait.
In exchange for British naval protection, Mubārak was not to negotiate or give territory to any other foreign power without British consent. With the discovery of oil in 1936, the city’s standard of living improved dramatically, including health and education services.
On August 2, 1990, Iraqi forces seized the city and on August 8 they annexed the emirate. During the occupation, the city was extensively damaged and many buildings were destroyed after it, including the Kuwait National Museum.
After Iraqi forces retreated from Kuwait in January-February 1991, foreign investors and the Kuwaiti government were actively involved in modernizing the city and turning it into a world-class business hub. Many hotels, shopping malls and offices were built in the city indicating the economic growth since the war.
Built in 1979, the Kuwait Towers are the most famous landmark in Kuwait City.
Kuwait City as seen from Shuwaikh.
An expressway in Kuwait City.
Majlis Al-Umma (مجلس الأمة, "The Council of the Nation"), the Kuwaiti parliament, in Kuwait City.

[edit] Suburbs

Although the districts below are not usually recognized as suburbs, the following is a list of a few areas surrounding Kuwait city:

[edit] Economy

Kuwait’s booming economy has allowed many international hotel chains to enter agreements to open hotels in the country. According to the Kuwait Hotel Owners Association, over twenty-five new hotels are planned or in construction, including the following:
By 2010, over 3,000 rooms are expected to be added to Kuwait’s current hotel inventory.

[edit] Climate

Kuwait City has an arid and hot temperature during summer. During winter temperatures are much cooler than summer. It can rain during winter at times but during summer, rain is unknown. The wettest month is January. During spring, the temperature start to warm up. Some rain is possible early, then comes summer. High temperatures range from 110-115 degrees. Dust storms occur at times during summer from the shamal wind.Dust storms can occur anytime of year but occur mostly during summer. During heatwaves temperatures can reach 125 degrees. During autumn temperature begin cool down and duststorms occur less. Some rain begins to appear during November and beyond.
[hide]Weather data for Kuwait City
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 18
(64)
20
(68)
25
(77)
31
(88)
38
(100)
43
(109)
44
(111)
44
(111)
41
(106)
35
(95)
27
(81)
20
(68)
32.2
(90)
Average low °C (°F) 8
(46)
10
(50)
14
(57)
19
(66)
24
(75)
28
(82)
29
(84)
29
(84)
25
(77)
21
(70)
15
(59)
9
(48)
19.3
(67)
Precipitation mm (inches) 24
(0.94)
14
(0.55)
14
(0.55)
17
(0.67)
3
(0.12)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
1
(0.04)
16
(0.63)
22
(0.87)
111
(4.37)
Avg. rainy days 7 5 5 4 1 0 0 0 0 1 3 5 31
Source: Weather.com[1] January 6, 2009

[edit] Transport

In 2008, work started on a railway network. connecting the Persian Gulf states. [2]

[edit] Sister Cities

The following is a list of Kuwait City's sister cities:

1 comment:

  1. I jumped on an opportunity to purchase a rental property over the 4th of  weekend. Mr Lee was quick to respond and since this was my first time getting a loan to buy a rental property , he was able to help me walk through the loan process. It was a great experience working with a good and kind loan lender Mr Lee. I hopefully know very well if you are looking for a loan to purchase a property or funding business purpose then Mr Lee will be able to help you with such a process here his details WhatsApp +1-989-394-3740.   /  247officedept@gmail.com  !”  

    ReplyDelete