Kuwait is a small Middle Eastern nation bordering Iraq and Saudi Arabia. It was founded by the Bani Utab tribe and ruled by the al-Sabah family. It was an Ottoman territory until it became a British protectorate and gained independence in 1961. The discovery of oil made it one of the wealthiest nations in the region. It was invaded by Iraq in the 1980s but was later taken back by US troops. Kuwait is a stable and friendly nation with good tourist accommodations.
Kuwait is a small nation in the Middle East. It covers 6,880 square miles (17,800 square km), making it somewhat smaller than the state of New Jersey. It borders both Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
In the late 1600s some small clans of the large ‘Anizzah clan began migrating from Nejd in central Saudi Arabia to the Persian Gulf coast. While this region was already somewhat settled by the Bani Khalid who ruled eastern Saudi Arabia, there was plenty of room for the new clan. In the early 1700s these clans united, forming a tribe known as the Bani Utab. The Bani Khalid kept the peace in the region and was mostly held in the deserts, allowing the Bani Utab to focus on ports and developing their seafaring skills. The Bani Utab used their ideal location to cultivate a substantial trading culture, dealing in pearls, dates, wood, spices and coffee.
This first colony was ruled by a member of the al-Sabah family, chosen from other prominent members of the community. Why the al-Sabah family gained so much prestige and power so early, and held it, is a matter of debate, but was likely the result of many factors, including their control of desert taxes, their famous diplomatic skills, and skills with administration.
Over the next two generations the Sabah family consolidated their power in Kuwait, moving more from the sphere of a traditional desert sheikh to that of a sedentary ruler. Although the merchants still wielded great power, the Sabah family was relatively secure in their dominance of the political sphere.
The Ottoman Empire eventually took control of the area, along with most of the Middle East. During the Ottoman era, the country was technically governed from the Basra headquarters in Iraq, but in practice it remained fairly autonomous. This lasted until the end of the 19th century, when the Ottomans began to pressure Kuwait to come more directly under their rule. In the meantime, the ruling Sabah was assassinated by his half-brother, who assumed leadership of the area.
This leader, Mubarak, negotiated with the British to minimize Ottoman control over the country. Through a series of deals he essentially handed over Kuwait’s foreign policy to Britain in exchange for British protection and personal payments to the Sabah family. During this period, however, the country remained an Ottoman territory, a condition that lasted until the end of the First World War, when it became a British protectorate.
In the 1930s, following the invention of artificial pearls, Kuwait’s economy collapsed completely and in the course of a few years it went from being a relatively wealthy merchant nation to being one of the poorest nations in the region. For the next two decades, it struggled with poverty, before the discovery of oil made it one of the wealthiest nations in the entire Middle East.
In 1961 Kuwait gained independence from Great Britain. At the time Iraq claimed the country, although it had previously accepted the borders that had been drawn in 1913, and again when it gained its independence in 1932. In the early 1980s Kuwait economically supported Iraq in its war with Iran, as he was concerned about the new leadership in Iran. A few years later Iraq invaded Kuwait, once again reasserting its former claims to ownership. Iraq captured the country and held it for about six months before being taken by US troops.
Kuwait is often seen as a good place for travelers to get their feet wet in the Middle East, so to speak. The security situation is quite stable and its vast oil wealth, managed by the ruling Sabah family, offers a good infrastructure and comfortable tourist accommodations. The nation enjoys a very friendly relationship with the United States and the West in general, and the famed Middle Eastern hospitality is very evident.
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