14 Interesting Facts About Kuwait

Kuwait is officially called the State of Kuwait. The country is situated in Western Asia, in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia, at the tip of the Persian Gulf. Kuwait has a population of 4.2 million people; 1.3 million being Kuwaitis and 2.9 million being expatriates (2016 statistics). Expatriates account for 70% of the population of Kuwait. Arabic is Kuwait's official language. Kuwait is a unitary constitutional monarchy, with Sabah Ahmad al-Sabah as emir. Jaber Mubarak al-Sabah is the country's prime minister.

Kuwait is a very small country, with total area of 17,818 square kilometers. It ranks 152nd in area. The falcon is the national bird of the Kuwaitis. Kuwait is generally a peaceful and safe country. Tourists just have to respect the local customs and traditions in place. Kuwait holds a lot to uncover. You can start by uncovering information about Kuwait with these facts. 

1. The official currency of Kuwait, the Kuwaiti Dinar (KWD), is the highest-valued currency in the world.

2. Kuwait introduced the sport of camel racing in 2006.

3. Kuwait has one of the highest GDP per capita income in the world. Its 2017 GDP per capita estimate stands at $71,943, ranked 7th highest in the world (World Bank statistics).

4. Kuwait is one of the countries with the highest rates of overweight and obesity. It ranks 10th in the top ten ranked "fattest" countries in the world.

5. Kuwait is one of the least forested countries in the world, with only 0.35% of forested landmass. Kuwait ranks ninth in a listing of countries with the lowest forested area in the world.

6. Farming is hardly possible in Kuwait due to difficult climatic conditions. Only 0.9% of land in Kuwait is cultivated. Kuwait buys food from other countries but catches its own fish.

7. Kuwait has 101,500 billion barrels of petroleum oil reserves, making Kuwait the country with the sixth largest petroleum reserve.

8. Al Hamra Tower in Kuwait is the 30th tallest tower in the world with a height of 413 m/1,354 ft.

9. The oldest fingerprint in the world was discovered by archaeologists in northern Kuwait. The fingerprint is estimatedly 7,300 years old.

10. Kuwait was the first country to use desalination to supply water for large-scale domestic use. Kuwait relies mainly on water desalination for fresh water given that the country has no rivers.

11. Gas prices are lower than water prices in Kuwait, as 85% of the country's revenues are from oil.

12. Kuwait is one of the hottest countries in the world. Summers in Kuwait average scorching temperatures of 42 to 48 °C. The highest temperature recorded in Asia was recorded in Kuwait - 54.0 °C - at Mitribah, on July 21, 2016.

13. Kuwait is the country with the 10th lowest rainfall in the world. The country receives 120 mm of rainfall per year, raining twice on average in a year.

14. Kuwait is home to the largest opera house in the Middle East - the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Center.