Kuwait exists as a small Arabian Peninsula state on the northwestern shore of the Persian Gulf, covering 17,818 square kilometers. The population reached 4.3 million in 2023, with Kuwaiti citizens comprising approximately 1.4 million and expatriates forming the majority at roughly 2.9 million. This demographic structure distinguishes Kuwait from most nation-states—foreign workers outnumber citizens by more than two to one. The capital Kuwait City holds most of the population within its metropolitan area, which extends through adjacent governorates including Hawalli, Salmiya, and Farwaniya. The country divides administratively into six governorates: Al-Jahra, Ahmadi, Farwaniya, Hawalli, Mubarak Al-Kabeer, and the Capital Governorate containing Kuwait City.
The Al-Sabah family has ruled Kuwait since 1752. The dynasty began when clan leaders selected Sabah bin Jaber as the first ruler, establishing a pattern of consultation between rulers and prominent merchant families that continued into the constitutional era. Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah, known as Mubarak the Great, ruled from 1896 to 1915 and signed the Anglo-Kuwaiti Agreement of 1899, placing Kuwait under British protection in exchange for control over foreign affairs. This arrangement kept Kuwait autonomous while preventing Ottoman annexation. Britain maintained this protectorate until June 19, 1961, when Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah signed the independence agreement. Iraq immediately claimed Kuwait as its nineteenth province, citing Ottoman administrative records. British forces returned temporarily until Arab League members, particularly Egypt and Saudi Arabia, guaranteed Kuwait's sovereignty.
The 1962 constitution established Kuwait as a constitutional emirate with an elected National Assembly. The assembly holds fifty elected members serving four-year terms, with cabinet ministers holding additional ex-officio seats. The emir appoints the prime minister and approves the cabinet. Article 6 specifies that rule passes through the Al-Sabah family, alternating between the descendants of Mubarak the Great's sons Salem and Jaber. Women gained full political rights in 2005, both voting and standing for office. The assembly has been dissolved and reinstated multiple times—suspended from 1976 to 1981, dissolved in 1986 with restoration in 1992, and dissolved again in 1999, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2016, and 2022 with subsequent elections. This pattern reflects ongoing tension between elected representatives and appointed government over budgets, corruption investigations, and legislative prerogatives.
Oil dominates Kuwait's economic history and present. Kuwait Oil Company found oil at Burgan in 1938, but World War II delayed commercial production until 1946. The Burgan field proved to be among the world's largest, containing an estimated 66 to 72 billion barrels. By 1953, Kuwait had become the largest oil exporter in the Persian Gulf. Oil revenue funded rapid modernization from the 1950s forward—the government built roads, hospitals, schools, and a desalination infrastructure that now supplies virtually all drinking water. The state established a sovereign wealth fund in 1953, the Kuwait Investment Authority, which grew to approximately 700 billion dollars by 2023, making it among the world's oldest and largest sovereign funds. Hydrocarbon exports constitute roughly 90 percent of government revenue and about 40 percent of GDP as of 2023.
Iraqi forces invaded Kuwait on August 2, 1990, under Saddam Hussein's orders. Iraq deployed approximately 100,000 troops in the initial assault, overwhelming Kuwait's 16,000-member military within two days. Iraqi forces reached the Saudi border by August 3. The Kuwaiti royal family and government evacuated to Saudi Arabia. Iraq formally annexed Kuwait as its nineteenth province on August 8, 1990. The United Nations Security Council passed twelve resolutions condemning the invasion, the most significant being Resolution 678 authorizing member states to use all necessary means to remove Iraqi forces. A coalition of 35 nations, led by the United States with 697,000 troops, began air operations on January 17, 1991. Ground combat started February 24 and lasted 100 hours. Coalition forces liberated Kuwait City on February 26, 1991. Retreating Iraqi forces set fire to approximately 600 oil wells, creating environmental and economic damage exceeding six billion dollars. The last well fires were extinguished in November 1991.