Kuwait City

الكويت Kuwait City
Coordinates	29 ° 20 ′  N , 48 ° 0 ′  E Coordinates: 29 ° 20 ′  N , 48 ° 0 ′  E
Basic data
Country	Kuwait
Governorate	al-Kuwait
surface	200 km²
Residents	31,100 (2005)
Metropolitan area	584,000
density	155.5  Ew. / km²
Post Code	14000-15400
The Liberation Tower

Majlis al-Umma , the Kuwaiti parliament

Kuwait City ( Arabic الكويت al-Kuwait orمدينة الكويت Madīnat al-Kuwait ) has 31,100 inhabitants (2005 census) and is the capital of the Emirate of Kuwait . Due to the relatively narrow municipal administrative boundaries, however, their importance in the conurbation with around 584,000 inhabitants (December 2018) is to be estimated much higher.

In the eastern center of the country, on the shores of the Persian Gulf , it is the country's cultural, political and economic center. For 2016, ISESCO has named Kuwait as the capital of Islamic culture in the Arab region.

history

The founding date of the city in its current form is dated to 1613. In its early days, Kuwait City was a fishing village, which over time also developed into a trading center for goods between India and Arabia. The city's economic rise was interrupted by the global economic crisis at the end of the 1920s, as the city was largely dependent on the international flow of goods. The Kuwaiti pearl industry, which was the world's leading pearl industry to date, also collapsed almost completely as a result of the crisis.

Between 1946 and 1982 Kuwait City experienced a golden era, as the oil wealth and the liberal orientation of the country led to increased prosperity. 1982 the upswing was interrupted by falling oil prices and the Souk Al-Manakh stock market crash .

After the annexation by Iraq and the important role in the American invasion of Iraq , the city experienced a further boom.

Important buildings

In the city are the Kuwaiti Parliament (مجلس الأمّة Majlis al-Umma ) and most of the authorities. Germany , Austria and Switzerland have their own embassies. The university was founded in 1962.

The city's landmarks are the three Kuwait City water towers built in 1979 (planned by Sune Lindström and Malene Björn ). The highest of them reaches 185 meters and has a revolving restaurant on the upper sphere and a viewing balcony around the larger lower sphere, from which one has a wide view and can see the palace of the emir .

The National Museum, formerly an important exhibition center for Islamic art, was largely destroyed in the Iraqi-Kuwaiti Gulf War.

After the war destruction in 1990/91, rapid reconstruction and, above all, the construction of numerous high-rise buildings resulted in today's impressive skyline of Kuwait. The 8 km long northern stretch of coast from the port to the eastern cape with the water towers is the new lifeline of the modern city.

From 2005 to 2011 a new skyscraper was built in the city center, the Al Hamra Tower , which is 413 meters high and is one of the tallest buildings in the world.

economy

Kuwait City is the economic center of Kuwait and is significantly involved in the export of Kuwait's oil-based economy through Kuwait International Airport and Shuwaikh Port . The Kuwait Stock Exchange, one of the oldest and largest exchanges in the Middle East , is also located in the Kuwaiti capital.

Transport links

Major roads connect Kuwait with Iraq , Saudi Arabia and, close to the coast, with the southern Emirates on the Persian Gulf. The road network, especially in the southern suburbs near the coast, is well developed.

Buses run to the suburbs and neighboring communities. Kuwait City is accessible via Kuwait International Airport .

In the west of the city there is a medium-sized seaport with handling facilities for oil products, containers and bulk goods. Due to political uncertainties and low airfares, passenger travel only plays a subordinate role.

Climate table

Kuwait City
Climate diagram
J F. M. A. M. J J A. S. O N D.     30th   20th 9     11   22nd 10     18th   27 14th     12   34 20th     0.4   41 25th     0   50 29     0   50 31     0   51 30th     0   44 26th     1.4   37 22nd     19th   28 15th     26th   22nd 10 Temperature in ° C ,  precipitation in mm Source: Kuwait Meteorological Service ; wetterkontor.de

Average monthly temperatures and rainfall for Kuwait City Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Max. Temperature ( ° C ) 19.5 21.8 26.9 33.9 40.9 50.3 50.0 51.0 43.7 36.6 27.8 21.9 O 35.4 Min. Temperature (° C) 8.5 10.0 14.0 19.5 25.4 28.9 30.7 29.5 26.2 21.5 14.5 9.9 O 19.9 Precipitation ( mm ) 30.2 10.5 18.2 11.5 0.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.4 18.5 25.5 Σ 116.2 Hours of sunshine ( h / d ) 6.4 7.8 7.0 7.6 8.8 10.2 9.9 9.7 9.5 8.1 7.2 6.2 O 8.2 Rainy days ( d ) 5 3 3 3 1 0 0 0 0 1 3 3 Σ 22nd Humidity ( % ) 65 57 49 37 25th 16 16 20th 25th 38 51 64 O 38.5 Source: Kuwait Meteorological Service ; wetterkontor.de

sons and daughters of the town

• Jabir al-Ahmad al-Jabir as-Sabah (1926-2006), Kuwaiti head of state
• Jabir Mubarak al-Hamad as-Sabah (* 1942), politician
• Nasser Al-Kharafi (1943–2011), entrepreneur
• Saud Nasir as-Sabah (1944–2012), politician
• Fayeq Abdul-Jaleel (1948 – after 1990), poet
• Alaa Hussein Ali (* 1949), politician
• François Maher Presley (* 1961), German-Syrian author, essayist, photographer, exhibition organizer, art critic and philanthropist
• Abdullah Al-Rashidi (born 1963), marksman
• Fehaid Al-Deehani (* 1966), marksman
• Frank Kalabat (* 1970), Chaldean Catholic Bishop of Detroit
• Bashar Abdullah (born 1977), football player
• Mohammad Ghareeb (* 1980), tennis player
• Bader al-Mutawa (* 1985), football player
• Abdullah Maqdas (* 1987), tennis player
• Nura Habib Omer (* 1988), rapper, actress, activist

See also

• List of cities in Kuwait
• List of capitals in the world

literature

• Hanns-Uve Schwedler: Kuwait - Urban Development through the Ages . In: Günter Meyer (Hrsg.): The Arab world in the mirror of cultural geography . Publications by the Center for Research on the Arab World (ZEFAW), Volume 1, Mainz 2004, pp. 92–101.

Web links

Commons : Kuwait City  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ General Population Census (Final Result) 2005. Central Statistical Bureau.
2. ^ Population density by Governorate. Statistical Portal, The Public Authority For Civil Information, December 2018.
3. ^ History of Kuwait . In: The Embassy of The State of Kuwain in Sweden . ( kuwaitembassy.se [accessed April 25, 2018]).
4. ↑ Gulf News Report: Keeping pearling tradition alive in Gulf . In: GulfNews . September 7, 2012 ( gulfnews.com [accessed April 25, 2018]).
5. ^ Ihsan A. Hijazi and Special To the New York Times: KUWAIT IN BAILOUT EFFORT AFTER MARKET COLLAPES . ( nytimes.com [accessed April 25, 2018]).
6. ↑ Shock And Awe: Images Of The 2003 Invasion Of Iraq. Retrieved April 25, 2018 . 
7. ↑ Port of Shuwaikh, Kuwait. Retrieved April 25, 2018 . 
8. ↑ Bince Mandapam - [e-mail]: The Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE). Retrieved April 25, 2018 .