Description: Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is an Arab country in Western Asia. Situated in the northeastern edge of the Arabian peninsula at the tip of the Persian Gulf, it shares borders with Iraq to the north and Saudi Arabia to the south. The name "Kuwait" is derived from the Arabic meaning "fortress built near water". The country covers an area of 6,880 square miles and has a population of about 2.8 million. After Kuwait gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1961, the state's oil industry saw unprecedented economic growth. The country has the world's fifth largest oil reserves and petroleum products now account for nearly 95% of export revenues and 80% of government income. Kuwait is the eleventh richest country in the world per capita.
