Long ago, Kuwait was a small trading and fishing community inhabited by Bedouin tribes until it was abandoned in the 1st century. Kuwait's modern history began in the 18th century with the founding of the city of Kuwait by a tribe that arrived from northern Qatar. Threatened in the 19th century by the Ottoman Turks and the Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait signed the same treaty relationship with Britain that the British already had in place with the Trucial States (UAE) and Bahrain. In 1899, the ruler Mubarak Al Sabah signed an agreement with the British that pledged himself and his successors neither to cede any territory, nor to receive agents of any other country without the British Government's consent, in exchange for protection and an annual subsidy. When Mubarak died in 1915, Kuwait became a hereditary emirate ruled by subsequent descendants from the Al Sabah family.
By 1950, oil was discovered and Kuwait enjoyed an unprecedented period of prosperity that transformed it into a highly developed welfare state. In August 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait. Iraq's leader Saddam Hussein was fearing that the United States and Israel were using their unchecked power to destabilize his regime in pursuit of their hegemony over the Middle East. There were also allegations that Kuwait was stealing oil from the Rumayla oil field that straddled the Iraq-Kuwait border. In August 1990, Iraqi troops invaded Kuwait and overran the country in a matter of hours. During the 7-month occupation by Iraq, the Government of Kuwait, and many Kuwaitis fled the country and successfully managed Kuwaiti affairs from Saudi Arabia, London, and elsewhere during the period, relying on substantial Kuwaiti investments available outside Kuwait for funding and war-related expenses. A US-led coalition liberated Kuwait in January 1991, shortly after the Americans presented the final bill to Kuwait & Saudi Arabia to pay up for the rescue. Kuwait has since undergone a massive reconstruction, while bilateral relations with Iraq continue to be troubled by unresolved problems related to border demarcation, debt and reparations.
Over 90% of the population lives within a 500-square kilometer area surrounding Kuwait City and its harbor. Although the majority of people residing in the State of Kuwait are of Arab origin, fewer than half are originally from the Arabian Peninsula. The discovery of oil in 1938 drew many Arabs from nearby states (approximately 70% of the total population is non-Kuwaiti).
Camel Racing Club
Thirty minutes from Kuwait City is the Camel Racing Club in Kabd, where races are held every saturday afternoon between October and April. The race track is 3 kilometers long. During the race, camel owners drive down the track alongside their camels honking and controlling their robot jockeys with wireless controllers, all the way to the finish line. In the past, they used to use human child jockeys but they replaced them with motorised ones after an international outcry.
Kuwait City
Kuwait is practically a city-state, since besides the capital {Kuwait City} there are only a handful of villages in the desert. Kuwait City is visibly prosperous, with high-rise buildings, wide avenues packed with sports cars, swanky shopping malls - Kuwaitis living high on the hog. In fact, wealthy citizens often leave their cars running while they stop for a bite to eat. The city is devoid of any character. Virtually every trace of any older buildings had been wiped out, leaving only the anonymously modern appearance of a brand new city.
