Kuwait (Arabic: دولة الكويت‎), officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in Western Asia. The country ranks highly among its regional counterparts in the protection of civil liberties, press freedom, and constitutionalism. With these 53 facts about Kuwait, let’s learn more about its history, economy, political system, oil reserves, war with Iraq and more.

#1. The name “Kuwait” is derived from Arabic word “Kut”, meaning “fort”.

#2. Kuwait was once a home of the shifting nomads. People would come and go and never settled for the long term until the 18th century.

#3. During the eighteenth century, nomadic tribes and clans suffering from the drought of the desert settled on the coast of the Arabian Gulf. The modern-day Kuwaitis are the descendants of these early day settlers. They built forts to protect themselves from other nomadic tribes and by-passers, and hence the name of the country originated.

#4. Oil reserves in the country were discovered in 1934. Kuwait’s oil reserves are the world’s sixth largest.

#5. The Kuwaiti Dinar, the official currency of Kuwait, is the highest-valued currency in the world. One Kuwaiti Dinar equals 1,000 fils. Their currency is available in both coins and notes in different denominations.

#6. The period between 1946 and 1982 is known as the “Golden Era” for Kuwait. The country became prosperous during this time, achieving independence in 1961.

#7. Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah became the first Emir of the country after its independence. Succession is restricted to descendants of “Mubarak as-Sabah.” “The Great” was the seventh ruler of Kuwait, whose reign lasted from May 18, 1896 until his death on November 28, 1915.