Kuwait – state flag
The flag was introduced in 1961. The colors are the pan-Arab: the black represents Kuwait’s battlefields, the green stands for the country’s pastures, the red is wet with the enemy’s blood and stands for the country’s future, the white is the symbol of the people’s deeds.
- Countryaah: What does the flag of Kuwait look like? Follow this link, then you will see the image in PNG format and flag meaning description about this country.
Kuwait – history
4000 years old traces of civilization have been found on the island of Failaka, and already in ancient times Kuwait was an important area for trade on the Persian Gulf. Failaka was from approximately 2000 BC part of the Eastern Arabian Empire Dilmun.
From the beginning of the 1700’s. immigrated a number of tribes from the Arabian Peninsula and Iraq, and they settled in present-day Kuwait. From 1756, the Sabah family secured its position as the area’s leading family.
- AbbreviationFinder: Check three-letter abbreviation for each country in the world, such as KWT which represents the official name of Kuwait.
In 1899, the leading sheikh made a treaty under which Britain guaranteed the independence of the territory, while the country’s leading families were to govern the internal affairs. The treaty was repealed in 1961, and in June of that year the country became independent and the ruling sheik took the title of emir.
According to a2zgov, Kuwait’s independence sparked a conflict with Iraq that claimed the area, citing that it was historically part of the Basra area. Kuwait requested Britain to place troops at the border, and the Arab League deployed a joint Arab troop contingent. In 1963, a new Iraqi government formally recognized Kuwait’s right to independence.
In 1976, the Emir of Kuwait repatriated the National Assembly, and it was not until 1981 that new elections were held. Politicians elected on an Islamic program then sharply criticized the ruling Sabah family’s management of national revenues. The criticism led in 1986 to the National Assembly being sent home again. Following pressure, new elections were held in 1992 and 1996.
In the 1970’s and 1980’s, Kuwait pursued a very independent foreign policy and maintained, among other things, diplomatic cooperation with the Soviet Union. Regionally, Kuwait has often played the role of mediator when Arab states have been on a collision course.
In the 1980-88 war between Iraq and Iran, Kuwait supported Iraq. The result was that Iran repeatedly attacked Kuwaiti oil facilities and Kuwaiti merchant ships. This led at the end of the war to closer security cooperation with the United States, which undertook the protection of Kuwaiti ships throughout the Gulf. Disagreements between Iraq and Kuwait over the right to a large and rich oil field below their common border resulted on 2.8.1990 in an Iraqi occupation of Kuwait that lasted until February 1991, see Gulf War.
The Kuwaiti Constitution of 1962 provides for an elected parliament, and a number of elections have been held since independence. However, the Emir has sent Parliament home several times, thus in 1976-80 and in 1989-92. The first election after the liberation in 1991 was held in 1992, when Kuwaiti women tried to take advantage of the international attention, but without success.
In the years following the liberation, the political debate in Kuwait focused on the lack of transparency in the management of public funds, and several commissions were set up to change this. In connection with the holding of new elections in 1999, the number of eligible voters had been increased, but women still did not have the right to vote. In 2005, women were given the right to vote and were also able to stand; however, no women were elected to parliament in the 2006 elections.
Following the Gulf War, Kuwait has entered into bilateral defense agreements with the United States, Britain, France and Russia in order to secure a repeat of the Iraqi occupation of the country in 1990. Kuwait, like the other Arab governments, directly refused to support the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, but cooperated in practice with the US government.
Parts of the Kuwaiti population, on the other hand, have become increasingly critical of the United States, and as the parliament has several members with Islamist views, it has given rise to debate over the country’s security policy.