Kuwait is located in the Middle East and shares its borders with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Iraq. Most of the country is a flat desert plain, broken by coastal dunes and escarpments, marshes and salt depressions around Kuwait Bay, and an oasis in Jahra. The country has nine offshore islands. Kuwait is essentially a city-state. There are smaller communities inland and to the south, but most of the population lives in Kuwait City.

Kuwaitis make up around 37 percent of the population while the other 63 percent of the population consists of non-Kuwaitis; which makes it an interesting multiracial and multicultural country. According to a report made at the end of June 2001 from the Ministry of Planning, the estimated population of Kuwait is 2,228,363 million, 826,083 of them are Kuwaitis while the other 1,402,280 are expatriates.

The ruling system in the State of Kuwait is a democratic sovereign state with a constitution, and is headed by His Highness the Amir. Legislations are issued by the National Assembly which is composed of fifty members, elected every four years.

In Kuwait, authorities are divided into legislative, executive and judicial. H.H. the Amir is the head of the three powers. Per the Constitution, forming political parties is not allowed despite the existence of parliamentary blocs. The system of ruling in Kuwait is a constitutional-hereditary system, as the system of ruling derives its legitimacy from the constitution, thereby allowing the transfer of power within the ruling family through the descendants of Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah . The ruler's title is the Amir who practices his executive powers through his ministers. Judicial decisions would be implemented only after the approval of the Amir. Amnesty can be granted only by the Amir, and all legislations issued by the National Assembly do not become effective unless they are signed by the Amir during a period of one month. If not signed during the given month, they become effective automatically without the Amir's signature. If returned back to the National Assembly and approved once again, they become effective immediately. The ruling system in Kuwait is a mixture of parliamentary and presidential systems.

Kuwait is divided into six districts (Governorates):

Capital Governorate (Kuwait City): It is the capital and the seat of governance and government, all the islands of Kuwait, the territorial sea, and the territorial waters of joint sovereignty.

Al-Ahmadi Governorate: is located in the southern part of the country. It forms an important part of Kuwaiti economy as several of Kuwait's oil refineries are located there. The headquarters of Kuwait National Petroleum Company is located in it. It is popularly known as the home of the KOC (Kuwait Oil Company).

Jahra Governorate: one of the largest Kuwaiti governorates, and is considered an agricultural area.

Hawalli Governorate: It has a high population density of various strata and Arab communities with several different nationalities.

Farwaniya Governorate: One of the smallest Kuwaiti governorates. Kuwait International Airport is one of its landmarks.

Mubarak Al-Kabeer Governorate: Named after the seventh ruler of the State of Kuwait, Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah, also known as Mubarak Al-Kabeer (The Great). This governorate is the last, in terms of establishment.

Kuwait has nine islands: Failaka, Bubiyan, Miskan, Warba, Auhha, Umm Al-Maradim, Umm Al-Naml, Kubbar, and Qaruh.

Failaka Island: The second largest Kuwaiti island with an area of 48 square kilometers. It has historic significance since ancient times when it served as a center for providing ships with water and supplies, and as a transit station for Muslim pilgrims.

Bubiyan Island: Kuwait's largest island with an area of approximately 683 square kilometers. It is about 5% of the total area of Kuwait, and is located in the north-east.

Miskan Island: A low sandy uninhabited island, 1,206 kilometers long and 800 meters wide.

Warba Island: Covering a total area of 37 kilometers square, and it is the last island belonging to Kuwait from the north; it has sandy soil, and a low-muddy coast.

Auhha Island: Located 4 kilometers east-south of the island of Failaka, and is 800 meters long and 540 meters wide.

Umm Al-Maradim Island: It is the last Kuwait Island to the south. Named "Umm Al-Maradim" because of bird Almardam, the plural of which is Maradim, and exists in abundance on the island. Ships are able to dock directly at the shores because of the depth of the sea around it, a feature not available around most of the other islands. It is located at the southern tip of the maritime borders of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. It is 1.5 kilometers in lengh, and about 540 meters in width.

Umm Al-Naml Island: It is said it was named Umm Al-Naml (ants) due to the presence of large number of ants in summer. It is rich in archaeological sites dating from the Bronze Age, the Dilmun, and the Islamic era.

Kubbar Island: A sandy island with a low coastline, and an area of 750 meters square. It is an uninhabited island that is 29 kilometers away from the coast of Fahaheel.

Qaruh Island: Kuwait's smallest and most southern penetrating into the sea. Named after the 'Qar' which means (Tar) because of the presence of oil deposits which come from parts of the coastline and rocks which are drifted by waves to the coast of Kuwait.

The first mention of Kuwait in history was during the Greek era in the third century BC, after the army of Alexander the Great captured the island of Failaka. The Greeks called it Icarus. The island has been home for some of the Greeks, foreign traders and some local residents. A competition between the Byzantines in Syria and Petra, and the kings of Egypt has reduced the importance of the island. There is a Greek temple in Failaka in the service of the God Apollo. The name of the island is controversial, as some say that it is a Greek name, others say it is Portuguese. There are those who say that the name is originally Arabic. The island was called Afata, then called Failaka which means 'The White Island' In Greek. The name is likely to be taken from the word Felix in the Greek language which means the happy island. In 1958 the stone Icarus was discovered to confirm that the island was given that name during Alexander the Great. The island's name is Failaka, and the word is derived from the word 'Falaj' which means running water and muddy soil that is fertile and suitable for cultivation. It has been called that name in the first Islamic eras.

In the year 12 A.H., the battle Thaat Al-Salasil took place between the Muslims and the Persians in Kathema Heights, north of Kuwait. The battle ended with a complete victory for the Muslims.

Kuwait was known as Gurain since the early seventeenth century. Named Gurain or Kuwait as diminutive of Garn and Kut. Garn means "hill" or high land and Kut means castle or fortress.

Kuwait was inhabited in the seventeenth and the eighteenth centuries by some tribes who migrated from Najd in the sixteenth century, to the coasts of the Arabian Gulf in Zubara. The migrant people were called Al-Atoub, because of their departure from Najd after the severe drought which led them to move to Zubara.

Al-Atoub, then moved to Kuwait, and settled there. Some of them worked in pearl diving , their work flourished, and the population began to burgeon in the city. Sheikh Sabah bin Jaber was then chosen to be the first ruler in 1752. This was because of the need for a leader to give orders, a counselor to help resolve problems and a judge on issues and disputes. His judgment was based on consultations with respected citizens on the most important issues. People obeyed his verdict which conformed with the Islamic Law.

Throughout the history of the country, three walls were built to encircle Kuwait. The first was built during the reign of Sheikh Abdullah Bin Sabah al-Sabah in 1760. The second wall was built in 1814. The third was built in 1920 during the reign of Sheikh Salem Al-Sabah. The construction of the walls was for defensive purposes, after Kuwait became engaged in a number of wars.

Kuwait has many historic and modern landmarks. One of the most important landmarks in Kuwait is the Kuwait towers. These towers were designed to resemble traditional Arabian rosewater sprinklers. Inside the structure there is a superb coffee house and a revolving observation platform.

Sadu House is another landmark. Mainly an exhibit of Bedouin art , visitors can observe Bedouin women weaving, buy handicrafts, and take weaving classes.

The walls surrounding old Kuwait City were torn down in 1957, but the city gates are still standing making it a very interesting visit.

Kuwait's weather consists mostly of long hot summers and short winters. Dust storms and humidity are regular features during the summer period while in the winter it can get quite chilly and rainfall can come in sudden, heavy but irregular bursts.

The Kuwaiti unit of currency is the Kuwaiti Dinar that consists of 1000 fils and is abbreviated as "KD". The Kuwaiti Dinar is one of the strongest currencies in the Gulf. The paper currency comes in denominations of twenty dinars, ten dinars, five dinars, one dinar, half a dinar, and a quarter of a dinar. The coin denominations come in 100, 50, 20, 10, and 5 fils. Currently one Kuwaiti Dinar equals to approximately 3.4 U.S. Dollars.

The official and native language of Kuwait is Arabic. English is also widely used in the State of Kuwait.