Kuwait, the prototypical oil-rich state, has more than ten percent of the world’s estimated oil reserves, and is a leading exporter of petroleum. Tourists, who look forward to a relaxed entry into the Muslim world, can enter Kuwait, and wander around souks, mosques and other sandy traces of ancient Bedouin days. But, behind the extravagant richness, lies the traditional values and warm Arabian hospitality.

Kuwait shares borders with Iraq and Saudi Arabia. To the southeast lies the Persian Gulf, where Kuwait has sovereignty over nine small islands (the largest is Bubiyan and the most populous is Failaka). The landscape is predominantly desert plateau with a lower, more fertile coastal belt.