Kuwait city is capital of Kuwait. It occupies area of about 17,800 sq km. Located at the head of the Persian Gulf, it was founded in the 18th century and was a trading city relying on sea and caravan traffic. Kuwait is your prototypical oil-rich state, and travellers looking for a relaxed entry into the Muslim world can look forward to wandering around mosques, souks and other sandy traces of bygone Bedouin days. Behind the glitz of open opulence lies a deep sense of traditional values and warm Arabian hospitality.
When Iraqi troops were driven out in early 1991 and reconstruction work began in the ruins of Kuwait City, the government became obsessed with meticulously re-creating the country's pre-invasion appearance - right down to the pink marble steps at the entrance to the city's leading five-star hotel.