Candidaturas Independientes

In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, Kuwait was merely a stop on the route of many tribes, tradesmen, nomads, and Bedouins who travelled around what was then

Arabia (Al-Rushaid, 1926). Kuwait was an area that connected the lower Arabian Peninsula area to the Mesopotamian area that now includes Iraq, Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon. Archeological and historical evidence proves that Kuwait, as an entity, existed around 1613 (Alebraheem, 1984). In 1672 the Amir of the Bani Khalid tribe Barrak Bin Ghuraif built his kout (a small fortress) in the area of Kuwait. In 1756 the small

fisherman and peal divers community elected Sheikh Sabah Bin Jaber as the first Amir of Kuwait (Al-Rushaid, 1926). Fishing, shipbuilding, pearl diving, and trading (with Oman, Yemen, Iraq, and India) were the main activities of the small population and the small country for nearly two centuries. Kuwait was one of the six Gulf countries (Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, and Oman) that depended on the sea (i.e., fishing, pearl diving and collecting, and trading) before oil was discovered in its lands. In 1760 the first Soor (a stone wall surrounding the small city) was built. It had several gates and guards keeping watch around the clock (the gates and some remains of the wall are still present in Kuwait today as landmarks of its history). In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Kuwait became a major port for several trading routes connecting India with Arabia and with Britain and it began to appear on European maps (Villiers, 2010).

The three major influential figures that shaped the history of Kuwait at an early stage were Sheikh Abdullah Al-Sabah I (reign: 1762-1812), Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah (reign: 1896-1915), and Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah (reign: 1921-1950) (Abu- Hakima, 1982). During Sheikh Abdullah I Al-Sabah's reign Kuwait transformed into an acknowledged entity regionally. He signed treaties with neighboring countries and offered accommodations to tradesmen and investors making Kuwait more influential in the region. During his reign Kuwait was under British protection (Abu-Hakima, 1982).

There were five markets in Kuwait open to trade by 1829 and a thriving port. It became a meeting point for merchants and tradesmen traveling to and from Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Yemen, and India. Rice, wheat, sugar, coffee, tea, spices, dried fruits, dates, cotton, cloth, and leather were all sold and bought in the Kuwaiti markets. It is important to note that cattle and horses were sold and transported through Kuwait in that period to avoid taxation of the Ottoman Empire in power in Iraq, making Kuwait seem like a "free trade zone" for neighboring countries. The small emirate was active in a regional trade movement early in its history which contributed to making it a

cosmopolitan town (Staas, 2006). In 1886 the first attempts to establish a State currency were made. The attempts were not fully successful and the Rupee (Indian currency) remained widely used till Kuwait's independence in 1961 (Villiers, 2010). In 1879, the first postal service in Kuwait was established in partnership with the Indian postal service (Abu-Hakima, 1982). While during Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah's reign Kuwait's

population grew significantly. Many families from different parts of Arabia resided in Kuwait and became Kuwaiti during Sheikh Mubarak's reign. In 1920 the Soor of Kuwait (a stone wall surrounding the city) was rebuilt and expanded to include a larger area and accommodate the growing population. His reign is described historically as a peaceful time where Kuwait was protected by outside powers (British) from several attacks from Iraqi groups and Saudi Arabian groups under several agreements that Sheikh Mubarak signed with international entities at the time (Al-Rushaid, 1926).

During the 1920s Kuwait's economy suffered from two major events; the worldwide recession and the introduction of Japanese artificially cultured pearls. The trading activities and the pearl diving industry both suffered great losses during the late

1920s and the early 1930s. The pearl diving industry that employed around 15,000 men in 825 ships lost much of its activity in that period. The country's economic activities suffered greatly and the small population went through a major financial crisis (Villiers, 2010).

Moreover, during Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah's reign (reign: 1921-1950) two main events, one political and one economic, took place that transformed Kuwait and are landmarks in its history. First, in 1921 the first Shoura Assembly (elected consultative council) was established (Abu-Hakima, 1982). This was the first form of the Kuwaiti National Assembly (the Parliament) and its first steps towards a democratic judicial and legislative system. This Shoura Assembly continued until the National Assembly's first general election was held in 1961 and its sessions inaugurated in 1962 (Abu, Hakima, 1982). Second, oil was discovered in the Kuwaiti land and the largest transformation in Kuwaiti history took place. Oil was discovered in 1938, yet international oil exportations were delayed until 1946 due to World War II (Abu-Hakima, 1982). Since its exportation in the 1940s, oil and its related industries (i.e., oil production, distillation, and

exportation) have been the backbone of the Kuwaiti economy (Casey, 2007). Kuwait (area of 18,000 square kilometers) lies in a strategic location on the world map (at the northern top of the Arabian Gulf) and owns one of the world's largest crude oil reserves. Kuwait's geopolitical importance may not be overlooked both regionally and

internationally (Casey, 2007).

In the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, Kuwait transformed into a modern country. An urban infrastructure was constructed; the country of fishermen, shipbuilders, and pearl divers became a modern thriving state in less than two decades. Not far long ago,

Kuwaitis living in houses made of mud and sea-rocks moved into urban areas with roads, houses, electricity, water connections, and facilities. In 1934, electricity spread in Kuwait. For the first time homes neglected their candles and oil lamps as residential power outlets were being installed by the governments (Alebraheem, 1984). Kuwait came out of the darkness. In 1937 the police force was inaugurated, and in 1949, the Kuwaiti army and air force were established (Alebraheem, 1984). In addition, in 1946, the first bank of Kuwait, the National Bank of Kuwait, was founded (AlMusaed, 2001). In the 1950s and 1960s, more institutions, ministries, and facilities were established (including Kuwait University in 1966) (Safi, 1986). The country's first urban plan began in 1951.

Urbanization plans funded by the government continue to this day (Mahgoub, 2011). The era that followed brought about even more change to Kuwait. In 1961 Kuwait gained its independence, and in 1962, the Kuwaiti Constitution was ratified. It was declared a constitutional monarchy lead by the Amirs of Kuwait who are descendents of Sheikh Sabah I. Al-Ebraheem (1984) describes:

The State of Kuwait can be viewed as an example of a small state, not only in the context of the Gulf region but in the larger international system. Despite its small size, Kuwait has played an active role in Arab and Gulf politics. It is the model which other Gulf states aspire to imitate. (p. 88)

Oil revenues skyrocketed in the 1970s, and the Kuwaiti government implemented an international investment plan announcing that oil is a limited resource and that

securing other sources of revenue for the country is essential (Casey, 2007). It immediately took on numerous overseas investment policies (the largest of these investments are holdings in the United States of America). Huge investment revenues from the 1980s were what covered the rebuilding of Kuwait after the Iraqi invasion of

1990. Today the oil industry accounts for approximately 56% of the gross domestic product (GDP) of the country, 94% of export revenues, and 79% of the government's income (Casey, 2007). Through a strong economy and a thriving political arena in Kuwait, the government has been able to keep development plans going. Kuwait's

democratic experiences and freedom of expression has kept its local environment clear of disputes and bloody scenes seen elsewhere in the Middle Eastern region.