n.
or Kuwait City
City (pop., 1995: 28,859), capital of Kuwait.
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. Until 1957 it was enclosed by a mud wall separating it from the desert and was only 5 sq mi (13 sq km) in area. The development of the country's oil industry after World War II (193945) transformed the city into a modern metropolis. Almost all of the country's population is concentrated near the capital. The city, damaged during the Iraqi occupation and the Persian Gulf War (199091), soon recovered.