1. BY RACHEL HIMES Kuwait

2. Geography Location: Kuwait is located on the northeastern part of the Arabian Peninsula.  It’s bordered by Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the Persian Gulf Landforms: Kuwait is mostly flat, consisting of dry sandy plains.

3. Geography Water Systems: The arid climate doesn’t allow many permanent water sources in Kuwait, but streambeds sometimes develop in the desert, where runoff may lay during rainy seasons. Natural Resources:  Petroleum  Fish  Shrimp  Natural gas

4. Climate & Vegetation Native Wildlife within Kuwait consists of:  Gazelle  Sand Cat  Gerbil  Mongoose  Hyena Due to dry weather with little precipitation, typical vegetation includes shrubs and spring grass in the dry deserts after winter rains.

5. Government Kuwait has ruled under the Al Sabah family for a number of decades. Leader: Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jabir Al SabahSheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jabir Al Sabah Type: constitutional monarchy. Population: 2,728,041 Life Expectancy: 77.9 years

6. History Dhows (Arab sailing vessels) played an important role in Kuwait's maritime history, and were used in trade, fishing, and pearling. In 1961, Britain ended the protection of Kuwait, giving Kuwait independence, which forced Iraq to end all claims on taking over the land.

7. Current Event Problems at Kuwaiti investment firms, led the government of the world’s fourth-largest oil exporter, Kuwait to approve a “Financial Stability Law” rescue package worth $5.2 billion last year in order to restructure companies debts.

8. Economy The economy is small and open, but mainly based on the petroleum industry.  It has one of the largest reserves of crude oil. It produces an annual income of about $47.3 billion, making it one of the richest countries in the world. The currency of Kuwait is the dinar, which is the highest-valued currency unit in the world.

9. Culture On article of women’s traditional clothing is an aba, a head-to-toe silky black cloak. Men wear a dishdasha, which is a full length robe. The national dish of Kuwait is machboos, usually chicken or fish cooked over well-prepared rice. The main Kuwait language is the Gulf Arabic.

10. Places to visit Attractions in Kuwait are:  The Kuwait Towers: three towers, two which are entertainment spots as well as huge water reservoirs that supply the entire city of Kuwait with water.  Failaka Island: here exists ancient relics and remains of past civilizations with new restaurants and pools as well.  The National Museum: four buildings surrounding a central garden, and contains numerous Islamic pieces of art.

11. Works cited BBC NEWS | Country Profiles." BBC NEWS | News Front Page. Web. 17 Mar. 2010.. "CIA - The World Factbook." Welcome to the CIA Web Site Central Intelligence Agency. Web. 17 Mar. 2010.. Pics4Learning | Free Photos for Education. Web. 17 Mar. 2010..