Q 01/05

The name "Kuwait" comes from an Arabic diminutive of Kut, meaning what?

A) Place of ships

B) Bay of pearls

C) Land of the two rivers

D) Fortress built near water

Answer · why

D) Fortress built near water

The country's official name has been the State of Kuwait since 1961.

Q 02/05

Kuwait borders Saudi Arabia to the south and which country to the north?

A) Bahrain

B) Iraq

C) Iran

D) Jordan

Answer · why

B) Iraq

Only a sliver of Iraqi coastline separates it from Iran across the Gulf.

Q 03/05

Roughly what share of Kuwait's 4.8 million residents are Kuwaiti citizens?

A) About 65%

B) About 50%

C) About 80%

D) Under 30%

Answer · why

D) Under 30%

Some 3.3 million residents are foreign nationals from over 100 countries, with Indians and Egyptians the largest groups.

Q 04/05

Which Kuwaiti island, settled by Mesopotamians around 2000 BC, was named Ikaros by the Greeks?

A) Warbah

B) Failaka

C) Kubbar

D) Bubiyan

Answer · why

B) Failaka

Traders from the Sumerian city of Ur ran businesses there, and later Hellenistic forts and temples were built.

Q 05/05

In 1752 which tribe elected Sabah I bin Jaber to rule Kuwait, founding the dynasty that still reigns?

A) The Bani Khalid

B) The Ikhwan

C) The Bani Utbah

D) The Al Khalifa

Answer · why

C) The Bani Utbah

The election declared independence from the Bani Khalid emirate; the Al Sabah have dominated politics ever since.