The majority of Kuwaiti nationals are Sunni Muslims; the minority are Shia. Figures have never been published on the number of Shia, but estimates in the 1980s ranged from 15 to 25 percent of the national population. Shia are a diverse group.
Kuwait, or State of Kuwait, an independent Arab sheikhdom on the Arabian Peninsula, in southwestern Asia. It lies at the head of the Persian Gulf and is bordered by Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Kuwait's area is 6,880 square miles (17,818 km 2 ).
The State of Kuwait is a constitutional emirate with a parliamentary system of government. Kuwait gained independence from the UK on June 19, 1961.