June 19 – Independence Day in Kuwait

nAlthough Kuwait celebrates its national day in February, today is actually the anniversary of the nation’s independence from Britain in 1961.

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nKuwait is famous for oil (discovered in 1938), a war (Saddam Hussein’s Iraq invaded in 1990, and a coalition of nations fought them back), and entertainment (it is called Hollywood of the Gulf because of the popularity of its soap operas, its love for theatre, and having the largest opera house in the Middle East). The Kuwaiti dinar is one of the highest valued currencies in the world (it’s duking it out with currencies from nearby nations Bahrain and Oman), and the country has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world as well.

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nHere are some famous sights in Kuwait:

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nThe Grand Mosque:

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nLuxurious shopping in the 360 Mall:

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nThe Kuwait Towers:

n(These three are part of a system of water storage towers – but built to be decorative and a landmark of modern Kuwait.)

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nKuwait Water Towers:

n(This is another group of water storage towers.)

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nHouse of Mirrors:

n(About 100 tons of white cement and 75 tons of mirror used to make mirror mosaics inside and outside of a private home. People call to make appointments to tour the house, so it is a bit like a museum now. The house was created by two artists after their young daughter broke a mirror.

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• nJune holidays

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• nJune birthdays

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• nHistorical anniversaries in June

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• nJuly holidays

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• nJuly birthdays

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• nHistorical anniversaries in July

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