Petroleum and natural gas are Kuwait's only natural resources. The native people of Kuwait are Arabs. Many minority groups are present, however, including Arabs from other countries, Indians, Pakistanis, and Iranians. Islam is the predominant religion, the large majority being Sunni Muslims. The official language is Arabic, but English is widely spoken.
Education is free and is divided into preprimary, primary, intermediate, and secondary levels.
School enrollment totaled annually about 360,000 students in some 660 schools in the early 1990s. Kuwait University, chartered in 1962 and opened in 1966, had an annual enrollment of about 17,000 students. More than 2000 Kuwaitis study abroad annually. The Kuwaiti government returned in March 1991. Much of this wealth, however, is concentrated in the hands of the ruling Sabah family.