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Al-Jahra Governorate
محافظة الجهراء | |
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![]() Map of Kuwait with Al-Jahra highlighted | |
Coordinates (Al-Jahra): 29°20′13″N 47°39′29″E / 29.337°N 47.658°E | |
Country | ![]() |
Districts | 25 |
Government | |
• Governor | Fahad Ahmed Al-Ameer |
Area | |
• Total | 11,230 km2 (4,340 sq mi) |
Population (June 2014)[1] | |
• Total | 491,392 |
• Density | 44/km2 (110/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+03 (AST) |
ISO 3166 code | KW-JA |
Al-Jahra Governorate (Arabic: محافظة الجهراء Muḥāfaẓat al-Ǧahrāʾ) is one of the six governorates of Kuwait.[2] It is the largest Governorate in Kuwait accounting for 63 percent of its land area. It includes the town of Al Jahra, most of the northern and western parts of Kuwait, several islands (among them Bubiyan Island),[3] and also western districts of Kuwait City. It also contains most of Kuwait's arable land. Al Jahra also has some historic relevance to Kuwait's history.[4] The Red Palace or Al Qasr Al Ahmar is the most important historical landmark there.[5]
Historically, Al Jahra was an agricultural oasis village and most locals were farmers.[6][7] Al Jahra's most notable residents included Sheikh Thuwainy Bin Abdullah Al-Saadoun (Sheikh of Al-Muntafiq) in 1786, when he fled from Baghdad to Suleiman Pasha. He wanted to occupy Basra and Sheikh Abdullah Al-Sabah hosted him until he returned to Baghdad after he was pardoned by the Iraqi governor.
In 1925, Al-Jahra was under the administrative or governmental jurisdiction of Kuwait City, and the population lived on the cultivation of palm trees and a little wheat and barley. Al Jahra contained 170 houses including the palace of Pasha al-Naqib and the palace of the Mubarak al-Sabah. Nowadays Al Jahra is a modern city and farming has been reduced to various small farms. The geographic midpoint of Kuwait is located in this governorate.