The Islamic constitutional monarchy of the State of Kuwait lies at the northwestern tip of the Persian Gulf and is bordered by the countries of Iraq and Saudi Arabia, and is close to a third large neighbor, Iran. The area of present-day Kuwait and its surroundings have been settled for thousands of years—most recently by groups in the 18th century from the interior of the Arabian Peninsula. For many years Kuwait was a small emirate whose economy centered on pearling and long-distance trade. The British established a presence in the late 19th century to secure its routes to India, and gained control over the country’s foreign and defense affairs. In the early 20th century, it gradually became independent under the hereditary rule of the Al Sabah family. The majority population practices Sunni Islam, but there is a significant Shia minority. Kuwaiti society was significantly transformed with the discovery of oil in the twentieth century. Iraq, which had long claimed Kuwait had been separated from it illegally, invaded and occupied Kuwait in 1990. Today, Kuwait remains an independent country rebuilt after its liberation in 1991, though acutely aware of its vulnerable location.