What was the economic cornerstone of Kuwait's society prior to the commercial export of oil in 1946?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. Natural pearl diving, long-distance dhow shipbuilding, and seafaring trade
- Step 1: Kuwait possessed the largest seafaring merchant fleet in the Persian Gulf in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
- Step 2: Its economy rested on seasonal pearl diving in the Gulf waters and long-distance maritime dhow voyages to India and East Africa carrying dates, horses, and spices.
- Step 3: Shipbuilding (such as the famed 'Boom') was a revered traditional craft centered in Kuwait City's shipyards.
Answer
Natural pearl diving, long-distance dhow shipbuilding, and seafaring trade.
Why not the others: Kuwait had no river irrigation for wheat, no textile mills, and no coal or copper mines.
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