On June 19, 1961, Kuwait became independent. Kuwait's flag was one of the cradle of ancient civilization in the Arab Gulf. At the beginning of the 18th century, more than 100 Bedouin Sabbath families living in the eastern part of the Arabian Peninsula came to Kuwait and began ruling Kuwait in 1756 without the prior approval of the British government. In 1871, Kuwait became a county in the Basra province of the Ottoman Empire. In 1899, Kuwait's ruler Sheikh-Mubarak signed an agreement with the United Kingdom to get rid of Turkey's rule. Mubarak and his successors began ruling Kuwait without the prior approval of the British government. In 1871, Kuwait became a county with no representative or agent in the Ottoman Empire, and was not assigned to any country under any name