Kuwait Geography - 2021

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Location

Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia

Geographic coordinates

29 30 N, 45 45 E

Map references

Middle East

Area

total: 17,818 sq km

land: 17,818 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than New Jersey

Area comparison map

Land boundaries

total: 475 km

border countries (2): Iraq 254 km, Saudi Arabia 221 km

Coastline

499 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate

dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters

Terrain

flat to slightly undulating desert plain

Elevation

highest point: 3.6 km W. of Al-Salmi Border Post 300 m

lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m

mean elevation: 108 m

Natural resources

petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas

Land use

agricultural land: 8.5% (2018 est.)

arable land: 0.6% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0.3% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 7.6% (2018 est.)

forest: 0.4% (2018 est.)

other: 91.1% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land

105 sq km (2012)

Total renewable water resources

20 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Population distribution

densest settlement is along the Persian Gulf, particularly in Kuwait City and on Bubiyan Island; significant population threads extend south and west along highways that radiate from the capital, particularly in the southern half of the country

Natural hazards

sudden cloudbursts are common from October to April and bring heavy rain, which can damage roads and houses; sandstorms and dust storms occur throughout the year but are most common between March and August

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping-London Convention

Geography - note

strategic location at head of Persian Gulf

NOTE: The information regarding Kuwait on this page is re-published from the 2021 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Kuwait 2021 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Kuwait 2021 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.