Information on Kuwait

Kuwait, which means 'little fort', is an Islamic constitutional monarchy in southwestern Asia. On August 2nd 1990 Iraq invaded and annexed Kuwait, claiming it as its 19th province. This led to the Gulf War that liberated the country in 1991. In November 1994, Iraq formally accepted the UN-demarcated border with Kuwait that had been spelled out in Security Council Resolutions made in 1991 and 1993.

Although summers are long, hot, and mostly dry, with daily temperatures between 43º and 47ºC (110º and 120ºF) and high humidity in August, the fall and spring are pleasant and mild. Winters are short and relatively cool. Sandstorms and very hot northwesterly winds in June and July exaggerate the effects of the summer heat. Rainfall is scanty and some rain falls mainly in winter and spring.

Due to the low annual rainfall and the lack of surface water, plants and animal life in Kuwait have adapted to the arid conditions. During the late winter and early spring, especially after an abundant rain season, colorful desert flowers and grasses cover most of the land. Small mammals such as gerbils, hares, rabbits, and hedgehogs are common. Kuwait has also recorded approximately 300 species of birds. While only about 20 species can be found in Kuwait year long, many birds are winter visitors or passing migrants. They are attracted by the cool and wet winter months, which encourage insects and plants to flourish and thus create an ample supply of food.

Kuwait is one of the world's smallest countries, and the greatest distance from north to south is 200 km (120 mi) and from east to west is 170 km (110 mi). Most of Kuwait is made up of a flat sandy desert. Sans rivers or mountains, the sandy soil gradually slopes to sea level leading to coastal marshes, mud flats and salt depressions around the northern part of Kuwait Bay. Kuwait has beautiful sandy beaches along the Gulf. In the southwest, the landscape rises to a maximum elevation of 306 meters (1,004 feet).

Shaped roughly like a triangle, Kuwait is located at the northwestern tip of the Persian Gulf. It is bordered on the north and west by Iraq, on the south and west by Saudi Arabia, and on the east by the Persian Gulf.