In the early
17th century Kuwait was known as Qurain (or Grane),
from the Arabic words Qarn (a high hill) and Kout (a
fortress). Some historians believe that Barrak Bin Ghuraif,
Sheikh of the Bani Khalid tribe, built Kuwait in Grane
and that since then the city has been referred to by
its present name.
Location |
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Kuwait lies at the north-west corner of the Arabian Gulf,
between 28o and 30o
latitudes and between 46o and 48o
longitudes. To the north and the west, it shares a border
of 240 km (149 miles) with the Republic of Iraq, and to the
south and south-west it shares 250 km (155 miles) with the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. On the east it has a coastline of
290 km (181 miles) on the Arabian Gulf.
Area And Topography
The total area of the State of Kuwait is 17,818 sq km. Most
of the mainland is a flat sandy desert gradually sloping towards
sea level in the east. It is broken by shallow depressions
and low hills, which form a ridge at Jal Al-Zor (145 metres
above sea level), cut by the Umm Al-Ramam Wadi. The area is
locally known as Ghodai, meaning a hill. The southern part
of Kuwait is generally flat, with the exception of Ahmadi
hill which is 137 metres above sea level.
The Kuwaiti mainland, with no mountains, rivers or other natural
features, was for a long time a transit area for nomadic tribes
and caravans. Such freedom of movement made delineation of
borders rather difficult. On July 7, 1965, a neutral zone
was created between the State of Kuwait and the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia. The northern part of the partitioned zone is
administered by Kuwait, whilst the southern part is the administrative
responsibility of Saudi Arabia. The crude oil extracted from
the partitioned zone is equally shared by both countries.
Climate
Due to the location of Kuwait in the Sahara geographical region,
the weather of the country is characterised by long, hot and
dry summers and short, warm and sometimes rainy winters. Dust
storms almost always occur with a rise in humidity during
summer.
The highest temperature ever recorded was 52o C
in July 1978, (making Kuwait the fourth hottest place in the
world). The lowest temperature, -6o C,
was recorded in January 1964. There is a wide variation of
temperature, ranging from an average of 45o C
in summer to an average of 8o C in
winter. Such climate fluctuation is often accompanied by a
change in the annual rainfall -- which may vary from 22 mm
one year to 352 mm the next.
Territorial Waters
An Amiri Decree issued on December 17, 1967, defined the boundaries
of Kuwaits territorial waters as 12 miles -- for both
the mainland and islands. It also regarded the Bay of Kuwait
as purely inland waters, with the limits of territorial waters
starting at the line between the two headlands of the little
Gulf.
The area of Kuwaiti territorial waters is estimated at about
2,200 sq miles. They can be divided into two parts -- the
shallow northern area, which is less than 5 metres deep in
most places with a muddy bed, and the relatively deep southern
area, which has a bed of sand and silica deposits. Most of
Kuwaits ports are located on the southern shore, taking
advantage of the deep waters in this area.
The Coast
There has always been a strong link between Kuwait and
the sea, and it is this link which has shaped the distinctive
character of todays Kuwaitis and had constituted
the main source of income in ancient times. |
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Although today the picture is very different with urban expansion
and rapid modernisation, the link with the sea is still a
cherished memory of the past for the Kuwaitis.
The 290-km coast can be divided into two main parts: one
extending along the Arabian Gulf and the other around the
Kuwaiti Bay and Khor Subiya. Most of the former area is
characterised by sandy beaches, while the second area, 70
km in length, is characterised by mudflats, especially in
the shallow northern area in the Bay of Kuwait where the
maximum wave height is 16 cm opposite Kuwait city.
There are six seaports located at Shuwaikh, Doha, Ahmadi,
Mina Abdallah, Shuaiba and Al-Zor, besides some special
anchorage points used by companies and individuals. There
are also 20 anchorage points for small boats. Eleven per
cent of the beaches are assigned for tourist recreation
and entertainment and 40 per cent of the shoreline is utilised
by special establishments and nationals for private villas
and chalets, whilst 35 per cent of the beaches, mainly in
the northern part, are as yet pristine.
Flora
Kuwaits wild plant-life is one of its unique natural
heritage. Plants are adapted to survive in the harsh conditions
and extreme temperatures. Unfortunately, they suffered under
the intense pressure caused by grazing, collection of fuel
etc. However, four major ecosystems may be recognised, they
are:
Sand-dune ecosystem: Some perennial shrubs which
have medicinal value grow here. The other dominant plantation
is the annual grass.
Salt-marshes and saline depressions: These are common
along the shores of Kuwait. The plant-life here has to be
more that just salt-tolerant since this is very much a marine
dominated environment. A clearly defined zonation of plants
associated with salt-marshes are found here.
Desert: This is dominated by bushy clamps of perennial
desert grass. However, in low depressions where occasional
rainfall gathers, attractive purple or blue coloured flowers
grow aplenty.
Fauna
Kuwait is home to numerous species of insects, animals and
birds. Among the diverse insects the most attractive group
is that of butterflies. Several beautiful varieties are
found here and the best time to see them is Spring. There
are 38 recorded reptiles in Kuwait, comprising of a variety
of snakes, lizards, geckos etc. Besides, there are 50 listed
varieties of mammals a number of them are endangered species.
Some commonly found animals include hedgehog, wolf, wild
cat, Gazelle etc. Nearly 280 species of birds have been
recorded here. Incidentally, most of them are migratory
birds.
Islands
There are nine islands off the coast of Kuwait: Failaka,
Bubiyan, Miskan, Warba, Auhha, Umm Al-Maradim, Umm Al-Naml,
Kubbar and Qaruh.
Bubiyan, the largest island of the State, has an area of
863 sq km and is connected with the mainland by a concrete
bridge. Warba, at the north extremity of the Gulf, occupies
an area of 37 sq km. Miskan and Auhha lie on the north and
the south of Failaka island, respectively. Located at the
mouth of Kuwait Bay, a lot of Islamic antiquities have been
found on Umm Al-Naml island. Kubbar and Qaruh lie at the
southern end of the Gulf and have been the favourite homes
for large flocks of sea birds.
Lying 20 km north-east of Kuwait city, the island of Failaka
is the most beautiful and famous of Kuwait's islands. It
combines the ancient history of Kuwait, dating back to the
early Stone Age and the modern history of Kuwait, when the
early Utubs settled in after their long journey, prior to
their settlement on the Kuwaiti mainland in the late 17th
century.
A 21-km submarine pipeline connecting the island to the
mainland provides the inhabitants with more than 100 million
gallons of sweet water every year. Parallel to the submarine
water pipeline there are three submarine power cables from
Kuwait City providing electrical energy to the island.
Failaka island has become a modern tourist attraction, keeping
abreast of all aspects of modern progress. Every day, before
the Iraqi aggression, visitors were carried from the mainland
at Ras Al-Ardh (Salmiyah) to the island by ferry boats belonging
to the Public Transport Company, to relax and swim in its
lazuline waters. Much of their leisure time was spent at
its five million sq metre tourist complex, located in the
southern part of Failaka, which contains a good number of
swimming pools, sports playgrounds and restaurants.
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