State of the Environment Report - 1980: The State of Kuwait

The state of Kuwait is situated in the Arabian Peninsula to the north lies Iraq and to the south Saudi Arabia. Kuwait is largely a desert, except for Al-Jahrah Oasis and a few fertile patches in the southeastern and coastal areas. The largest off-shore islands are the uninhabited islands of Bubiyan and Warbah. The islands of Faylakah, near the entrance of Kuwait Bay, has been populated since prehistoric times. The other islands, Umm an-Nernmel, Mis'chan, Auliha, Al-Kubbar, Qaruh and Umm al-Maradim, are small specks of unhospitable sand. The topography of Kuwait is mainly flat or gently undulating, broken only by occasional low hills and shallow depressions. The elevations range from sea level in the east to nearly 1,000 feet in the southern corner of the country. The Jal az-Zawr escarpment, one of the main topographic features, borders the northwestern shore of Kuwait Bay and rises to a maximum height of 475 feet above sea level. Elsewhere in coastal areas large patches of salty marsh land have developed. Throughout the northern, western, and central sections of Kuwait there are basins called playas, which fill with water after winter rains, forming important watering areas for the camel herds of the Bedouins.