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                              KUWAIT

Geocrra~hv

     Kuwait is situated on the Northwest shore of the Arabian
Gulf, bordered by Iraq in the north and west, by Saudi Arabia in
the south and southwest, and by the Gulf in the east.   A neutral
zone jointly administered by Kuwait and Saudi Arabia lies between
their frontiers.

     The mainland is flat slightly undulating desert having an
area of 15,000 sq. kilometers; the Neutral Zone covers 5,700 sq.
kilometers.   There are seven offshore islands totalling 1,000 sq.
kilometers.

     A shallow depression at the centre of the eastern coastline
has allowed ingress of the Gulf to form Kuwait Bay.

     The mainland slopes generally towards the sea at an average
gradient of 1 in 500, the highest elevation being 270 metres in
the southwest corner.

     The population of just under half a million live within the
developing area of the State - between the southern shore of
Kuwait Bay and Shuaiba,  50 kilometers south, the majority within
the city itself and its suburbs.

     The town owes its existence to the presence of ground water.
The slope of the surrounding country encourages rain which has
percolated into the ground to flow gradually towards the coast
where it can be tapped by digging shallow wells.

     Supported by this country, the ancestors of the present
ruling family settled in the district where they found abundant
fish, a natural harbor, and a harvest of pearls.

     The community prospered by seafaring, boat building, trade
and pearling to such an extent that the population outgrew the
water supply which eventually had to be supplemented by shipments
from the Shatt Al-Arab river in Iraq.

     Oil discovered in the 19305 was not exploited until 1946.
Since then production has increased to such an extent as to place
Kuwait in fourth place among the world's producers.   The main
sources are at Burgan,  50 Kms. south of the city, and at
Rawdhetein near the Iraq border, with smaller fields at Magwa and
Minagesh.

     Oil from these wells is piped to gathering centres at
Ahmadi, just north of Burgan from where it flows by gravity to
two oil loading jetties in the Arabian Gulf.

     Oil in smaller but important quantities is also found in the
Neutral Zone and offshore at Ras AI-Khafji near the Saudi Arabian
border.  The revenues are shared by the two countries.

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