Kuwait Today
While Kuwait today is living in a prosperous present and a life full of modernity in various ways, it has also not neglected its past. Close to tall glass skyscrapers the past and its traditions still have the position they deserve. Beside modern service utilities, organized government establishments, cultural and educational buildings and industrial installations are markets well stocked with modern goods and new industries. From amidst these buildings rise tall minarets from which echo voices giving the call to prayer at the appointed times. Kuwait today remains like a mosaic of many shapes and colors which it is difficult to describe accurately. It is no longer confined to the capital city and its districts, it also spreads out over six governorates. In addition to the Capital Governorate, there are also the Governorates of Hawalli, Farwaniya, Ahmadi, Jahra and Mubarak Al-Kabir.
Kuwait's population now numbers 2.092 million, of whom 732,000 are Kuwaitis and 1.36 million non-Kuwaitis of various Arab and non-Arab nationalities. The total number of Arab nationals is 624,800, which indicates that Kuwait is open to Arab workforces and so is a source of livelihood for millions of families whose members work in Kuwait in peace, stability and tranquillity.
The Geography of Kuwait
At the north-eastern end of the Arabian Gulf, Kuwait lies between 28.45 and 30.05 degrees latitude north of the Equator, and 46.30 and 48.30 degrees longitude east5 of the Meridian of Greenwich. This position gives it a continental climate. The borders of Kuwait are a total of 685 kilometres long. The Arabian Gulf adjoins the country to the east, while the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia borders it to the south and west, and Iraq borders it to the north snd west. Most of Kuwait's territory is flat and sandy, sloping down gradually from a level of 300 metres at its farthest point to the west at Salimi and Shaqaya, to sea level at the western shore of the Gulf. In the northern part of the country there are several scattered hills, the best known of which are Layyah, Shaqqat Al-Jleeb, Kraa Al-Marw and 'Afry. Nearer to the coast, these hills take the form of a continuous chain stretching along the northern shore of the Bay of Kuwait. The southern part of Kuwait is a level plain except for the small Ahmadi Plateau which rises some 137 metres above sea level. The fact that Kuwait is mostly a plain has made it a region open to traffic and meetings and exchanges between nomadic tribes. This freedom caused some problems about the borders. These were solved in a friendly manner after the Neutral Zone was divided between Kuwait and Saudi Arabia in July 1965. The northern part of the Zone is now the responsibility of Kuwait and the southern part that of Saudi Arabia. The oil extracted from the Zone is divided into equal shares between the two fraternal countries.
The Climate and Territorial Waters
Whoever contemplates Kuwait's geographical position can identify its climate as continental with a long, hot, dry summer and a short, warm and sometimes rainy winter. The winds known locally as "Tawz" usually blow over the territory of Kuwait in the summer months, filling the air with dust and increasing the level of humidity.
Average temperatures range from 45 degrees centigrade in summer and 8 degrees in the winter. This difference in temeratures is accompanied by wide divergence in the average annual rainfall, which ranges from 22 to 352 millimetres. The limit of Kuwait's territorial waters were fixed by an Amiri Decree promulgated on 17 December 1967 at 12 miles both from the mainland and from Kuwaiti islands. The Bay of Kuwait is regarded as internal waters, and territorial waters begin from the line that closes this bay. Geographers estimate the area of Kuwaiti territorial waters at 2,200 square miles, divided between the northern are in which the water is no more than five metres deep and the sea bed is covered by a layer of mud, the deep southern area where there are sand deposits concentrated an the sea bed. The depth of the water in this area was a help for building Kuwait's harbors.
Adjoining the Bountiful Sea
Since Kuwait is next to the sea, earlier generations used it as a source of livelihood. But this source is no longer what it used to be, so there is less dependence on it in view of present-day developments. However, the emotional link is still deeply rooted in people's souls. There is still a strong feeling which draws Kuwaitis to spend long hours on the Gulf coast.
Kuwait's coastline is 290 kilometres long. It can be divided into two main parts. One part lies on the coast of the Gulf itself, while the other part lies around the bay of Kuwait and Subbiya Creek. The difference between them is very profound.
The first part is predominantly sandy because it is exposed to sea currents, while the other part, 70 kilometres long, is mainly mud flats, particularly in the very shallow northern part of the Bay of Kuwait.
The shallowness of the water affects the waves, which are no more than 16 centimetres high in front of Kuwait City. The tidal movement is of the double type, which occurs twice a day.
Studies on the Kuwaiti coastline show that sandy beaches form about 33.3% of the total length of the coast. About 14% of the total coastline is used for government projects like harbors, water desalination plants and hospitals. There are six harbors, at Shuwaikh, Doha, Ahmadi, Shuaiba, Mina Abdullah and Mina Al-Zor. There are also twenty mooring points for wooden boats.
Private establishments and individuals use 40% of the coastline, mostly for private villas and chalets. About 11% of the coast is devoted to tourist resorts and recreation.
Nearly 35% of the coastline still remains unexploited.
