Kuwait is an oil-rich Arab country with an area of 17,818 sq km situated at the north-western tip of the Arabian Gulf. Its territorial waters include nine islands and a 290-km long coastline. The country is bordered on the north and west by Iraq, on the south by Saudi Arabia and on the east by the Arabian Gulf.
Located at 30.27°N and 48.46°E, Kuwait ranks third in the Middle East in proven oil reserves (after Saudi Arabia and Iraq) and was a founding member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
Its name is derived from Kut, an Arabic word for fort. The capital city, Kuwait, is located on an inlet of the Arabian Gulf.