Home

Iraq vs. Kuwait

Geography

IraqKuwait
LocationMiddle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and KuwaitMiddle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia
Geographic coordinates33 00 N, 44 00 E29 30 N, 45 45 E
Map referencesMiddle EastMiddle East
Areatotal: 438,317 sq km

land: 437,367 sq km

water: 950 sq km
total: 17,818 sq km

land: 17,818 sq km

water: 0 sq km
Area - comparativeslightly more than three times the size of New York stateslightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundariestotal: 3,809 km

border countries (6): Iran 1599 km, Jordan 179 km, Kuwait 254 km, Saudi Arabia 811 km, Syria 599 km, Turkey 367 km
total: 475 km

border countries (2): Iraq 254 km, Saudi Arabia 221 km
Coastline58 km499 km
Maritime claimsterritorial sea: 12 nm

continental shelf: not specified
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climatemostly desert; mild to cool winters with dry, hot, cloudless summers; northern mountainous regions along Iranian and Turkish borders experience cold winters with occasionally heavy snows that melt in early spring, sometimes causing extensive flooding in central and southern Iraqdry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters
Terrainmostly broad plains; reedy marshes along Iranian border in south with large flooded areas; mountains along borders with Iran and Turkeyflat to slightly undulating desert plain
Elevation extremeshighest point: Cheekha Dar (Kurdish for "Black Tent") 3,611 m

lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m

mean elevation: 312 m
highest point: 3.6 km W. of Al-Salmi Border Post 300 m

lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m

mean elevation: 108 m
Natural resourcespetroleum, natural gas, phosphates, sulfurpetroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas
Land useagricultural land: 18.1% (2018 est.)

arable land: 8.4% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0.5% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 9.2% (2018 est.)

forest: 1.9% (2018 est.)

other: 80% (2018 est.)
agricultural land: 8.5% (2018 est.)

arable land: 0.6% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0.3% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 7.6% (2018 est.)

forest: 0.4% (2018 est.)

other: 91.1% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land35,250 sq km (2012)105 sq km (2012)
Natural hazardsdust storms; sandstorms; floodssudden cloudbursts are common from October to April and bring heavy rain, which can damage roads and houses; sandstorms and dust storms occur throughout the year but are most common between March and August
Environment - current issuesgovernment water control projects drained most of the inhabited marsh areas east of An Nasiriyah by drying up or diverting the feeder streams and rivers; a once sizable population of Marsh Arabs, who inhabited these areas for thousands of years, has been displaced; furthermore, the destruction of the natural habitat poses serious threats to the area's wildlife populations; inadequate supplies of potable water; soil degradation (salination) and erosion; desertification; military and industrial infrastructure has released heavy metals and other hazardous substances into the air, soil, and groundwater; major sources of environmental damage are effluents from oil refineries, factory and sewage discharges into rivers, fertilizer and chemical contamination of the soil, and industrial air pollution in urban areaslimited natural freshwater resources; some of world's largest and most sophisticated desalination facilities provide much of the water; air and water pollution; desertification; loss of biodiversity
Environment - international agreementsparty to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Environmental Modification
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping-London Convention
Geography - notestrategic location on Shatt al Arab waterway and at the head of the Persian Gulfstrategic location at head of Persian Gulf
Total renewable water resources89.86 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)20 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Population distributionpopulation is concentrated in the north, center, and eastern parts of the country, with many of the larger urban agglomerations found along extensive parts of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers; much of the western and southern areas are either lightly populated or uninhabiteddensest settlement is along the Persian Gulf, particularly in Kuwait City and on Bubiyan Island; significant population threads extend south and west along highways that radiate from the capital, particularly in the southern half of the country

Source: CIA Factbook