Kuwait is a country in Asia, in Middle East, with about 4.87 million people (2025) and an area of 17,820 square kilometres. Its capital is Kuwait City, and it shares land borders with 2 countries.
By Team Geography·Last reviewed
Flag of KuwaitKuwait in solid, land neighbours outlined, capital marked.
The app teaches each country through short hand written lenses: PLACE for physical geography, STORY for history and identity, NOW for the news, and THREAD for the ties between countries. Here is one of Kuwait's 5, in full.
PLACELens 1 of 5
A small wedge at the head of the Gulf
Kuwait occupies 17,818 square kilometers of flat desert at the northwestern corner of the Persian Gulf, wedged between Iraq and Saudi Arabia. The country has almost no natural freshwater and depends on desalination for survival. Its position at the head of the Gulf has made it a strategic prize: Iraq's 1990 invasion was partly driven by Kuwait's control of this coastline and the oil beneath it.
More on desalination
Kuwait was among the first countries in the world to build large-scale desalination plants, beginning in the 1950s. Today over 90 percent of its freshwater comes from the sea, making it one of the most water-stressed nations on Earth.
4 more lenses on Kuwait in the app
STORY A parliament in a region of absolute monarchies
NOW The sovereign wealth fund that predates the term
STORY A nation defined by one invasion
THREAD Security guaranteed from Washington, wealth invested globally
Titles only. The app brings each lens back on a spaced repetition schedule set by how well you knew it: New, Hazy or Clear.
Compare Kuwait with another country
Opens the country comparison tool with population, area, income and more side by side, every figure dated.
Common questions
What is the capital of Kuwait?
The capital of Kuwait is Kuwait City. Kuwait City lies at about 29.4 degrees north and 48.0 degrees east. Kuwait is in Asia, in the region often called Middle East. It is home to about 4.87 million people. The world capitals quiz on this site tests every capital, and the printable capitals sheets cover each continent.
What is the population of Kuwait?
About 4.87 million people live in Kuwait, according to the World Bank figures for 2025. That makes it the 126th most populous of the 195 countries. With an area of 17,820 square kilometres, that is about 273 people per square kilometre.
What countries border Kuwait?
Kuwait shares land borders with 2 countries: Iraq and Saudi Arabia. The map on this page outlines each of them around Kuwait. The count includes only borders on land, not neighbours across a sea or a lake. Borders here follow Natural Earth at the 1:50 million scale, with Crimea shown as part of Ukraine and Western Sahara as a separate territory.
How big is Kuwait?
Kuwait covers 17,820 square kilometres, or about 6,880 square miles. That makes it the 152nd largest of the 195 countries. The figure is total surface area, which includes inland water such as lakes and rivers. Its population of about 4.87 million gives a density of 273 people per square kilometre.
Kuwait is a country in Asia, in Middle East, with about 4.87 million people (2025) and an area of 17,820 square kilometres. Its capital is Kuwait City, and it shares land borders with 2 countries.
Capital
Kuwait City
Continent
Asia
Region
Middle East
Population
4,865,298 2025, World Bank. 126th of 195.
Area
17,820 km² (6,880 sq mi) World Bank, surface area. 152nd largest of 195.
Population density
273 people per km²
Land neighbours
2: Iraq, Saudi Arabia
Official name
State of Kuwait
UN status
Member state
PLACE · from the Geography app
A small wedge at the head of the Gulf
Kuwait occupies 17,818 square kilometers of flat desert at the northwestern corner of the Persian Gulf, wedged between Iraq and Saudi Arabia. The country has almost no natural freshwater and depends on desalination for survival. Its position at the head of the Gulf has made it a strategic prize: Iraq's 1990 invasion was partly driven by Kuwait's control of this coastline and the oil beneath it.
Keep going on your iPhone. Scan for Geography: the world, one country at a time, about five minutes a day. No quizzes and no streaks. playgeography.app/countries/kuwait/ · Map data: Natural Earth. Figures: World Bank and national sources, as listed on the page.
Geography · Country report
Kuwait
NameDate
Draw the flag
Colour Kuwait on the map, then fill in what you find.
Capital
Continent
Population
Area
Languages
Currency
Neighbours
Landmarks
Rivers or mountains
Three things I learned
1
2
3
One question I still have
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Keep going on your iPhone. Scan for Geography: the world, one country at a time, about five minutes a day. No quizzes and no streaks. playgeography.app/countries/kuwait/ · Map data: Natural Earth. Figures: World Bank and national sources, as listed on the page.
