Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a sovereign Arab state situated in the northeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia.

It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra.

It lies on the northwestern shore of the Persian Gulf.

The name Kuwait is derived from the Arabic ākwāt, the plural of kūt, meaning a fortress built near water.

The country covers an area of 17,820 square kilometers (6,880 sq mi) and has a population of about 3.5 million.

Historically, the region was the site of Characene, a major Parthian port for trade between Mesopotamia and India.

The Bani Utbah tribe are the first permanent Arab settlers in the region, and lay the foundation of the modern emirate.

By the 19th century, Kuwait comes under the influence of the Ottoman Empire.