Geomorphology of Kuwait Essay Example for Free

Geomorphology of Kuwait Essay Kuwait is a Arabic state, which lies in the North-West corner of the Persian Gulf between 28o and 30o latitudes and between 46o and 48o longitudes. It shares a border with Iraq on the North and with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. On the East it is washed by waters of Persian Gulf. It’s total area makes 17,820 square kilometers. The climate is dry desert with hot summers and cool winters. The terrain is flat with the lowest point of zero above the sea level and the highest point of 306 above the sea level (the location is unnamed). Most of the territory is a desert with only about 1% used as arable lands and for growing permanent crops. A great part of the territory is occupied by the city El-Kuwait – the country’s capital. Other major towns include Jahrah, Salmiya, Shuwaikh and Hawalli. Irrigated lands cover 130 square kilometers. Natural resources include petroleum, natural gas, fish and shrimp. The country suffers from lack of fresh water, so it possesses one of the world largest distillation facilities. Other geographic problems include sudden sandstorms, which usually happen between March and August and heavy rains which are usual for the period from October to April . Historical and Current Geology of Kuwait The country’s relief has been formed in the recent Quaternary geological era. The southern part of the country rests on a long, north-oriented dome of limestone laying beneath the surface. It is here where oil resources of Kuwait can be found. The western and northern parts of Kuwait rest on layers of sand, gravel, silt, and clay, covering limestone to the depth up to 210 meters. This layers of sediments have been formed by dried-up riverbeds called the wadis. The greatest of the wadis is Wadi al Batin – a broad and shallow valley forming the northern frontier of the country. Limestone geological formations, especially in the places where they lay close to surface, are principle suppliers of water for Kuwait. In 1960 a large aquifer has been discovered in the western portion of Ar Rawdatayn geological formation, which is now used for distilled water production, covering most of the country’s needs. On the south from the city of Kuwait another water field has been discovered in the top of the limestone of the Ash Shuaybah. The water here is salty, so it is used mostly for agricultural and commercial needs. Where waters come close to the surface, oases appears, enlivening the landscape of Kuwait . Basic Geomorphologic Terrains of Kuwait Mainland Most of the Kuwait’s land has no remarkable geomorphologic features like high mountains, rivers, ridges or depressions. A sandy desert of the country is mostly flat, gradually slopping to the sea. Some researchers point, that the land is not really a desert, but rather a semi-desert, because in winter there is a notable vegetation sufficient to support camel herds. However, for most of the year it is really sandy. This landscape is broken by the ridge at Jal Al-Zor – a series of low hills and shallow depressions. The highest point of the ridge is 145 meters above the sea level. The ridge is cut into two by Umm Al-Ramam Wadi. The southern part of Kuwait is flat with exception of Ahmadi hill (137 m) . In the centre of the country it’s coast bends forming the Gulf of Kuwait, where the capital of the country lays. The sheltered waters of the bay create a number of salty marshes, lagoons, and mud flats. In the center of the gulf lays a small Umm an Namil Island. About 40 kilometers to the south from El-Kuwait lays 120 meters high Al-Adan ridge, a series of heights similar to Jal Al-Zor . Another remarkable geomorphologic terrain in southern Kuwait Sabkha deposits – a number of irregular closed lowland areas. Two different types of Sabkhas are recognized: costal sabkhas and inland sabkhas. The costal ones are situated mostly in the Al-Jailaiaha and Al-Khiran areas, being extended along a costal depression. Inland sabkhas are situated in the desert areas of Al-Maqwa, Urafjan, and Al-Gurain. On the Kuwait’s west. Both types of sabkhas are subjected to changes after sandstorms. They may be entirely filled with sand an disappears, and new sabkhas may appear. Based on the study of sands and presence of bones fragments in most of the sabkhas, it has been concluded, that most of the sediments in the sabkhas come from Al-Dibdibbah deposits from the Arabian Shield igneous and metamorphic rocks . Coastal Area The coast of Kuwait is divided into nine geomorphological potions, out of which four are lie along the northern muddy shoreline and five in the southern sandy area. The northern part includes large portions of bays, which are filled with water during high tides and for most of the time they are areas of muddy ground. They are limited by costal sabkhas or sandy drifts. Intertidal channels form sandbars near the waterlines . In contrast to this, the southern portion of the coat is characterized by steep sandy beaches, narrowed by wide rocky intertidal platforms, covered with sand and other sediments. In many places those rocky surfaces are dissected by intertidal channels and shallow gulleys. The low water line is marked by numerous sandbars. Sometimes they are formed in berms by waves . Costal Islands Kuwait’s territory includes eight major islands and a number of minor ones, situated in the northern and southern part of the country respectively. Along the southern part of Kuwait coast five minor islands are situated: Miskan, Awhah, Kubbar, Qaruh, and Umm Al-Maradem and one bigger island Faylakah, which is the only inhabited island of all. The islands are subjected to variable tiding conditions and winds and this preconditions their roundish shapes. The northern islands of Miskan and Awhah rest on a shallow platform which is a part of a larger Faylakah Island structure. The three southern islands rest on separate platform each which is most possibly of reef origin. Beach sediments of the islands consist of sand and biologic measures, which makes them similar to the shores of Kuwait mainland . The Faykalah island is situated 20 kilometers away from the coast near El-Kuwait and has quite a different ecosystem in comparison to the mainland. It is used mostly as a recreational zone because the Iraqi have depopulated the island during the invasion in 1991, so there are only few local residents living there. 16 kilometers south-east of Faykalah lays the Auhah Island, which is 800 meters long by 540 meters wide and uninhabited except for a lighthouse. 29 kilometers off of the coast of Faykalah the Kubbar Island is situated. It is almost round in form and has flat sandy surface. Separately stands a large island of Bubiyan, which, under it’s geomorphological conditions, is very much similar to Kuwait northern mainland It is separated by Khawr Abd Allah channel on the northeast and Khawr as Sabiyah channel on the north. The latter channel also separates it from Warbah Island, which is 15 kilometers long and 5 kilometers wide and lays only a hundred meters away from the mainland. The surface of the island is a muddy flat. The Bubiyan is connected with the mainland by a concrete bridge, which is, however, for military use only. The terrain of the island is similar to the one of the northern Kuwait mainland. It is a flat desert and semi-desert area with shores being sandy or muddy. No remarkable depressions or heights exist on the island. Between Bubiyan and Faykalah lays the Miskan Island, which is uninhabited save for a lighthouse, but it is vital for the country as part of it’s defensive frontier. Other islands include Umm al Maradim which lays between Kuwait and UAE territorial waters. It is 1,5 kilometers long and 540 meters wide and is known for deep waters around it, which allow ships to safely anchor. 17 kilometers away from this island is Qaruh Island, which received it’s name after Qar – an Arabic name for petroleum sediments, great amounts of which can be found on the island. It is the smallest and the most remote island of Kuwait which is only 275 meters long and 175 meters wide. Works Cited: 1. 2007 CIA WORLD FACTBOOK. Kuwait (CD-ROM), Progressive Management, 20062. Francesca Davis Dipiazza. Kuwait in Pictures, Twenty-First Century Books, 2006 3. A. Al-Hurban , and I. Gharib, Geomorphological and sedimentological characteristics of coastal and inland sabkhas, Southern Kuwait, Journal of Arid Environments Volume 58, Issue 1, July 2004, Pages 59-85 4. Mohamed I. El-Sayed and Dhia Al-Bakri, Geomorphology and sedimentary/biosedimentary structures of the intertidal environment along the coast of Kuwait, north-western Arabian Gulf. International Journal of Earth Sciences. Volume 83, Number 2 / July, 1994

Tombs And Temples Essay -- essays research papers

What are some major architectural structures of Ancient Egypt? There are many amazing sites of architecture in Egypt from ancient times. Many have been discovered, but there are still ones being discovered and excavated today. Pyramids, tombs, and temples are the main structures still standing that can be seen today. The first tombs of the pharaohs were large, unimpressive, bunker affairs called mastabas. A mastaba (Arabic for "bench") is a low rectangular structure which was built over a shaft which descended to the burial location. They were made from sun dried mud bricks and most have long since crumbled to dust. This all changed around 2630 BC with the creation of the step pyramid. The Step Pyramid was designed for King Djoser ,of the 3rd dynasty, by his vizier, Imhotep. The pyramid is located in Saqqara, the main necropolis of Memphis. The Saqqara pyramid has a series of six levels of stone decreasing in size as they ascend to about 200 feet/60 meters in height. The Step Pyramid originally began as a mastaba, and it has been visualized as a series of mastaba shapes, decreasing in size, stacked one on top of another. The surface was originally encased in smooth white limestone which must have caught the sun light and reflected its rays. It has the distinction of being the site of the first large stone structure built in the world. The place where humans began to strive for the impossible, where the imagination gained the power to transform reality. Some of the loveliest works of art ever seen can be found at Saqqara, in the tombs of the nobles. The limestone walls are delicately incised with myriads of animals, fish, birds, insects, vegetation and people - hunting, herding and farming. Some of the forms still retain their original paint, after 4,500 years! The quality of these compositions demonstrates that the Egyptians had attained, at an early stage, an artistic culture of a very high order. Cattle Crossing is an etching made from sketches done at Saqqara. The medium of etching, itself a process of erosion, seems well suited to capturing the time worn quality of the relief carving. The person responsible for the step pyramid, Imhotep, is credited as being the inventor of building in stone and was a man of many talents - Architect, physician, master sculpture, scribe, and astronomer. He must be the first true genius in recorded history and t... ...ed these. Dendara was also used as a healing centre and in the grounds stands an ancient hospital along with a sacred lake. After visiting Dendara one gets a feel for the layout of other temples along the Nile and in the minds eye it is possible to reconstruct the really huge design of buildings like Karnak. What really grabbed my artistic attention among all this magnificence was a small detail. The place sings with the music of birds. Hundreds of them roost in small cracks and hollows in the walls seeming to contemplate their carved likeness in the hieroglyphic reliefs. There is one other thing that stirs the imagination, the building bares the name of the famous Cleopatra and her son, whose father was Julius Caesar. It is possible that these celebrate personalities climbed the same stairs and contemplated, on high, the same landscape which stretches for miles below. In Summation, some of the most precious examples of architecture from the ancient world are of the ancient Egyptians. Although the ancient Egyptians lived in a primitive world, they proved to have great knowledge for building lasting structures that would forever have a unique and majestic influence on the world.

Why I Love Pakistan

Love is a great passion. It is natural that man loves his native country. The same case in with me. I love Pakistan because it is my dear homeland. It was a dream of Allama Iqbal. And the Quaid-e-Azam struggled hard against the Hindus and the British to turn it into a reality. It appeared on the map of the world on the 14th of August 1947. I love Pakistan because God gave it to us as a gift to fulfill our desire to make it an ideal Muslim State. We got it in the name of Islam.It was the duty of our leaders to honour their pledges, but we are ashamed to say that they did not or perhaps they could not. It ought to have been an Islamic Country like Saudi Arabia, having a purely Islamic constitution an Islamic outlook of life and a strong love for an Islamic way of living. But we are not hopeless yet. I hope a time will come and Pakistan will become a real fort of Islam (Inshallah). I love Pakistan because there are still many people in it who demand crimes to be punished as laid down in the Holy Quran.And when this is done all social and moral evils amongst us will come to an end. We shall then become Muslims in the real sense of the word. And then Allah's promise in the holy Quran that â€Å"you will be most exalted if you become true Muslims† will insha Allah be fulfilled. I love Pakistan because while living in it we are free from the maltreatment of the Hindus. We are not forbidden to sacrifice the cow. Our shops are not looted by them our houses are not burnt by the bad characters amongst them.The doors of all important services are not closed on us. We re thankful to Allah because there are no ill natured Hindus here to fill our hearts with constant fear by their destructive designs and anti Muslim activities to kill us to loot to burn our property simply because we are Muslims. I love Pakistan because it is progressing by leaps and bounds in every field. I love Pakistan because its army its Navy and its Air Force are strong enough by the grace of All ah to guard every inch of his sacred territory.I love Pakistan because its government is our own government and its commerce its industry and its imports and exports are in our own hands. I love Pakistan because the doors of its services are all open to us and we are free to worship Allah as we please. We are free to go to mosques. Rather everybody is free to offer his prayers according to his creed. I love Pakistan because Allah wants it to exist despite our faults and it will Insha Allah exist as long as any other country does.I love Pakistan for the sake of all the saints who lie buried in it. I love it for the sake of all martyrs who fought for it. I love Pakistan because it will sooner or later win for itself a place of great honour and importance amongst the Muslim countries of the world. It will become the fountain head of Islam. It will work for the glory of Islam. Pakistani people will leave no stone unturned to spread Islam all over the world. I love Pakistan because it is the land of peace and its object is world peace. The CivilizationPakistan is not a recent figment but a continuation of 5000 years of history: quite sheepishly, I admit, that I am an adherent of the view held by many historians that the Indus valley and the Indus man were always somewhat distinct from their brethren across the Indus. I do not wish to venture into this debate but I am proud as an inheritor of Harappa, Mohenjo-Daro and Mehrgarh (not strictly in this order) and this makes me feel rooted and connected to my soil as well as ancient human civilizations and cultures.It also makes me happy that no matter how much the present-day media hysteria about Pakistan (and â€Å"natives† in general) diminishes my country and region, nothing can take away this heritage and high points of my ancestral culture. Pakistan is not just Indus civilization – it is a hybrid cultural ethos: the Greek, Gandhara, the central Asian, Persian, Aryan and the Islamic influences merge in to this river and define my soul – how can I not be proud of this? The People I simply love the Pakistani people – they are resilient, diverse and most entrepreneurial.They have survived calamities, famines, upheavals, injustices and exploitation and yet, by and large, retain a sense of humour. I am not naive to say that they are totally free of the various bondages of history but they display remarkable entrepreneurial and creative potential. Most of them are â€Å"real† and rooted and yet not averse to modernity. There is an urban revolution taking place in parts of Punjab and Sindh and the drivers are neither the state nor external donors but the people themselves. The private sector has even contributed to build an airport.There is an ugly side as well: the absence or predatory activities of the state (e. g. Karachi) has also provided a breeding ground for mafias but this is not a unique Pakistani phenomenon. From LA to Jakarata, such groups operate within t he folds of urbanization. I am proud of my people who have proved themselves in all spheres and countries – whether it is Professor Abdus Salam, the Nobel Laureate or Shazia Sikander, the miniaturist of international fame or Mukhtaran Mai who has proved her mettle in giving a tough time to forces of oppression.The Spirituality There is inordinate focus on Pakistani madrassahs, the pro-Taliban groups and the violent jihadis. How representative are these groups? Only Pakistanis know that such groups are marginal to the mainstream attachment to and practice of religion. The rural folk are still steeped in Sufi worldview and many versions of Islam exist within the same neighborhood. Of course there is manipulated curse of sectarian violence but that mercifully is not embedded despite the attempts of big external players and the octopus-like state agencies.Ordinary Pakistanis, such as me, value their Islamic beliefs, are God fearing and follow what is essentially a continuation of the centuries old traditions of spirituality that survives in the folk idiom, in the kaafis of Bulleh Shah, and in the verses of Bhitai and Rahman Baba. Our proverbs, day-to-day beliefs are all mixed and laced with history, oral tradition, Sufi lore and of course Islamic simplicity. It is another matter that there are individuals who want to hijack this thread and impose their nonsense on us – but we as a people have resisted that and shall continue to do so.After all we inherited the confluence of ancient religions and practices. Pakistan is where Buddha taught and Taxila shined, and where Nanak preached and the great saints – Usman Hajweri, Fariduddin Ganj Shakar, Bhitai and Sarmast – brought people into the fold of Islam. Despite the revisionist, constructed history by extremists in India, the sword had little to do with Islam’s rise in this region. The Natural Beauty Well the spirituality of my homeland is not just restricted to the intangible belief systems. It also reflects in the splendors of Mother Nature.From the pristine peaks in the north to the mangroves of the Indus delta, Pakistan blends climates, geographies, terrains in its melting pot. Within hours of leaving an arid zone, one enters into a fertile delta. And again a few more hours put you right in front of otherworldly mountains. The deserts of Cholistan radiate the moonlight and the surreal wildernesses of Balochistan are nothing but metaphors of spiritual beauty. Where else can I experience the aroma of wet earth when the baked earth cracks up to embrace every droplet and where else can one find a Jamun tree with a Koel calling the gods?An everlasting impression on my being shall remain the majestic sunrise at the Fairy Meadows amid the Karakorams and the melting gold of Nanga Parbat peak. I love this country’s rivers, streams and the fields where farmers testify their existence with each stroke, each touch of earth. I cherish trees that are not just tree s but signify Buddha’s seat or the ones in graveyards nourishing the seasonal blossoms. The Cuisine Yes, I love the aromas and myriad scents of Thai cooking, the subtlety of the French and Lebanese or the Turkish dishes but nothing compares to the Pakistani cuisine.Forget the high sounding stuff; ghar ka khana (homemade food) no matter which strata are you from is difficult to find elsewhere (except India of course). Whether it is a simple Tandoor ki Roti with Achaar or Palak (in the Punjab) or the intricate Biryani with ingredients and spices of all hues, the food is out of this world. In my house, we were used to at least ten different rice dishes (steamed white rice/saada/green peas/vegetable/channa/choliya/potato Pilau), three types of Biryanis (Sindhi, Hyderabadi, Dilli or just our cook’s hybridized Punjabi version), and my grandmother’s recipe of Lambi Khichdee.The list continues. In the Northern areas, there are Chinese-Pakistani concoctions, in the North West Frontier there is meat in its most tender and purest form. In Balochistan there is Sajji, meat grilled in earthenware at low heat until all the juices have transformed the steaks into a magic delight. And, the fruits and the sweets – the mangoes that come in dozens of varieties and colours, melons of different sizes, the pomegranates and the wild berries that still grow despite the pollution everywhere! How could I not love this eclectic cuisine? And Finally†¦ the sum-total of all five: I love Pakistan as this is my identity – immutable and irreversible. Simple. The genesis of this post. I am averse to the ratings and rankings that characterize the junk-journalism of our times. Much like the embedded style of reporting such a view remains partial and often ignorant of the nuances and layers of subtext that are almost unachievable in the pop-view of the world. Readers might question this apparent paradox as on the one hand I am participating in this top-five series and on the other I am also being critical.Well, well this is kosher from a South Asian perspective as we remain a mythical-modern bundle of contradictions. The real reason for me to ‘submit’ my top 5 is the inquiring spirit of Mayank Austen Soofi whom I don’t know and have never met. But I am quite empathetic to his efforts at understanding Pakistan. At least he ventures into the ‘other’ territory and unlike the mainstream media and writers, does not view Pakistan as a threatening collage of burqa clad women, terrorism and gun toting radicals.Even as he carries out his current obsession, i. e. Pakistan, there are many in the blogosphere who have questioned his motives and alleged deliberate derision of Pakistan and its inhabitants through his writings. Since I do not suffer from this sort of irrational paranoia, I am happy to let him write more on my country. At least there is one alternative voice, one un-cliched perspective from the other si de of the border. Even if my young friend employs a cliched format in this series, it is better than ‘high writing’ churning more cliches!

The Social Policy Welfare Programs - 1343 Words

In Double Standard, James Russell discusses and compares the social policy welfare programs in the United States and Europe and how each country approaches the issue. In particularly, Russell explains how poverty is measured, poverty reduction, and the politics of poverty reduction. Research shows that poverty has been a social problem for over five decades in America. During the 1960’s, the issue of poverty was first identified as a social problem and countless efforts have been made to eradicate poverty in the United States. In 1964, the Kennedy-Johnson administration declared a â€Å"War on Poverty† after the publication of Michael Harrington’s book, The Other America (1962). His book exposed how the other half lived in American society and became influential in beginning the process of addressing poverty. Harrington’s views on poverty prompted government officials to initiate several social policies that resulted in a significant decline in poverty r ates across America during the late 1960’s and throughout the 1970’s and beyond. During my research on the topic of poverty in the United States, it was necessary to get an idea of how the word is defined and how the meaning has changed over the years. Several sources included in their definition words such as material deprivation, low-income, scarcity, hardship, poor, or destitute as part of their definition. For the purpose of this paper, I will use the official definition that was provided by the federal government inShow MoreRelatedThe Social Welfare Policy And Social Programs Essay1674 Words   |  7 Pagesaspects of the Social Welfare program, TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families). TANF is the final variation today of the many cash assistance programs that are available to children and families. 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However, from my own opinion, it is sometimes lacking in the proper support needed