Kuwait (nation), independent state on the north-western coast of the Persian Gulf. It is bordered on the north and north-west by Iraq, on the east by the Persian Gulf, and on the south by Saudi Arabia. The nation's total area, including the islands of Bubiyan, Warbah, and Faylakah, is 17,818 sq km (6,880 sq mi). The national capital and chief port is Kuwait City. From August 1990 to February 1991, Iraq, in defiance of the United Nations Security Council, annexed and occupied Kuwait, claiming it as Iraq's 19th province. This action led to the Gulf War, which liberated the nation. In November 1994, Iraq formally accepted the UN-demarcated border with Kuwait which had been spelled out in Security Council Resolutions made in 1991 and 1993; this formally ends earlier claims to Kuwait and to Bubiyan and Warbah islands.