Iraq is located in Asia at the North-east of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Turkey in the North, Iran in the East, Kuwait in the South, Saudi Arabia and Jordan in the South-west, and Syria in the North-west. The Arabian Gulf lies in the South of the country. The terrain is made up mostly of broad plains and reedy marshes in the South-eastern part of the country. About one fifth of the land is arable and there are few permanent crops. The climate is mostly desert with mild to cool winters and dry, hot, cloudless summers. The Northernmost regions along the mountainous Iranian and Turkish borders experience cold winters with heavy snow.