Kiawah is a sea island, or barrier island, on the Atlantic coast of the United States. Located 15 miles (24 km) south of Charleston in Charleston County, South Carolina, it is operated today largely as a gated beach and golf resort — the Kiawah Island Golf Resort — with spacious villas, beaches, large and acclaimed golf courses, and other attractions. In the 2000 census, Kiawah Island's population was 1,163; as defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget and used by the U.S. Census Bureau for statistical purposes, the island is included within the Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville metropolitan area. Alternative spellings and variants of the name itself include "Kiawa," "Kittiwar" (in DuBose Heyward's novel Porgy), and "Kittiwah" (in George Gershwin's opera Porgy and Bess).