Arabian plateau. Where is, a general description.

The Arabian plateau is one of the largest plateaus of Eurasia. In the article we will describe it in detail.

Location

The Arabian plateau occupies almost the entire Arabian Peninsula, namely its central part. This peninsula is the largest in Asia. On the southern side, the territory where the Arabian plateau is located, bounds the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea, from the west - the Red Sea, separating Asia from Africa, the eastern coasts are washed by the Oman and Persian Gulfs.

Relief

This territory is located on the ancient Africa-Arabian platform. The Arabian plateau is almost completely deserted. The landscape is monotonous, devoid of significant fluctuations above sea level. The highest point is 1300 m, the lowest point is 500 m high. The total area is 2.3 million square kilometers. This is the fourth largest in the world in terms of the size of the plain. The Arabian plateau has a slight slope from the southwest to the northeast.

The western part is covered with lava fields called "harra" with scattered slag and tuff cones and frozen lava flows. The highest in volcanic fields is Mount At-Tabbab, which has a height of 233 m and a 1.5-kilometer crater.

Tuvayk and Najd are plateaus located in the inner part of the plateau.

As already mentioned, the desert region is a complex of deserts with their names - Big Nehud, Rub-al-Khali, Nefud-Dahi, Dehna, Vahib, Al-Khasa, Tihama, Jafur. It is curious that in the foreign geography all these deserts are one large Arabian desert. Although in the domestic science everything is completely different. The Arabian desert is a place on the African continent. It is located in Egypt, between the Red Sea and the Nile.

All this area, covered with sand, is the second largest desert in the world after the Sahara.

Climate

The continental tropical climate prevails over a large part of Arabia, which causes very rare precipitation and sharp temperature fluctuations. Rains are random, stormy and go in the winter. Sometimes there are years of drought, when there is not even such a small amount of precipitation. Throughout the year there is a high air temperature. This is due to the receipt of the maximum total solar radiation on Earth. In winter, the temperature varies between 14 - 24.8 ° C, in summer reaches 33.4 ° C, and the maximum was recorded in Riyadh - 55 ° C. Because of the low humidity of the air, this temperature creates quite difficult conditions for life. That's why the residents of these places prefer to wrap themselves in clothes (mostly white) completely, escaping from the scorching constant heat. Thus, Arabia is one of the hottest places in the world.

Flora and fauna

The area is deserted, covered with sands and primitive soils, which are also scattered by the wind. Here, mainly succulent plants grow, which can grow in arid and hot places. These include: spurge, aloe, herbs and shrubs with a developed root system: astragalus, aristide, wormwood.

Grow date trees in oases, bringing life to the population. Very rare coconut palms. But most of the space is covered with lifeless sand, barkhans and dunes.

The animals of the plateau are also represented by a limited number of species. Among which there is a variety except among the reptiles: cobra, viper, gyurza, chameleon and agama. Barkhan cats, gazelle, and oryx represent large animals. Jackals, hyenas and cannabis were almost completely exterminated by man.

Countries and economy

On the lands where the Arabian plateau is located, at present the countries are Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, the largest of them Saudi Arabia and others.
Saudi Arabia has a rich history and original color. Occupies most of the plateau. Here are Mecca and Medina, attracting Muslim pilgrims from all over the world. This gave the country the name "Country of two mosques".
Many times the Arabian Peninsula is mentioned in the Bible. Historically, the development of culture can be divided into Muslim and pre-Muslim periods.
The population here is the richest, despite the poverty of the plateau on minerals. The reason for this is oil, the main wealth of the plateau. Now the country is on the second place in the extraction and processing of oil. The oil industry's task is simplified by a shallow well arrangement - from 300 m.

Concluding the description of the Arabian plateau, we can say that it is a controversial place, both deserted and poor, and at the same time filled with luxury of cities.