The Arabian Plateau is one of the largest plateaus of Eurasia. In the article we will talk about 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 south side, the territory where the Arabian Plateau is located is bordered by the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea, from the west - the Red Sea, which separates Asia from Africa, the eastern coast is washed by the Oman and Persian Gulfs.
Relief
This territory is located on the ancient African-Arabian platform. The Arabian Plateau is almost a completely deserted area. The landscape is monotonous, devoid of significant fluctuations above sea level. The highest point is 1300 m, the lowest is 500 m high. The total area is 2.3 million square kilometers. It is the fourth largest plain in the world. The Arabian Plateau has a slight slope from the southwest to the northeast.
The western part is covered by lava fields called “harrah” with scattered slag and tuff cones and frozen lava flows. The highest in volcanic fields is Mount At-Tabab, which has a height of 233 m and one and a half kilometer crater.
Tuvayk and Nedzh - a plateau located in the inner part of the plateau.
As already mentioned, the desert area is a complex of deserts with their own names - Big Nefud, Rub al-Khali, Nefud-Dahi, Dehn, Wahib, Al-Has, Tikham, Jafur. It is curious that in foreign geography all these deserts are one large Arabian desert. Although in 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 territory covered with sand is the second largest desert in the world after the Sahara.
Climate
Continental tropical climate prevails in a significant part of Arabia, which causes very rare precipitation and sharp temperature fluctuations. It rains occasionally, rain and winter. Sometimes years of drought occur when there is not even such a small amount of rainfall. There is high air temperature throughout the year. This is due to the maximum total solar radiation on Earth. In winter, the temperature varies between 14 - 24.8 ° C, in the summer it reaches 33.4 ° C, and the maximum was recorded in Riyadh - 55 ° C.
Due to the low humidity, this temperature creates very difficult living conditions. That is why the inhabitants of these places prefer to wrap themselves in clothes (most often white) completely, fleeing from the scorching constant heat. Thus, Arabia is one of the hottest places on the planet.
Flora and fauna
The area is deserted, covered with sand and primitive soils, which are also scattered by the wind. It mainly grows succulent plants, which can grow in arid and hot places. These include: euphorbia, aloe, herbs and shrubs with a developed root system: astragalus, aristide, wormwood.
Date trees grow in oases, bringing life to the population. Coconut palms are very rare. But most of the space is covered with lifeless sand, dunes and dunes.
Animal plateaus are also represented by a limited number of species. Among which diversity is perhaps among reptiles: cobras, vipers, gyurza, chameleons and agamas. Dune cats, gazelles, oryxes represent large animals. Jackals, hyenas and honey badgers were almost completely exterminated by man.
Countries and Economics
On the lands where the Arabian Plateau is located, currently located countries: Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, the largest of them are Saudi Arabia and others.
Saudi Arabia has a rich history and original flavor. It occupies most of the plateau. Here are Mecca and Medina, attracting Muslim pilgrims from around 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 in second place in oil production and refining. The task of oil industry workers is simplified by the shallow location of wells - from 300 m.
Finishing the description of the Arabian plateau, we can say that it is a controversial place, at the same time deserted and poor, and at the same time filled with the luxury of cities.