The Arabian plateau, along with the Deccan, as well as the Mesopotamian and Indo-Gangetic lowlands, forms the southern belt of the Eurasian plains, which is smaller in area and length in comparison with the northern one. The Arabian Plateau is located on the peninsula of the same name.
Location of the Arabian Plateau
The Arabian Peninsula is the largest in Asia. It is washed from the south by the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea, from the west by the Red Sea, and from the eastern shores by the Oman and Persian Gulfs. From the name it is obvious that the Arabian Plateau is located in the central part of the peninsula of the same name.
Most of the Arabian Plateau is occupied by Saudi Arabia, a country located in southwestern Asia. This is an eastern state with a rich history and extraordinary flavor. It is one of the three world powers that are named after the ruling dynasty (Saudis). Saudi Arabia is also called the "Land of Two Mosques" (Mecca and Medina are the main centers of pilgrimage for Muslims from all over the world).
Relief and nature of the Arabian plateau
The height of the surface of the Arabian Plateau fluctuates slightly. The lowest point is only 500 m above sea level, the highest is 1300 m. The total area of the plateau is about 2 million km2. It slopes from southwest to northeast. In the western part of the plateau, there are lava fields (harra) with cones of extinct volcanoes. In the interior of the Arabian Plateau, there are the Nejd and Tuvaik plateaus.
Arabia is one of the hottest places in the world. A tropical dry climate, the absence of large rivers, sand deposits and dunes - all this characterizes the nature of Arabia. The temperature in January here ranges from 14 ° C to 24.8 ° C, in July it can reach 33.4 ° C (in Riyadh, the recorded maximum is 55 ° C).
The tropical regions of Arabia are an area of negligible moisture. In higher land areas, the air is more humid. Here grow mimosas, euphorbia, and date trees in the sandy oases.
The fauna of the plateau is not very diverse. Only the number of reptiles arouses admiration: vipers, cobras and other snakes. Among the large animals there are leopards, hamadryas, caracals, coyotes. Birds also live in Arabia: larks, partridges, as well as a large number of various migratory birds.
The Arabian plateau is not very rich in minerals, but the richest people on the planet live here. The reason for this is the main wealth of the plateau - oil. Currently, the country ranks second after Russia in the extraction and processing of "black gold". Wells are located at a relatively shallow depth (starting from 300 m), which simplifies the task for oilmen
