Chapter 18: The Arabian Peninsula

Physical Geography of the Arabian Peninsula Landforms The Arabian Peninsula is surrounded almost entirely by water. The climate of the interior is arid, or very dry, and is unsuitable for agriculture or human settlement. The extremely dry Rub’ al-Khali in the Arabian desert is the world’s largest uninterrupted area of sand.

Rub’ al-Khali

Physical Geography of the Arabian Peninsula Water Systems The Red Sea links the Suez Canal to the Gulf of Aden, allowing the transportation of goods between Europe and Asia. Rapidly growing populations are using up the already scarce sources of freshwater.

Climate, Biomes, & Resources Physical Geography of the Arabian Peninsula Climate, Biomes, & Resources Seasonal winds bring heavy rains like the monsoon, or hot, suffocating winds like the simooms. The Red Sea is a unique aquatic biome whose marine life can endure extreme heat and salinity. The Arabian deserts are estimated to contain at least 25 percent of the world’s oil reserves.

Human Geography of the Arabian Peninsula History & Government Religion, ethnicity, and shared culture define the region, with most people being ethnic Arabs who practice Islam. For centuries, tribal groups based on family relationships, or sheikdoms, controlled specific areas of the subregion, and their influence continues. The majority of governments in the area are monarchies, with Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Qatar being absolute monarchies.

Human Geography of the Arabian Peninsula Population Patterns The dry, desert climate causes most people to live along the coasts of the Persian Gulf and Red Sea. Push & pull factors refer to the reasons ppl leave & are drawn to the Arabian Peninsula

Society & Culture Today Human Geography of the Arabian Peninsula Society & Culture Today Arabic is the primary language in the subregion, with English the most common second language. Shari’ah, or Islamic law, governs every aspect of a Muslim’s life. Bedouin tribes wandered w/sheep & goat herds & now mostly live in towns & cities. Nomadic Bedouin tribes moved from place to place bc they needed to move herds from one oasis to another.

Sharia, Islamic sharia, or Islamic law is the basic Islamic legal system derived from the religious precepts of Islam, particularly the Quran and the Hadith.

Human Geography of the Arabian Peninsula Economic Activities Petroleum has produced great wealth for the Arabian Peninsula; it is one of the world’s most important regions for oil production. Lack of water remains the most important natural resource issue. Water comes from natural supply from groundwater deep beneath sandy desert.

People and Their Environment: the Arabian Peninsula Managing Resources Oil is a nonrenewable resource, yet it is the most widely used energy source today. Burning fossil fuels creates greenhouse gases, which contribute to a rise in air temperature. Most impt resources are oil and freshwater. Seawater converted to freshwater is mostly used for irrigating crops.

People and Their Environment: the Arabian Peninsula Human Impact The rapidly growing population in the subregion is dramatically increasing the demand on already scarce water resources. On-going desertification is taking a heavy toll on vegetation, resulting in soil erosion.

People and Their Environment: the Arabian Peninsula Addressing the Issues Desalination is being used to address some water needs, but it alone cannot satisfy demand; it also has negative environmental impacts. (soil, air, & water pollution)