chapter 1 Flashcards
(101 cards)
1
Q
The Arabian Peninsula is a peninsula of
A
Western Asia situated northeast of Africa on theArabian plate.
2
Q
From a geological perspective, it is considered a subcontinent of
A
Asia
3
Q
It is the largest peninsula in the world, at
A
3,237,500 km2
4
Q
The Arabian Peninsula consists of the countries
A
Yemen, Oman, Qatar,Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and theUnited Arab Emirates, and parts ofJordan and Iraq. the island on bahrain lies off the east coast of the peninula
5
Q
what are the countries of the GCC
A
KSA
kuwait
Bahrain
Qater
UAE
Oman
6
Q
what country covers the grestest part of the peninsula
A
KSA
7
Q
the majority of the population of the paninsula live in
A
KSA and Yamen
8
Q
The peninsula formed as a result of
A
the rifting of theRed Sea between 56 and 23 million years ago
9
Q
The peninsula formed as a result of the rifting of theRed Sea between 56 and 23 million years ago, and is bordered by
A
the Red Sea to the west and southwest, the Arabian Gulf to the northeast, and the Indian Ocean to the southeast.
البحر الاحمر
الخليج العربي
المحيط الهندي
10
Q
The Arabian Peninsula plays a critical
A
geopoliticalrole in the Middle East and the Arab world due to its vast reserves of oiland natural gas.
11
Q
The Arabian Peninsula is located in the continent of
A
Asia
12
Q
The Arabian Peninsula is located in the continent of Asia and bounded by (clockwise)
A
the Arabian Gulf on the northeast, the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman on the east, the Arabian Sea on the southeast and south, the Gulf of Adenon the south, the Bab-el-Mandeb strait on the southwest and the Red Sea, which is located on the southwest and west
الخليج العربي
مضيق هرمز
خليج عمان
بحر العرب
خليج عدن
مضيق باب المندب
البحر الاحمر
13
Q
The northern portion of the peninsula merges with
A
the Syrian Desert with no clear border line
14
Q
The northern portion of the peninsula merges with the Syrian Desert with no clear border line, although the northern boundary of the Arabian Peninsula is generally considered to be
A
the northern borders of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait
15
Q
The most prominent feature of the peninsula is
A
desert
16
Q
The most prominent feature of the peninsula is desert, but in the
A
southwest there are mountain ranges,
17
Q
The most prominent feature of the peninsula is desert, but in the southwest there are mountain ranges, which
A
receive greater rainfall than the rest of the Arabian Peninsula.
18
Q
…………… is a large volcanic field that extends from …………..
A
Harrat ash Shaam
the northwestern Arabian Peninsula into Jordan and southern Syria
حره الشام
19
Q
Geologically, this region is perhaps more appropriately called the
A
Arabian subcontinent
20
Q
Geologically, this region is perhaps more appropriately called the Arabian subcontinent because
A
t lies on a tectonic plate of its own, the Arabian Plate, which has been moving incrementally away from the rest of Africa (forming the Red Sea) and north, toward Asia, into theEurasian plate (forming the Zagros mountains).
21
Q
The rocks exposed vary systematically across Arabia, with the oldest rocks exposed in the
A
Arabian-Nubian Shieldnear the Red Sea, overlain by earlier sediments that become younger towards the Arabain Gulf.
22
Q
Perhaps the best-preserved ophiolite on Earth, the
A
Semail Ophiolite
23
Q
Perhaps the best-preserved ophiolite on Earth, the Semail Ophiolite, lies exposed in the
A
mountains of the UAE and northern Oman
24
Q
The peninsula consists of:
A
- A central plateau
- A range of deserts
- In Hejaz, ranges of mountains, paralleling the Red Sea coast on the west (e.g. Asir province) but also at the southeastern end of the peninsula (Oman).
- Stretches of dry or marshy coastland with coral reefs on the Red Sea side (Tihamah)
- Oases and marshy coast-land inEastern Arabia on the Persian Gulfside
25
The peninsula consists of:
1. A central plateau,
the Najd, with fertile valleys and pastures used for the grazing of sheep and other livestock
نجد (وسط السعوديه)ذ
26
The peninsula consists of:
2. A range of deserts:
the Nefud in the north, which is stony; the Rub' al Khali or Great Arabian Desert in the south, with sand estimated to extend 600 ft (180 m) below the surface; between them, the Dahna
صحراء النفوذ (صخر)ي
الربع الخالي
صحراء الدهناء
27
The peninsula consists of:
## Footnote
3. In Hejaz, ranges of mountains, paralleling the Red Sea coast on the west (e.g. Asir province) but also at the southeastern end of the peninsula (Oman).
The mountains show a steady increase in altitude westward as they get nearer to Yemen, and the highest peaks and ranges are all located in Yemen The highest, Jabal an Nabi Shu'ayb in Yemen, is 3666 m high
جبل النبي شعيب في اليمن هو اعلى جبل في شبه الجزيره
28
Arabia has few lakes or permanent rivers. Most areas are drained by
ephemeral watercourses called wadis, which are dry except during the rainy season.
29
Plentiful ancient aquifers exist beneath much of the peninsula, however, and where this water surfaces, oases form (e.g.
Al-Hasa andQatif, two of the world's largest oases) and permit agriculture, especially palm trees, which allowed the peninsula to produce more dates than any other region in the world.
الحسى و القطيف
30
In general, the climate is
extremely hot and arid, although there are exceptions. Higher elevations are made temperate by their altitude, and the Arabian Sea coastline can receive surprisingly cool, humid breezes in summer due to cold upwelling offshore.
31
The peninsula has no ....................... Desert-adapted wildlife is present throughout the region.
thick forests
32
the most over-stressed aquifer system in the world is the
Arabian Aquifer System
33
the most over-stressed aquifer system in the world is the Arabian Aquifer System, upon which more than ........................ people depend for water
60 million
34
....................... "have exceeded sustainability tipping points and are being depleted"
Twenty-one of the thirty seven largest aquifers
35
Twenty-one of the thirty seven largest aquifers "have exceeded sustainability tipping points and are being depleted" and
thirteen of them are "considered significantly distressed."
36
most of the arabian peninsula is unsuited to
agriculture
37
most of the arabian peninsula is unsuited to ugriculture, making ............... projects essential
irrigation and land reclamation
38
the narrow coastal plain and isolated oases, amounting to .............. are used to ......
less than 1% of the land area are used to cultivate grains, cofee and tropical fruits
39
some areas have a ............... climate particularly ................
summer humid tropical moonsoon climate
Dhofar and Al Mahrah areas of Oman and yamen
ضفار و المهره في عمان و اليمن
40
Dhofar and Al Mahrah areas allow for
large scale coconut plantation
41
areas having tropical mosoon rain. why?
much of yamen and part of oman
influenced mountain climate
42
the plains usually have ........................... climate
tropical or
subtropical arid desert climate or
arid steppe climate
43
the sea surrounding the arabian peninsula is generally
tropical sea with a very rich tropical sea life and some of the worlds largerst undestroyed and most prestine coral reefs
44
some reefs were destroyed in the arabian gulf, mostly caused by
phosphate water pollution and
resultant increase in algea growth as well as
oil pollution from ships and pipeline leakage
45
the fertile soil of yamen have encouraged
settlement of almost all of the land from sea level up to mountains at 3 km
46
in higher reaches elaborate terraces have been constructed to facilitate
grain, fruit, cofee, ginger and khat cultivation
47
how sand storms happen in the arabian penensula
cold air sinks and digs into soil
soil lifts
this happens (cold front) on nafud the result is dust storms in al Dahna, UAE and oman
another source of sand storms is pakistan desert
48
dust storms are powered by
southern jordan and Iraq
49
the arabian desert may be devided into
an nafud
ad dahna
rub al khali
50
an nufud location
northernmost of all deserts
founf in north-central KSA
51
charactaristics of an nafud
vast oval sand sea (68, 000 km2 in area) characterized by large, deep red, crecent-shaped dunes.
52
noted weather in an nufud
sudden high winds and sandstorms
53
location of oases in an nufud
western edge where it meets the hejaz mountains
54
what might be produced in an nufud desert
dates, fruits, vegetables and grains
55
name an oasis located in an nufud
tayme (western margin of an nufud)
56
ad dahna location
central part of the arabian desert
runs along the eastern edge of the jabal tuwayq range
57
shape of ad dahna
longm narrow cresent of sand dunes that connects an nufud in the north to rub al khali in south.
1,200 km long
24-80 km wide
58
The United Arab Emirates is situated in Middle East/southwest Asia, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia; it is on a strategic location along
northern approaches to the Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil.
59
The UAE lies between (latitude and longitude)
22°50′ and 26° north latitude and between 51° and 56°25′ east longitude
60
It shares a ............kilometer border with Saudi Arabia on the west, south, and southeast, and a ............-kilometer border with Oman on the southeast and northeast.
530-
450
61
The total area of the UAE is approximately
83,600 square kilometers
62
The country's exact size is unknown because of
disputed claims to several islands in the Arabian Gulf, because of the lack of precise information on the size of many of these islands, and because most of its land boundaries, especially with Saudi Arabia, remain undemarcated.
63
The largest emirate, [Abu Dhabi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Dhabi), accounts for
87 percent of the UAE's total area (72,732 square kilometers).
64
The smallest emirate,
, [Ajman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emirate_of_Ajman), encompasses only 259 square kilometers.
65
**Land boundaries:**
**total**
867 km
66
**Land boundaries:**
* Total: 867 km
Border countries:
: Oman 410 km, Saudi Arabia 457 km
67
**Coastline:**
* 1,318 km
68
**Elevation extremes:**
Lowest point:
* [Arabian Gulf](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_Gulf) (0 m)
69
**Elevation extremes:**
* Lowest point: [Arabian Gulf](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_Gulf) (0 m)
Highest point:
Jabal Yibir (1,527 m)
70
The UAE stretches for more than ............. kilometers along the ...............
650 kilometers
southern shore of the Arabian Gulf
71
Most of the coast consists of
salt pans that extend far inland.
72
The largest natural harbor is at ................... although ..................
at [Dubai](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubai), although other ports have been dredged at [Abu Dhabi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Dhabi), [Sharjah](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharjah_(city)), and elsewhere.
73
The smaller islands, as well as many [coral reefs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_reef) and shifting [sandbars](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandbar), are a menace to
navigation
74
........................ further complicate ship movements near the shore.
Strong tides and occasional windstorms
75
The UAE also extends for about ........ kilometers along the Gulf of Oman, an area known as the ...............
90
Al Batinah coast.
76
The Al Hajar al Gharbi Mountains, rising in places to
2,500 meters
77
The Al Hajar al Gharbi Mountains, rising in places to 2,500 meters, separate the
Al Batinah coast from the rest of the UAE
78
The Al Hajar al Gharbi Mountains, rising in places to 2,500 meters, separate the Al Batinah coast from the rest of the UAE. Beginning at the
UAE-Oman border on the Arabian Gulf coast of the [Ras Musandam](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ras_Musandam), the Al Hajar al Gharbi Mountains extend southeastward for about 150 kilometers to the southernmost UAE-Oman frontier on the Gulf of Oman.
79
The range continues as the Al Hajar ash Sharqi Mountains for more than
500 kilometers into Oman
80
. The range continues as the Al Hajar ash Sharqi Mountains for more than 500 kilometers into Oman. The steep mountain slopes run directly to the shore in many places. Nevertheless, there are small harbors at
at [Dibba Al-Hisn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dibba_Al-Hisn), [Kalba](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalba), and [Khor Fakkan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khor_Fakkan) on the Gulf of Oman. In the vicinity of [Al Fujayrah](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Fujayrah), where the mountains do not approach the coast, there are sandy [beaches](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beach).
دبا الحصن
كلبا
خور فكان
الفجيره
81
.................... are part of the [Gulf of Oman desert and semi-desert](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_Oman_desert_and_semi-desert) [eco-region](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecoregion).
These northern emirates on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman
82
South and west of Abu Dhabi, vast, rolling sand dunes merge into the
Rub' al Khali of Saudi Arabia.
83
The desert area of Abu Dhabi includes
important oases with adequate underground water for permanent settlements and cultivation.
84
The extensive Al Liwa Oasis is in the
south near the border with Saudi Arabia, and about 100 kilometers to the northeast is the Al Ain ([Al Buraymi) Oasis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Buraymi_Oasis), which extends on both sides of the UAE-Oman border.
85
The climate of the UAE generally is
very hot and sunny
86
The hottest months are
July and August
87
. The hottest months are July and August, when average maximum temperatures reach
50 °C on the coastal plain.
88
In the Al Hajar al Gharbi Mountains, temperatures are considerably
cooler, a result of increased altitude.
89
. Average minimum temperatures in
January and February are between 10 and 14 °C.
90
During the late summer months, a humid.................wind known as...........
southeastern
the sharqi
91
a humid southeastern wind known as the sharqi makes the
coastal region especially unpleasant
92
The average annual rainfall in the coastal area is
fewer than 120 mm,
93
The average annual rainfall in the coastal area is fewer than 120 mm, but in some mountainous areas annual rainfall often reaches
350 mm
94
Rain in the coastal region falls in
short, torrential bursts during the summer months, sometimes resulting in floods in ordinarily dry wadi beds
95
The region is prone to occasional, violent
dust storm, which can severely reduce visibility.
96
The Jebel Jais mountain cluster in Ras al Khaimah has experienced snow only
three times (2004, 2009 and 2017) since records began.
97
In the oases grow
date palms, acacia and eucalyptus trees. In the desert the flora is very sparse and consists of grasses and thorn-bushes.
98
The indigenous fauna had come close to extinction because of
intensive hunting, which has led to a conservation program on [Bani Yas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bani_Yas) island initiated by [Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheikh_Zayed_bin_Sultan_Al_Nahyan) in the 1970s, resulting in the survival of, for example, [Arabian oryx](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabian_oryx) and [leopards](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopards).
99
Coastal fish consist mainly of
[mackerel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mackerel), [perch](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perch) and [tuna](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuna), as well as [sharks](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharks) and [whales](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whales).
100
**Resources and land use:**
* Natural resources: [petroleum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleum), [natural gas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_gas)
* Land use: arable land: 0.77%
* Permanent crops: 2.27%
* Irrigated land: 2,300 km²
* Total renewable water resources: 0.2 km2
101
**Main Hazards:**
* Natural hazards: sand and dust storms, flash floods, lightning and fog.
* Environment - current issues: lack of natural freshwater resources being overcome by [desalination](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desalination) plants; [desertification](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desertification); beach pollution from oil spills
