Geography of saudi arabia

Saudi Arabia borders on seven countries and three water locations. In the west, Aqaba Bay and the Red Sea form a coastal border with a length of actually 1800 km. The border continues south to the borders with Yemen and then turns northeast towards the city of Najran . This border was established back in 1934 and is one of the few clearly defined borders of Saudi Arabia. The non-delimited area became a problem in the 1990s . When oil deposits were discovered in this area (not demarcated), and in 1992 Saudi Arabia prevented Western companies from extracting oil deposits on behalf of Yemen. In the summer of that year, the delegations of Saudi Arabia and Yemen met in Geneva to resolve border issues.
In the north, Saudi Arabia borders on Jordan , Iraq and Kuwait. The northern border lasts almost 1,400 km from Aqaba Bay to the port of in the Persian Gulf. In 1965, Saudi Arabia ceded part of its land to Jordan, which allowed Jordan to slightly increase the area near its only port - Aqaba.
In 1922, Abd Al-Aziz and Abd Rahman Al Saud, together with the British representing Iraqi interests, signed the Mohammed Agreement , which established a clear border between Iraq and Saudi Arabia. In the same year, the Al Ukara Agreement established the existence of a 7,000 km ² diamond-shaped zone between Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Kuwait . The agreement was concluded in order to preserve the identity of the Bedouins of both countries. In May 1938, Iraq and Arabia signed an agreement on changes in the administration of the “neutral zone”. 43 years later, in 1981 , the Neutral Zone was dissolved.

Great Deserts

Water resources. Almost all of Saudi Arabia does not have permanent rivers or water sources, temporary flows form only after intense rains . They are especially plentiful in the east, in Al-Khas, where there are many springs irrigating the oases. Groundwater is often located close to the surface and under the wadi channels. The problem of water supply is carried out through the development of enterprises for desalination of sea water, the creation of deep wells and artesian wells.

The climate in the north is subtropical, in the south - tropical, sharply continental, dry. Summer is very hot, winter is warm. The average July temperature in Riyadh ranges from 26 ° C to 42 ° C, in January - from 8 ° C to 21 ° C, the absolute maximum is 48 ° C, in the south of the country to 54 ° C. In the mountains, in winter, minus temperatures and snow are sometimes observed. The average annual rainfall is about 70-100 mm (in the central regions the maximum is in spring, in the north - in winter, in the south - in summer); in the mountains up to 400 mm per year. In the desert of Rub al-Khali and some other areas in some years, rain does not fall at all. Deserts are characterized by seasonal winds. Hot and dry southern winds Samum and Khamsin in spring and early summer often cause sandstorms, the winter northern wind Shemal brings cooling. In the deserts of Saudi Arabia, sudden changes in temperature. From mid-April to mid-October, daytime temperatures are around 45 ° C or higher, depending on the region of the country. In winter (December to January) it is pretty cool here at about 15 ° C, and the central desert areas are even colder at night. It rains regularly on the coast, but in the capital of Riyadh there is practically no rain.

Vegetable world. Mostly desert and semi-desert. White saksaul , a camel thorn grow in places in sands, lichens on woolen hamad, wormwood , astragalus on lava fields, solitary poplars, acacias along wadi beds, and tamarisk in more saline places; halophytic shrubs along the coasts and salt marshes. A significant part of the sandy and rocky deserts are almost completely devoid of vegetation. In spring and in humid years, the role of ephemera in the composition of vegetation is enhanced. In the mountains of Asira, there are areas of savannah where acacia, wild olives , and almonds grow. In oases - groves of date palms, citrus fruits, bananas , grain and garden crops.

The animal world is quite diverse: antelopes ^{[ specify ]} , including the Arabian oryx , gazelles , damans , wolf , jackal , hyena , bantam fox, caracal , Nubian mountain goat , wild donkey , onager , hare returned to nature. There are many rodents ( gerbils , ground squirrels , jerboas , etc.) and reptiles ( snakes , lizards , turtles ). Among the birds are eagles , kites , vultures , peregrine falcons , bustards , larks , grouse , quail, pigeons . Coastal lowlands serve as a breeding ground for locusts. In the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf, more than 2000 species of coral ( black coral is especially valued). About 3% of the country's territory is occupied by 10 protected areas. In the mid- 1980s, the government organized the Asir National Park , where such extinct species of wildlife as the Arabian oryx ( Oryx ) and the Nubian mountain goat are preserved ^[1] .