Arab Geography
An overview of the landscapes, climate, and population of the 22 states comprising the Arab League.
Geographical Statistics of the Arab World
Arab culture is diverse and multifaceted. While it originated on the Arabian Peninsula of the Middle East, it has since spread and integrated with many other cultures and ethnic groups. Today, the region united by their language and the Muslim faith is known as the Arab League, consisting of 22 member states. They include the nations of Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. The combined population of these nations is about 391,500,000.
Landscapes and Climates of the Arab World
The Arab League covers vast territories; each nation within it is home to its own complex climate and ecosystems. For the most part, however, the region is characterized by hot deserts, rugged mountain ranges, and semi-arid plains. Among its deserts are the Sahara, Arabian, Nubian, and Sinai.
The Maghreb, taking up much of North Africa, is divided by the Atlas Mountains. It enjoys a Mediterranean climate between these mountains and the Mediterranean Sea. Moving east, the Fertile Crescent of Egypt and Mesopotamia is fed by rivers like the Nile, Tigris, and Euphrates. The Arabian Peninsula is linked to North Africa via the Sinai Peninsula. It is a largely desert environment dotted by oases and arid grasslands.
While much of this region is desert, it is still home to plentiful plants and animals. Yemen, for example, supports high evergreen forests with flora such as juniper, olive trees, and aloe. Similarly, a tropical savanna belt runs through Sudan. Native animals of the Arab world include gazelle, ostriches, cheetahs, hyenas, dromedary camels, lions, and wild dogs, among others. Habitat loss and over-hunting have severely depleted wildlife in many areas.
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References
“Africa--Mauritania, Mali, Algeria, Niger, Chad, Sudan.” WWF, World Wildlife Fund, www.worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/pa1329.
“Arabian Peninsula: Yemen and Saudi Arabia.” WWF, World Wildlife Fund, www.worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/at1321.
“Arab World .” The World Bank, The World Bank Group, data.worldbank.org/region/arab-world?view=chart.
Barakat, Halim. The Arab World: Society, Culture, and State. University of California Press. 1993.
“Country Comparison: Population.” Central Intelligence Agency, Central Intelligence Agency, www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2119rank.html.
Habib Hourani, Albert and Malise Ruthven. A History of the Arab Peoples. Harvard University Press. 2002.
Hitti, Philip Khuri. The Arabs: A Short History. Regnery Publishing. 1996.
“Northern Africa: Algeria and Morocco and Tunisia.” WWF, World Wildlife Fund, www.worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/pa0513.
Warnock Fernea, Elizabeth and Robert A. Fernea. The Arab World. Knopf Doubleday Publishing. 2011.
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