View source for Earth:Geography of the Arab world

{{Country geography
|name = the Arab world
|map = Arab world location map.svg
|map size = 250px
|continent = Asia and Africa
|region = 
|coordinates = 
|area ranking =
|km area = 13333296
|percent land = 
|percent water = 
|km coastline =
|borders = 
|highest point = Jbel Toubkal<br/>4,165&nbsp;m<ref name="peaklist-africa">[http://peaklist.org/WWlists/ultras/africa.html "Africa Ultra-Prominences"] Peaklist.org. Retrieved 2012-01-14.</ref>
|lowest point = Lac Assal<br/>−155 m<ref name="Warren2006">{{cite book|last=Warren|first=John K.|title=Evaporites: sediments, resources and hydrocarbons|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ihny39BvVhIC&pg=PA280|access-date=27 May 2011|date=23 February 2006|publisher=Birkhäuser|isbn=978-3-540-26011-0|page=280}}</ref>
|longest river = Nile<br/>6,853&nbsp;km
|largest lake = 
}}
The [[Place:Arab world|Arab world]] consists of 22 countries located in [[Place:Western Asia|Western Asia]], [[Place:North Africa|North Africa]], the [[Place:Horn of Africa|Horn of Africa]] and the [[Earth:List of islands in the Indian Ocean|Indian Ocean]]. It covers a combined area of 13 million km². It extends from Morocco in the west, southward to the Comoros, eastward to Somalia, and northward to Iraq.

==Geography of each country==
The geography of each country:
{|
|-
| valign=top |
* {{flagicon|Algeria}} Algeria
* {{flagicon|Bahrain}} Bahrain
* {{flagicon|Comoros}} Comoros
* {{flagicon|Djibouti}} Djibouti
* {{flagicon|Egypt}} Egypt
* {{flagicon|Iraq}} Iraq
| valign=top |
* {{flagicon|Jordan}} Jordan
* {{flagicon|Kuwait}} Kuwait
* {{flagicon|Lebanon}} Lebanon
* {{flagicon|Libya}} Libya
* {{flagicon|Mauritania}} Mauritania
* {{flagicon|Morocco}} Morocco
| valign=top |
* {{flagicon|Oman}} Oman
* {{flagicon|Palestine}} Palestine
* {{flagicon|Qatar}} Qatar
* {{flagicon|Saudi Arabia}} Saudi Arabia
* {{flagicon|Somalia}} Somalia
* {{flagicon|Sudan}} Sudan
| valign=top |
* {{flagicon|Syria}} Syria
* {{flagicon|Tunisia}} Tunisia
* {{flagicon|UAE}} UAE
* {{flagicon|Yemen}} Yemen
|}

==Regions==
Terrains in the area can be divided into three main types: the large arid desert covering most of it, the fertile south and north, and finally the high mountains of the Atlas, Ahaggar, [[Place:Zagros Mountains|Zagros]] and the Anti-Lebanon mountains, along with the Hijaz Mountain range.

The Arab world can also be divided into two continental parts: Asian, which has 12 states, and African, which is larger and has 10 states. Adjacent to the Arab world are 14 land neighbours and 4 sea neighbours. Geographically, the Arab world countries are further subdivided into four regions:
{|
|-
| valign=top |
*'''[[Place:Middle East|Middle East]]'''
**Bahrain
**Iraq
**Egypt
**Jordan
**Kuwait
**Lebanon
**Oman
**Palestine
**Qatar
**Saudi Arabia
**Syria
**UAE
**Yemen
| valign=top |
*'''[[Place:North Africa|North Africa]]'''
**Algeria
**Libya
**Mauritania
**Morocco
**Sudan
**Tunisia
| valign=top |
*'''[[Place:Horn of Africa|Horn of Africa]]'''
**Djibouti
**Somalia
| valign=top |
*'''[[Earth:List of islands in the Indian Ocean|Indian Ocean islands]]'''
**Comoros
|}
<br>
The Arab world has a high population density, with an estimated 350 million inhabitants. Culturally, the Arab states can be divided into 3 regions:
*The [[Place:Maghreb|Greater Maghreb]], which includes Morocco, Mauritania, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya.
*The [[Place:Fertile Crescent|Fertile Crescent]], which includes Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Iraq and Jordan.
*The [[Place:Arabian Peninsula|Arabian Peninsula]], which includes Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait and Yemen.

==Landscape==
[[File:Arab League from Space.JPG|thumb|right|Aerial View of the Arab world]]
Most of the Arab world falls in the driest region of the world. Almost 80% of it is covered in [[Earth:Desert|desert]] (10,666,637 of 13,333,296 km2), stretching from Mauritania and Morocco to Oman and the UAE. The second most common terrain is the [[Earth:Semi-arid climate|semi-arid terrain]], which found in all Arab countries except Lebanon and Comoros.

Several deserts span the Arab world:
{|
|-
| valign=top |
*'''Africa'''
*Sahara Desert
*Bayuda Desert
*Eastern Desert
*Western Desert
*Libyan Desert
*Danakil Desert
*Nubian Desert
*White Desert
*Eritrean coastal desert
| valign=top |
*'''Asia'''
*Arabian Desert
*[[Earth:Ad-Dahna Desert|Ad-Dahna Desert]]
*Naqab Desert
*Nefud Desert
*[[Earth:Rub' al Khali|Rub' al Khali]] Desert
*[[Place:Syrian Desert|Syrian Desert]]
*Sinai Desert
*[[Place:Tihamah|Tihamah]] Desert
|}

The highest point in the Arab world is in Morocco called Jbel Toubkal, standing 4,165m tall, making it the 40th highest place on earth, and 6th in [[Earth:Africa|Africa]],<ref name="peaklist-mideast"/> next comes Jabal an Nabi Shu'ayb (at 3,666 m)<ref name="peaklist-mideast">[http://www.peaklist.org/WWlists/ultras/mideast.html "Arabian peninsula and Middle East"] Peaklist.org. Retrieved 2011-11-20.</ref> in Yemen and Cheekha Dar (at 3,611 m)<ref name="peakbagger">[http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=13186 "Cheekha Dar, Iraq/Iran"] Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2012-09-06.</ref> in Iraq.

The lowest point in the Arab world is the Dead sea between Jordan and Palestine. At 1,312 feet (400 meters) below sea level it is also the [[Earth:Extreme points of Earth#Lowest point .28natural.29|lowest point on Earth]].<ref>[http://geography.about.com/library/faq/blqzlowestpoint.htm About: What is the lowest point in the world?]</ref>

==Climate==
The hottest temperature recorded in the Arab world took place in Sudan on June 25, 2010, reaching 49.6&nbsp;°C (121.3&nbsp;°F) in [[Place:Dongola|Dongola]], breaking a record set in 1987.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=1544 |title=NOAA: June 2010 the globe's 4th consecutive warmest month on record |first=Jeff |last=Masters |work=Dr. Jeff Masters' WunderBlog |publisher=Weather Underground |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100719104107/http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=1544 |archive-date=2010-07-19 }}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Place:Horn of Africa#Geography and climate|Geography of the Horn of Africa]]
*[[Place:North Africa#Geography|Geography of North Africa]]
*[[Place:West Asia#Geography|Geography of West Asia]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}


{{Sourceattribution|Geography of the Arab world|1}}