Introduction : once inhabited by the belligerent Arab Bedouin nomads, it was finally conquered and united under the leadership of King Abd al-Aziz Al Saud. This kingdom's ticket to prosperity came with the discovery of its oil reserves in the year 1937. The home of Islam, Saudi Arabia also houses Islam's two most religious cities of Mecca and Medina.
Physical Map of Saudi Arabia : the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia occupies the largest land area in the Middle East. However, most of it covered by an unproductive and arid desert. The country is also the seat of the largest sand-mass in the world: the An-Nafud Desert. The other major desert is the the Rub' Al Khali Desert. There are mountains also in the country that lie parallel to the Red Sea in the west. The lowlwnds in the country are located close to the Persian Gulf Perennial water bodies are absent in the country.
Climate of Saudi Arabia : the characteristic climatic condition of the Saudi Arabia is blistering heat and aridity. The country receives very little, and sometimes also no rainfall through the year. The winter months in the country that last between December and February effect only the coastal regions, making them somewhat cooler.
Flora : the landscape being predominately arid desert and the soil saline, the prevalent type of vegetation is that of date palms, mangroves, tamarisks, and acacias.
Fauna : when you think of Saudi Arabia, the first animal that comes to the mind is the camel. However, there are other types of animals in the country too. The fauna in the Saudi Arabian kingdom comprise mainly of monkey, oryx, lynx, jerboa, wildcat, fox, jackal and panther. Avian fauna of the country consists of birds like hawks and bustards. Aside of these, fishes off the coast, scorpions, lizards and snakes are found in abundance.
|
