The Arabian Peninsula is the largest peninsula between Western Asia and Northern Africa, covered mainly by the Arabian desert in the Persian Gulf.It is also known as the Middle East by Europe and the rest of the world. Arabia’s highest mountain is known as Jabal Sawda.It is said that the naval American Strategist Alfred Thayer Mahan is the one who coined the term ‘Middle East.’ He first referred to the Persian/Arabian Gulf area before it later included territories that extended to India. Most of the country’s population is from an Arab background, but they are divided throughout the region, and there are two main groups, the Southern Arabian and Northern Arabians.The beginning of the story of the Middle East; according to them, Arabs came from two ancestors: Qaḥṭān, which means ‘pure’ or ‘genuine,’ and Adnān, that means the ‘Ara’icized.’ Since most of the area in the Arabian Peninsula is Arab, it was essential to keep the population united to avoid conflict and make land resources available for everyone. This was achieved by keeping the same customs, traditions, languages, political practices, and more similar in each state.Today, nearly everyone speaks the Arabic language and follows the same religion, the teachings of Prophet Muhammad. In the mid-7th century, there was an expansion of the Islamic faith throughout the region. Today, most Arabian people are Muslims, with small differences and emerging at a local level max.Some of the most popular mountain regions here include Dhofar mountainous and Tuwayr mountainous regions. After reading about the Arabian Peninsula, also check out Arabian sea facts and Northeastern Hajar Mountains facts.Arabian Peninsula Known For Land MineralsThey are the owners of the largest and most important oil reserves in the world. Oil is also their resource with the greatest in the global market, making it hard to invest in other businesses although they have been trying.They were first discovered in Iran in 1908, and it wasn’t until 1932 that they were discovered in Bahrain after much archaeological research. By then, the oil industry in this region showed tremendous potential, and significant investments were being put into research to find more oil. In 1938, oil was discovered in Saudi Arabia, 1940 in Qatar and Kuwait, 1953 in the Saudi Arabia and Kuwait City land area, 1960 in Abu Dhabi, Oman in 1964, South Yemen in 1983, and North Yemen in 1984.Natural Gas is their largest resource next to oil, and this is used for consumption and export while also being important in keeping the pressure that machines need for oil production. Some old mining sites also produced gold and silver, like Mahd al-Dhahab in the Hejaz and Ma’rMa’ribthe western mountains and massive copper production in Oman.Some other resources that the Middle East has been exploiting are clay for bricks, gypsum, quartz, lime for cement, barite and pottery, shale, salt sand for glass, marble, and building stone. Pearls were once a profitable business in this region, with Bahrain being at its center. Still, later on, the business declined due to competition with Japan and many other factors.Arabian Peninsula Fun FactsIt is known that the desert covers most parts of the Arabian Peninsula, taking 2nd place for the world’s largest desert after the Sahara. Covering an area of 2,330,000 sq. km. (899,618 sq mi), it makes it four times bigger than France.A large area named ‘The’Empty Quarter’ is completely covered in desert dunes. Picture a scene from a movie where you have seen infinite amounts of sand in the landscape; that is how ‘The’Empty Quarter’ looks. Although it is a hot tourist destination, women cannot drive motor vehicles here.The climate in this Arabian desert is extreme. During the day, it might be sweltering, with temperatures about 104-107.6 F (40-42 C). The night can be extremely cold, with temperatures around 0 degrees or below. It usually rains more than in the Sahara Desert, but these rains won’t come for a long time, yet the place might get flooded when it does. Camels are a common way of traveling here, but did you know that they can go for more than 15 days without drinking water?Arabian Peninsula Important FactsArabia naturally borders three saltwater bodies: the Arabian Sea, the Persian Gulf, and the Red Sea. It also lies east with Ethiopia and north with Somalia.The dominating climate is arid. In this type of climate, the controlling factor is mostly dryness. Saudi Arabia being closer to it receives about 4 in (10 cm) of precipitation each year. Some of the hottest places on earth have been reported in the southern peninsula. Agriculture is a challenging activity due to less rainfall and salty waters; this is an unstable environment for farmers.Arabs are the majority of the people living in the peninsula. The countries here are ruled by monarchs that control the oil reserves and are incredibly wealthy. Minerals are mined in the mountains around southern Saudi Arabia and northern, southern Saudi Arabia. There is an ongoing civil war in Yemen which seems far from being over.People from that region who follow Arab practices and speak Arabic are also called Peninsular Arabs. Northern Yemen is the house for the highest mountain peaks that elevate up to 12,000 ft (3657.6 m). Yemen is also known for having fewer oil resources and having a democratic system in electing its governors. In comparison, the Saudi government is still an absolute monarchy.Arabian Peninsula Geographical FactsThe Arabian Peninsula is almost the same size as the Indian subcontinent. Saudi Arabia covers about 4/5th of the Arabian peninsula. The countries in Northern Arabia are Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait. Riyadh is the Saudi capital city.From above, the desert in Arabia features numerous sand-colored dunes. You can also see some mountain ranges, and the desert’s highest elevation is located in Yemen and measures 12,336 ft (3,760 m). The northern part lies in the subtropical climate zone, while the southern part is in the tropics. The Persian Gulf is home to many Arabian Deserts, one of them being the Syrian Desert.The desert’s highest elevations belong to three corners: the southwestern corner in Yemen, in which Mount Al-Nabī Shuʿayb reaches the highest elevation, 12,336 ft (3,760 m); the northwestern corner in Hejaz (Al-Ḥijāz; a part of Saudi Arabia), where Mount Al-Lawz rises to 8,464 ft (2,579.8 m); and the southeastern Oman, where Mount Al-Shām attains an elevation of 9,957 ft (3,034.8 m).It is characterized mainly by a hostile, inhabitable desert in the interior, covered by a vast sand land, making settlement there almost impossible. There is a historical region known as Al-Yamama, which hosts oasis settlements where agricultural and trading activities take place. Due to its climate, there is little biodiversity here regarding plants and animals. Most animals in this place are insects, while plants will be cactuses in the majority.Arabian Peninsula Before IslamOne major culture with a strong dominance in the Arabian Peninsula before the rise of Islam used to be Bedouin people who were nomads. These Bedouin clans highly emphasized kin-related groups, and each clan fell under tribes.One family would share one tent, and that was considered a clan. If you put many tents together of people with family ties, they would be called a tribe. These tribes weren’t limited to family members as they could bring someone from outside and give them a family status. Males were the alphas in these tribes, and only males could be heirs. Due to much violence, tribes had a duty to protect their family members; an attack on a family member would be heavily retaliated.Non-tribal members were seen as outsiders or adversaries. Tribes supplied an individual with an identity by sharing common ethical understandings. Among the Bedouin, tribal combat was prevalent, and warfare was seen as a high honor. Due to the harsh living conditions on the Arabian Peninsula, a strong emphasis on family cooperation developed, reinforcing the clan structure even more.Bedouin nomadic tribes typically maintained sheep, goats, and camels due to the challenging climate and seasonal travels required to collect resources. From guarding the herd to making cheese from milk, each family member had a unique job to play in the care of the animals. Nomads hunted, acted as bodyguards, escorted caravans, and worked as mercenaries, among other things.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created many interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Arabian Peninsula facts, then why not take a look at the Arabian Ocean or Arabian Gulf.
The Arabian Peninsula is the largest peninsula between Western Asia and Northern Africa, covered mainly by the Arabian desert in the Persian Gulf.
