The Asian continent is the largest continent on Earth, covering an area of 44.5 million square kilometers. Its boundaries are: to the southwest, the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, which separate it from Africa; to the west, the Ural Mountains, which represent the dividing line between Europe and Asia in the whole of Eurasia; still to the west, the Caucasus Mountains and the Caspian and Black Seas, which also represent the limit in relation to Europe; it is washed to the east by the Pacific Ocean (subdivided into the South China Sea, the East China Sea, the Yellow Sea, the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Okhotsk and the Bering Sea); to the south it is bathed by the Indian Ocean (subdivided into the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Bengal); and to the north it is washed by the Arctic Ocean.
The Middle East region represents an area of more than 5 million square kilometers, which extends towards west-east between the Mediterranean Sea and the Persian Gulf, with a predominance of population of Arab origin and climates. dry. In relation to Africa, the Sinai Peninsula is almost integrating the Middle East into the African continent. The construction of the Suez Canal in the 19th century created a small separation of just over 50 meters at the narrowest points. In relation to Europe, the Anatolian Peninsula, where Turkey is located, determines the limits between these two continents. The separation is made by the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles straits. The Bosphorus Strait, which is between 550 and 3,000 meters wide, is the result of a long tectonic fault. Located a little further in the western portion of Turkish territory, the Dardanelles Strait can also be presented as one of the limits facing Europe, with a width that varies between 1,200 and 7,000 meters.
There is an ease of circulation in the Middle East due to the presence of gulfs and straits. The Strait of Gibraltar controls the sea route linking the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. The passage between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea is more restricted, being possible only through the straits of Bosphorus and Dardanelles in Turkey. Other important routes are the Suez Canal, which links the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea; Bab el Mandeb, a strait separating the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean; and the Strait of Hormuz, which links the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean, essential for oil tankers.
Most Middle Eastern countries are embedded in the Arabian Tectonic Plate. There is strong instability in several places, such as Iran and especially Turkey, with the occurrence of strong earthquakes. This phenomenon results from the contacts between the Arabica, African, Eurasian and Indian plates and the Anatolian and Hellenic microplates. The predominant relief is plateau, with emphasis on the Anatolia Plateau, in Turkey, and the Iran Plateau. There are few plains, especially the Mesopotamian Plain, located between Iran and Iraq. Mountain ranges exist throughout most of the region, with some peaks over 5,000 meters. Modern folds have as main examples the Zagros Mountain Range, which occupies the eastern portion of Iraq and mainly Iran, and the Hindu Kush Mountain Range, between Afghanistan and Pakistan. In Turkey, there are the mountain ranges of Taurus, to the south, and the Cordillera Pontica, to the northeast.
Desert and semiarid climates are the most common in the region. These weather types result from mid-latitudes that form zones of high atmospheric pressure, dispersing wet air masses. Mountainous ensembles also influence climate aspects. On the one hand, they produce a mild climate by accumulating orographic rains in areas of medium and even higher altitudes. On the other hand, they favor the presence of dry areas, forming barriers to the entry of rain into the interior of the continent. Evidently, in the highest places the cold mountain climate occurs. Throughout the region's history, territorial disputes have had a broad connection with the limits of access to drinking water and agricultural land, and until today there is a geopolitical connotation to the places where the springs, groundwater and water courses are located superficial.
In desert areas, rainfall is low, averaging four centimeters per year. Along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, as well as in the vicinity of the Black and Caspian Seas, the water serves to lessen extreme desert temperatures, resulting in a more moderate climate. In areas better served by rainfall and rivers (such as the Tigris and Euphrates basins, areas bathed by the Jordan River and along the Mediterranean coast), agriculture is more practiced. In Turkey, the Mediterranean climate favors higher rainfall during the winter months.
Julio César Lázaro da Silva
Brazil School Collaborator
Graduated in Geography from Universidade Estadual Paulista - UNESP
Master in Human Geography from Universidade Estadual Paulista - UNESP
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/geografia/aspectos-naturais-oriente-medio.htm
