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The Asir Mountains ( ar, جِبَال عَسِيْر, '; (' Difficult')) is a mountainous region in southwestern Saudi Arabia running parallel to the Red Sea. It comprises areas in the
Asir Region The ʿAsir Region ( ar, عَسِيرٌ, ʿAsīr, lit=difficult) is a region of Saudi Arabia located in the southwest of the country that is named after the ʿAsīr tribe. It has an area of and an estimated population of 2,211,875 (2017). It is ...
of Saudi Arabia, however it also generally includes areas near the Yemeni border. The mountains cover approximately and consists of mountains, plains, and valleys of the Arabian highlands. '' Sensu lato'', they are part of the
Sarawat Mountains The Sarawat Mountains ( ar, جِبَالُ ٱلسَّرَوَاتِ, Jibāl as-Sarawāt), also known as the Sarat, is a part of the Hijaz mountains in the western part of the Arabian Peninsula. In a broad sense, it runs parallel to the eastern c ...
, defining the latter as the mountain range which runs parallel to the
Tihamah Tihamah or Tihama ( ar, تِهَامَةُ ') refers to the Red Sea coastal plain of the Arabian Peninsula from the Gulf of Aqaba to the Bab el Mandeb. Etymology Tihāmat is the Proto-Semitic language's term for 'sea'. Tiamat (or Tehom, in mas ...
throughout the western portion of the
Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate. ...
, particularly the western parts of Saudi Arabia and Yemen.


Geology

The mountains consist primarily of sedimentary rock, limestone, sandstone and shale, of Jurassic, Cretaceous and Paleogene origin on a Precambrian
granitic A granitoid is a generic term for a diverse category of coarse-grained igneous rocks that consist predominantly of quartz, plagioclase, and alkali feldspar. Granitoids range from plagioclase-rich tonalites to alkali-rich syenites and from quartz ...
basement.


Climate and agriculture

The region has the highest average rainfall of Saudi Arabia due to largely seasonal rain. Average rainfall can range from to over per year, in wet regions. The eastern plains and plateaus receive much lower amounts, from to below per year. The region's crops, most of which are cultivated on steeply terraced mountainsides, include wheat, coffee, cotton, indigo, ginger, vegetables, and palms. The region also supports
cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ma ...
, sheep, goats, and
camel A camel (from: la, camelus and grc-gre, κάμηλος (''kamēlos'') from Hebrew or Phoenician: גָמָל ''gāmāl''.) is an even-toed ungulate in the genus ''Camelus'' that bears distinctive fatty deposits known as "humps" on its back. C ...
s.


Biodiversity

The region's difficult terrain has helped preserve the region's unique biodiversity. Several new Myxomycetes fungi species have been discovered in the region, as have a variety of previously undiscovered plants. Asir is also thought to be one of the last natural habitats of the
Arabian leopard The Arabian leopard (''Panthera pardus nimr'') is a leopard subspecies native to the Arabian Peninsula. It has been listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List since 1996 as fewer than 200 wild individuals were estimated to be alive in ...
. and also the
Asir magpie The Asir magpie (''Pica asirensis''), also known as the Arabian magpie, is a highly endangered species of magpie endemic to Saudi Arabia. It is only found in the country's southwestern highlands, in the Asir Region. It occurs only in African juni ...
, believed to be down to its last 135 pairs.


Gallery

File:Abha1.jpg,
Abha Abha ( ar, أَبْهَا, ') is the capital of 'Asir Region in Saudi Arabia, with a population of 1,093,705 as of 2021. It is situated above sea level in the fertile Asir Mountains of south-western Saudi Arabia, near Asir National Park. Abha ...
city, located above sea level in the
'Asir Region The ʿAsir Region ( ar, عَسِيرٌ, ʿAsīr, lit=difficult) is a region of Saudi Arabia located in the southwest of the country that is named after the ʿAsīr tribe. It has an area of and an estimated population of 2,211,875 (2017). It is ...
File:Living on the verge of Habala Valley.jpg, Habala Valley near
Abha Abha ( ar, أَبْهَا, ') is the capital of 'Asir Region in Saudi Arabia, with a population of 1,093,705 as of 2021. It is situated above sea level in the fertile Asir Mountains of south-western Saudi Arabia, near Asir National Park. Abha ...
File:Alsooda0002.jpg,
Al Souda Soudah (Arabic: ٱلسّوْدَة), is a mountainous area in the Asir region of Saudi Arabia. At 3,015 metres (9,893 ft) above sea level, the area is known for its dense juniper tree covered mountains. The area is currently experiencing susta ...
h File:منظر من بلاد قبيلة حوالة4.jpeg, Jabal Atherb, as seen from Ḥawālah in
Bareq Bareq ( ar, بارق; also transliterated as '), is one of the governorates of Asir in the north-west of the region, north of Abha. It occupies a distinct location midway between Tihama and Asir, above sea level. With an estimated populati ...


See also

*
Geography of Saudi Arabia The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a country situated in Southwest Asia, the largest country of Arabia, by the Arabian Peninsula, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen. Its extensive coastlines on the Persian Gulf and Red Sea ...
*
List of mountains in Saudi Arabia This is an (incomplete) list of mountains in Saudi Arabia. Peaks over 3,000 m Peaks over 2,500 m }) , 2,965 * , As-Sarawat , 'Asir Region , Al-Harjah , , - , Jabal Warrab ( ar, جبل وراب) , 2,948 * , As-Sarawat , 'Asir Regi ...
*
Wildlife of Saudi Arabia The wildlife of Saudi Arabia is substantial and varied. Saudi Arabia is a very large country forming the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula. It has several geographic regions, each with a diversity of plants and animals adapted to their own particular ...
**
Arabian leopard The Arabian leopard (''Panthera pardus nimr'') is a leopard subspecies native to the Arabian Peninsula. It has been listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List since 1996 as fewer than 200 wild individuals were estimated to be alive in ...
** Hamadryas baboon **
Asir magpie The Asir magpie (''Pica asirensis''), also known as the Arabian magpie, is a highly endangered species of magpie endemic to Saudi Arabia. It is only found in the country's southwestern highlands, in the Asir Region. It occurs only in African juni ...
*
Wildlife of Yemen The wildlife of Yemen is substantial and varied. Yemen is a large country in the southern half of the Arabian Peninsula with several geographic regions, each with a diversity of plants and animals adapted to their own particular habitats. As well as ...


References


Further reading

*
A Journey Through the Tihama, the 'Asir, and the
Hijaz Mountains The Hijaz Mountains ( ar, جِبَال ٱلْحِجَاز, Jibāl al-Ḥijāz ()) or "Hejaz Range" is a mountain range located in the Hejazi region of western Saudi Arabia. The range runs north and south along the eastern coast of the Red Se ...
'', by Wilfred Thesiger {{Authority control Mountain ranges of Saudi Arabia 'Asir Province Southwestern Arabian foothills savanna