Jizan Region also spelled Jazan ( ar, جيزان, Jizan) is the second smallest (after
Al Bahah
Al Bahah ( ar, ٱلْبَاحَة, ') is a city in the Hejazi area of western Saudi Arabia. It is the capital of Al Bahah Region, and is one of the Kingdom's prime tourist attractions. It enjoys a pleasant climate and is surrounded by more than ...
)
region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...
of
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the Ara ...
. It stretches along the southern
Red Sea
The Red Sea ( ar, البحر الأحمر - بحر القلزم, translit=Modern: al-Baḥr al-ʾAḥmar, Medieval: Baḥr al-Qulzum; or ; Coptic: ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϩⲁϩ ''Phiom Enhah'' or ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϣⲁⲣⲓ ''Phiom ǹšari''; ...
coast, just north of
Yemen
Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the north and Oman to the northeast and ...
. It covers an area of 11,671 km
2 and has a population of 1,567,547 at the 2017 census. The region has the highest population density in the
Kingdom. The capital is the city of
Jazan;
Prince Muhammad bin Nasser has been the Governor since April 2001.
The region includes over 100 islands in the Red Sea. Jazan Economic City is a mega project that is planned to boost the economy of the region and make it part of the Saudi economic growth. The
Farasan Islands, Saudi Arabia's first conservation protected area, is home to migratory birds from Europe in winter.
Geography
The region divides into three parts.
* The
Al-Sarawat mountains inland, which rise to about 3,000 metres.
* The Alhazoun forest district consists of forest broken by some areas of rich pasture.
* The plains are noted for the production of coffee beans, cereal grain crops (barley, millet and wheat) and fruit (apples, bananas, grapes, mangoes, papayas, plums and citrus varieties).
Though the climate on the highlands is similar to the relatively wetter climate of 'Asir, the coastal regions of Jizan province are part of
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 ...
, probably the hottest place in the country, with mean maximum temperatures ranging from 40 °C (104 °F) in July to 31 °C (88 °F) in January. High humidity from coastal
lagoon
A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into '' coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons ...
s makes the climate even less bearable than it would be otherwise.
Rainfall
Rain is water droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. It provides water f ...
is extremely low at less than 75 millimetres (3 inches) per year.
Sabya is located in the center between the mountain and the beach.
Population
Sub-divisions
The region is sub-divided into 14 governorates as follows:
Ethnography
The
Arabic language
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...
is spoken by over 90% of the inhabitants. Parts of Jizan was claimed to be part of
Yemen
Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the north and Oman to the northeast and ...
by many Yemen. It was annexed by Saudi Arabia during the
Saudi–Yemeni War (1934)
The Saudi–Yemeni War ( ar, الحرب السعودية اليمنية) was a war between Saudi Arabia and the Kingdom of Yemen in 1934.
Background
Ibn Saud, the founder of Saudi Arabia, had named himself King of the Nejd, following the c ...
and Imam Yahya suspended Yemen's claim to the region in the
treaty of Taif. Though many Yemenis continued to claim Jizan until the issue was settled formally and finally in the Saudi-Yemeni border agreement of 2000.
Environmental projects
In 2019, the Saudi Government allocated $213 million to implement water and environmental projects in the region. Such projects include, installing a sewage treatment line, sewage network, sewage connections for households, and a station for pumping.
References
Further reading
* S.I. Bruk, Narody Peredney Azii (1960).
* S.I. Bruk, and V. S. Apenchenko, Atlas Narodov Mira (Moscow: Academy of Science, 1964).
* A. Gabriel, Religionsgeographie von Persien (Vienna, 1971).
External links
Official website
A travel through the province of Jizan Splendid Arabia: A travel site with photos and routes
{{Authority control
Provinces of Saudi Arabia