TERRAIN: Topography of Yemen is very variable. Both, narrow coastal plain, parallel to Red Sea called Tihama (western mountains: NW-SW) and the plain along the Arabic sea (eastern and southern mountains: SW-SE) are backed by flat-topped hills and rugged mountains. Dissected upland desert plains in centre slope into the desert interior of the Arabian Peninsula called Ar Ruba-al-Khali. Among the desert and SE mountains lies the complex of wadis called Hadramawt. Seas: in the south: Arabic sea, on the east: Red sea. Both seas stitch together in the strait Bab al Mandab. Mountains: The highest mountain is Jabal an Nabi Shu`ayb 3760 m. CLIMATE: Yemen lies in the Sahel belt and shares many features with African countries at around same latitude. Its because of high mountain ridges laying parallel to the coast and trapping the moisture from winds blowing in from the nearby seas, that the country does not suffer the lack of water. As a result Yemen is one of the most arable spots on Arabian Peninsula. Because of extensively variable topography Yemen has several distinct climate regions. The hot lands of Tihama are characterised by hot and humid climate year round. The rainfall is scanty with most rains between late July and September, while during the rest of the year only occasional showers appear. The western and southern slopes of the western highlands collect the highest amount of rainfall that makes these regions (governorate of Taizz and Ibb) the most fertile on Arabian Peninsula. The central and eastern mountains have hot and dry summer with most of the rains in two seasons: March-April and August. Daily temperatures does not vary much during the year (daily temperature in Sanaa is always around 25-30 °C) while night temperatures drop to 10 °C in July or to zero in the winter time. To the east and north the rains become less frequent, ceasing altogether in the northern central parts of the country where the stony semi deserts gradually turn into sandy deserts of Ar-Rubaal-Khali with desert climate. Where today only grasses and shrubs survive was in the past enough water to sustain entire civilisations. In the eastern part of the country Wadi Hadramawt with its neighbouring wadis collect scanty rains in April and August. However this water is enough to allow a sizeable population to derive living from agriculture.
Posted on: Sun, 09 Mar 2014 09:37:51 +0000
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