Asia - The Middle East

The Middle East

The Middle Eastern countries lie on the Arabian Peninsula, southwest of Russia and northeast of Africa, separated from the African continent by the Red Sea and from Europe in the northwest by the Mediterranean Sea. This area stretches from Turkey in the northwest to Yemen in the south, which is bordered by the Arabian Sea. In general, the climate is extremely dry, and much of the area is still a desertwilderness. Precipitation is low, so the fertile regions of the middle east lie around the rivers or in valleys which drain the mountains. Much of the coastal areas are very arid, and the vegetation is mostly desert scrub.