The highlands, which will be discussed in this article, are the driest and largest of all the Near East. It is framed on all sides by high ridges located in several rows, converging in the west and east and forming the Pamir and Armenian nodes of crowding.
About where the Iranian Plateau is located, about the features of its relief, about the flora and fauna of these places, as well as other information can be found in this article.
General geological information
Geologically, the Iranian Plateau is one of the parts of the Eurasian Plate, which was sandwiched between the Hindustan Plate and the Arabian Platform.
Folded mountains here alternate with plains and intermountain depressions. The depressions between the mountains are filled with huge strata of detrital loose material that got there from the surrounding mountains. The lowest parts of the depressions were once occupied by lakes that have long dried up and left large layers of gypsum and s alt.
Geographic location of the Iranian Highlands
Iranian -the largest upland in terms of strike area in Asia Minor. Moreover, most of it is located within Iran, and it enters Afghanistan and Pakistan from the east.
The northern part extends to the south of Turkmenistan, while the southern part captures the border with Iraq. Large expanses are occupied by the Iranian Plateau. Its coordinates: 12.533333° - latitude, 41.385556° - longitude.
Landscapes
The described highlands are characterized by a consistent alternation of mountainous vast plateaus and lowlands with mountain ranges, a rather dry climate and the predominance of semi-desert and desert landscapes. Chains of mountains located on the outskirts separate the inner parts of the plateau from the coastal lowlands. The latter are also partly included within this region.
These outlying mountain ranges converge in the Armenian Highlands (in the northwest) and in the Pamirs (in the northeast), forming huge mountain knots. And within the very highlands, the outlying chains are significantly removed from each other, and in the areas between them there are numerous depressions, mountain ranges and plateaus.
The origin of the name of the highlands
The Iranian Plateau is located on a vast territory, the area of which is approximately 2.7 million square meters. kilometers, and its length is from West to East 2500 kilometers, from North to South - 1500 km. Its largest part is located on the territory of Iran (occupies about 2/3 of the area), in connection with which the highland has such a name. The rest covers some parts of the territories of Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Its small northern outskirts lie within the Turkmen-Khorasan mountains (part of the Kopetdag mountain), and its western sections - in the territories of Iraq.
Relief
Huge territories are occupied by the Iranian Plateau. Its highest point is in its interior regions.
Practically the entire system of southern outlying areas has characteristic, almost identical features of relief and structure. The mountains here have approximately the same height (from 1500 to 2500 meters) and only in the central part (Zagros) reach a height of more than 4000 m.
The ridges are parallel chains of mountains, composed of folded Cenozoic and Mesozoic rocks, between which there are wide depressions (altitudes from 1500 to 2000 meters).
There are also numerous transverse gorges here, but they are so wild and narrow that it is almost impossible to get through them. But there are such transverse through valleys, wider and more accessible, through which paths pass, connecting the coast and the interior regions of the highlands.
The inner part of the highlands is clearly limited by mountain arcs. Elbrus is located in the northern arc along with the Damavend volcano (its height is 5604 m). Also here are the Turkmen-Khorasan mountains (including the Kopetdag), Paropamiz, Hindu Kush (the city of Tirichmir with a peak height of 7690 m is the highest peak of the Iranian Highlands).
Some of the many highest peaks of the highlands formed from extinct or dying volcanoes.
Minerals of IranianHighlands
The mineral resources of the highlands are little explored and little exploited, but they appear to be very large. The main we alth of the region is oil, considerable reserves of which are concentrated and developed in Iran (southwest). These deposits are confined to the Mesozoic and Miocene deposits of the foothill trough (Zagros Mountain). It is also known about the existence of hydrocarbon reserves in the north of Iran, in the regions of the South Caspian lowland (region of Iranian Azerbaijan).
The Iranian Plateau has in its deposits and coal (in the basins of the marginal mountains of the northern part). Deposits of lead, copper, iron, gold, zinc, etc. are known. They are located in the interior and in the marginal ranges of the Iranian Highlands, but their development is still insignificant.
The reserves of s alts are also huge: common s alt, Glauber's and potash. In the southern part, the s alt is of Cambrian age and is located in the form of powerful s alt domes that come to the surface. There are s alt deposits in many other areas, and they are deposited along the shores of numerous s alt lakes in the central reaches of the highlands.
Climatic conditions
Almost completely the Iranian Plateau is located within the subtropical zone. Its inner parts, as noted above, are surrounded by mountains. This determines the climate of the Iranian Highlands and its features - dryness, high temperatures in summer, and its continentality.
Most of the precipitation falls within the highlands in winter and spring periodsthe polar front, along which air from the Atlantic enters along it with cyclones. Due to the fact that the ridges intercept most of the moisture, the total amount of precipitation is small in these places.
For example, inland areas (Dashte-Lut and others) receive less than 100 mm of precipitation during the year, the western mountain slopes - up to 500 mm, and the eastern - no more than 300 mm. Only the coast of the Caspian Sea and Elbrus (its northern slope) receive up to 2 thousand mm of precipitation, which is brought by northern winds from the Caspian Sea zones in summer. In these places, there is high air humidity, which is difficult to bear even by the local population.
The Iranian Plateau has an average July temperature in large areas of the territory - within 24 °C. In areas of the lowlands, especially the southern ones, it usually reaches 32°C. There are also areas where the summer temperature reaches 40-50 degrees, which is associated with the formation of tropical air over these areas. Winters are cold in most of the region. Only the South Caspian lowlands (extreme south) have an average January temperature of 11-15°С.
Plant world
The amount of precipitation, the periods and duration of their fall on the highlands determine the characteristics of soils and the natural vegetation growing on them. The Iranian highlands have forests that are distributed only in some areas on the mountain slopes, on the sides facing the moist winds.
Especially dense and rich in composition, broad-leaved forests grow on the South Caspian lowland and onslopes of Elbrus adjacent to it up to heights of approximately 2000 m.
Most of all here there are chestnut-leaved oaks and its other species, hornbeam, beech, Caspian locust, iron ore (endemic South Caspian), evergreen boxwoods. Shrubs (undergrowth) - hawthorn, pomegranate, cherry plum. Climbing plants - wild vineyard, ivy, blackberry and clematis.
Low-lying forests alternate with swampy areas overgrown with reeds and sedges. Orchards, citrus plantations, rice fields (in wetter areas) extend near settlements.
Oak, ash, maple interspersed with myrtle and pistachios grow on the southern slopes of Zagros. Pistachio forests and tree-like junipers are also found on the well-irrigated slopes of the Turkmen-Khorasan mountains, in the Suleymanov and Paropamiz mountains. The level above is dominated by bushes and beautiful alpine meadows.
Animal World
The Iranian Highlands, as part of its fauna, has elements of the Mediterranean, as well as neighboring regions: South Asia and Africa.
Some representatives of the Central Asian fauna also live in the north. In addition to such inhabitants of the northern forests as roe deer and brown bear, there are also predators of the tropics - leopards and tigers. Wild boars also live in swampy thickets.
In the inner part of the highlands, on its plains, sheep and mountain goats, goitered antelopes, wild cats, various rodents and jackals live. Mongooses and gazelles are found in the southern territories.
A huge variety of birds found their home in these places, especiallyin lakeside and riverine thickets and swamps: ducks, geese, flamingos, gulls. And in the forests you can meet pheasants, in more open desert areas - jay, sandgrouse and some birds of prey.
In conclusion about some problems of the highlands
Virtually the entire region suffers from lack of water. Only a few sites are provided with it. Full-flowing rivers flowing into the Caspian Sea flow only in the north. Most of the watercourses on the territory of the Iranian Highlands do not have a constant flow and are replenished with water only during rains or showers.
Part of the rivers in their upper reaches have a permanent flow, and in their middle and lower reaches they dry up for quite a long time. Several small rivers flow into the bays (Oman and Persian). The main part of the upland rivers (including the largest, Helmand, its length is 1000 km) belongs to the basins of internal flow, they flow into s alt lakes or end in s alt marshes or swamps of the plains. Their role is small: they are not navigable, they are practically no sources of energy.
These streams are widely used for irrigation. Along the rivers, as well as in the territories, when water sources emerge from the mountains, magnificent oases turn green.
