The Mountains Adaptations

One adaptation is terracing.  This is when people create flat platforms on the side of hills and mountains so they can grow crops.  The people used dams and irrigation systems along with the terracing to growth their crops in the mountains.  Another adaptation is that their houses were made out of mud bricks.

The Mountains

The mountains in the Arabian Peninsula are as tall as 12,000 feet high.  The rain and the elevation help keep the mountain region cool.  Old dry river beds fill with water during heavy rain storms.

mountains in Arabian Peninsula

Dry river in mountains 

The Coastal Plain Adaptations

One adaptation the Arabs used to help grow crops in the coastal plain was irrigation.  This allowed them to get water to their crops by using dams, wells, and other systems. They stored rainwater in canals and reservoirs and used it to aid them in growing their crops.  Another adaptation the Arabs on the coastal plains developed was a system of trade.  Since they had access to seaports along the coast, they traded with other cultures across the waters.

The Coastal Plain

The coastal plain of the Arabian Peninsula ranges from 5 to 40 miles inland from the coast.  The coastal plain has some natural harbors and many dry river beds.  Since the climate of this area is damp and rainy, the dry river beds sometimes fill with water.

The Oases Adaptations

One way the Arabs have adapted is to use the land around oases to grow crops.  Some nomads became sedentary and settled around the oases where cities and towns formed.  The farmers in the settlements bartered with the nomads who passed through.  Nomads traded goods for the farmers' crops.

The Oases

Oases are places where water has seeped to the surface to form a spring or water hole above the trapped underground water.  Oases vary in size, and plant life grows around them.

The Desert Adaptations

One way the Arabs have adapted to the desert is by becoming nomadic. They are nomadic because they need to keep moving to find resources in the desert, especially water and plants.  They also wear loose fitting clothing and cotton headdresses to protect themselves from the heat, dust, and flies.

The Desert

The desert environment in the Arabian Peninsula is very dry and has crazy temperatures. Temperatures during the day can reach 120 degrees and at night temperatures can drop below freezing.  Since there is almost no rainfall in the desert, there are many droughts.  When it does rain, it comes in a torrent and causes flash floods.

Desert in Saudi Arabia

Another desert in Saudi Arabia