Geography of Iraq

Here is an article about the Geography of Iraq that I recently wrote for another website. I realized I should probably post it here as well as it is, of course, about geography! So, here you go:

How to Know the Geography of Iraq

"Iraq is a country in Southwest Asia ("Middle East") that is bordered by Iran, Turkey, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, and the Persian Gulf. Iraq has obviously been featured heavily in the world's news media for many years now for a variety of reasons, mainly the United States' involvement in the country. However, despite all this attention and involvement by the U.S., very few people seem to actually know about Iraq's Geography. Geography, after all, sets the stage and foundation for everything else that occurs on the landscape. Therefore, this article is here to help you learn a little bit about the geography of Iraq.

Major Geographic Facts About Iraq: 

-Official Name = Republic of Iraq, Jumhūriyat Al-ʿIrāq (Arabic), Komarê Iraq (Kurdish) 

-Population (2007 estimate) = 29,267,0004 (39th) 

-Capital (and largest city) = Baghdad (with 2006 population of around 7 million and metro population of around 9 million). 

-Official Languages = Arabic, Kurdish 

-Government = Developing Parliamentary Republic 

-Independence from the Ottoman Empire on October 1, 1919; from the United Kingdom on October 3, 1932. 

-GDP (PPP 2007 estimate) = Total $102.3 billion (61st); Per capita $3,600 (129th) 

-Currency = Iraqi Dinar -Time Zone = GMT+3

Physical Geography and Major Geographic Features of Iraq: In general, Iraq is comprised of four main geographical regions. (1) The desert in the west and southwest area of the country (part of the larger Syrian Desert) is sparsely populated by nomads. Wadis, which carry floodwaters during winter rains but remain dry during much of the year, run from the border to the Euphrates River through this region. (2) The rolling upland between the upper Tigris and Euphrates rivers (known as "Al Jazira", "The Island") is part of a larger geographic area that extends north into Turkey and west into Syria. Parts of this region may also be classified as desert due to low amounts of rainfall. (3) The highlands in the north and northeast region of the country extend from an area between Kirkuk and Mosul across to the mountainous borders with Iran and Turkey. In this region, broad steppes submit to mountain ranges towering from 3,300 ft. to 13,100 ft. This region supports some cultivation as well as grazing, but is also home to the majority of Iraq's Kurdish population and several of the great oil fields. (4) The alluvial plain through which the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers flow, begins north of Baghdad and extends southward all the way into the Persian Gulf. The two rivers carry large quantities of silt, which they deposit at a significant rate each year helping to continually build up the delta area, which is characterized by widespread marshland. Although the area in the alluvial plain between the two rivers is highly irrigated, the salinity of the soil (due to high than average salt contents of the two rivers) significantly decreases the amount of cultivation possible in this region.

Tigris River, Iraq

Climate: The Climate of Iraq is overwhelmingly characterized by desert or desert-like, arid conditions. The average temperatures in Iraq range from greater than 120 °F in July and August to well below freezing in January. Most rainfall and precipitation occurs from December through April and averages between 4 to 7 inches annually (A desert is an area characterized as having less than 10 inches of precipitation each year). The mountains in the northern area of Iraq are where above average rates of rainfall occur each year relative to the rest of the country. Around 90 percent of the annual rainfall occurs mostly in the winter months between December and March. Much of the remainder of the year is quite dry with little to no rainfall.

Baghdad, capital of Iraq, on the Tigris River

Human Geography and Settlement Patterns of Iraq: Obviously, the majority of human settlement in Iraq is clustered along the two major waterways of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, as well as other water sources. Since Iraq is dominated by an arid environment, these water sources are essential to sustaining life and agriculture. Because the Tigris/Euphrates valley is easily irrigated, it has been important to agriculture since times of early civilization. As Iraq is part of what was once known as the "Fertile Crescent" in Mesopotamia, present-day Iraq was home to such civilizations as the Sumerian, Babylonian, and Parthian cultures. Today, in fact, the economy of Iraq is largely based on agriculture, in addition to petroleum. Except for Baghdad, Iraq's capital and primate city, most Iraqis live in small villages. Additionally, several hundred thousand Iraqis are nomadic. Regarding religion, greater than 90 percent of Iraqis are followers of Islam (with the majority of Muslims in Iraq adhering to the Shiite branch of Islam). Iraq's human geography has undergone significant impact since the toppling of Saddam Hussein's government in 2003 by U.S. and coalition forces and the subsequent transitional government."

Original article by Paul McDaniel is located at:

"How to Know the Geography of Iraq" on eHow.com

Relevant Links:

• Iraq - CIA World Fact Book
  
• Iraq Background Notes - U.S. Department of State
  
• Permanent Mission of Iraq to the United Nations - Geography

Geography of China

In honor of 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing beginning today (8-8-08) I thought an overview of the geography of the People's Republic of China would be worthwhile. I'll begin with China's physical geography, and conclude with a discussion of China's human geography.

China is one of the largest countries in the world, stretching 3,100 miles (over 5,000 km) from the East China Sea and Yellow Sea in the east to Central Asia beyond the Plateau of Tibet in the west, and about 3,400 miles (5,500 km) from borders with Russia and Mongolia in the north to the South China Sea and borders with Vietnam, Laos, Burma, India, Bhutan, and Nepal in the south. The northern and western borders are in desert regions and the southwestern border is along the Himalayas, all of which form harsh natural barriers.

The topography of China may be pictured as an "erratically changing configuration of broad plains, expansive deserts, and lofty mountain ranges, including vast areas of inhospitable terrain. The eastern half of the country, its seacoast fringed with offshore islands, is a region of fertile lowlands, foothills and mountains, desert, steppes, and subtropical areas. The western half of China is a region of sunken basins, rolling plateaus, and towering massifs, including a portion of the highest tableland on earth."


The majority of China's population (and it is the most populous country in the world with more than 1.3 billion people - about one-sixth of the earth's population) live in eastern China. Eastern China is basically divided north-south by the Qinling mountains into two quite different regions. These mountains stretch east to west and separate the basins of the Huang He (Yellow River) in the north, and the Chiang Jiang (Yangtze River) in the south - two of the world's great river systems. The Chiang Jiang is the longest and most important river in China, beginning in the Tibet Plateau and flowing eastward across central China, finally emptying out into the East China Sea near Shanghai. Many large cities are located along this highly navigable river. And the famous Three Gorges, as well as the infamous Three Gorges Dam project, are located along the Chiang Jiang.

Northern China, west of Beijing and north of Tibet, is characterized by the vast Gobi Desert, one of the largest in the world.

Much of southwestern China is made up of the Plateau of Tibet, which averages 13,000 ft. in elevation. Tibet is bordered by the Himalaya Mountains to the South, and the Kunlun Shan, Tian Shan, and Altai mountains to the north and northwest.


South and Southeast China contain hilly and mountainous landscapes of karst topography. The beautiful scenery in Guangxi province near Guilin along the Li River is a product of karst topography.


In terms of climate, much of China is in the northern temperate zone. Colder climates abound in the north, while tropical climate is common in the south. Sub-arctic climate is characteristic of the extreme highlands in the Tibet Plateau and Himalayas. China is also affected by a seasonal monsoon. There is an alternating wet monsoon in the summer and a dry monsoon in winter. Summer monsoon winds bring warm and wet currents into South China and northward. The advance and retreat of the monsoons account in large degree for the timing of the rainy season and the amount of rainfall throughout the country. North China and southward are affected by the seasonal cold, dry winds from Siberia and the Mongolian Plateau between September/October and March/April.

China is divided into twenty-three provinces, five autonomous regions, four municipalities and two special administrative regions. The autonomous regions have traditionally been referred to as "Outer China" because they are located beyond the Great Wall of China.

China is one of the world's oldest, continuous civilizations, stretching across approximately 5,000 years of history. Han Chinese make up about 90 percent of China's population. The remaining 10 percent is made up of about 50 different ethnic groups speaking a variety of dialects with different cultural practices.

Shanghai is China's largest city, and sits at the mouth of the Chiang Jiang (Yangtze River) on the East China Sea. Large ships can navigate far up the Chiang Jiang to cities such as Nanjing, Wuhan, and Chongqing, all of which have populations of more than 8 million. The second most populous city in China is the capital, Beijing, which is situated in the northern area of the Huang He (Yellow River) plain. Guangzhou is another large and important city, the most famous port of south China, located on the Pearl River in the delta of the Xi River north of Hong Kong and Macau. The Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong (formerly British) and Macau (Formerly Portuguese) are of strategic economic importance. Hong Kong is a global financial and economic center and transportation hub. Other cities important as provincial capitals or centers of commerce and industry include: Harbin and Shenyang in the northeast, Chengdu in Sichuan province in central China, and Kunming in Yunnan province.

Despite large urban centers, rural life is still important in China. A large portion of China's population still live in small, rural farming villages throughout the countryside and work on the land. These villages are often only a few miles apart and are connected to each other by footpaths and cart tracks, and they are also usually centered around a market town where farmers can sell their produce. The most important food crops in China are rice and wheat.

Food is an import cultural marker in any culture, but is especially important in China. Chinese cuisine is famous throughout the world. Countless dishes in many styles of cooking using many ingredients are found in Chinese cuisine. Different regions of China are also famous for their own particular local flavors of Chinese cuisine.

Am extensive railway passenger network links most places in China with one another. Air travel is also an important mode of transportation domestically in China because of the country's vast size - just as it is in the United States.

See the following article for more detailed information on the Geography of China:
Geography of China

Stunning Photos Of China

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Geographic Superlatives

Well, it's about time for some more lists. This time I'm talking about geographic superlatives of the world - the highest, lowest, wettest, driest, longest, shortest, biggest, smallest, etc. of Earth's physical features. This is the type of information you will traditionally find in an Almanac. So, here we go:

Hottest, Coldest, Wettest, and Driest:
-Hottest Place: Dalol, Denakil Depression, Ethiopia, annual average temperature (93.2°F, 34°C).
-Coldest Place: Plateau Station, Antarctica, annual average temperature (-56.7°C).
-Wettest Place: Mawsynram, Assam, India, annual average rainfall (11,873 mm, 467.4"); Mt. Waialeale on Hawaii's Kauai Island is also a contender with an estimated 472" of rainfall in a year.
-Driest Place: Atacama Desert, Chile, imperceptible rainfall on a yearly basis.

Highest points on each continent:
-Mount Everest 8850m (29035ft) Asia
-Aconcagua 6959m (22831ft) S. America
-Mount McKinley 6194m (20320ft) N. America
-Mount Kilimanjaro 5963m (19563ft) Africa
-Mount Elbrus 5633m (18481ft) Europe
-Puncak Jaya 4884m (16023ft) Oceania
-Vinson Massif 4897m (16066ft) Antarctica

Lowest points on each continent (below sea level):
-Dead Sea, Asia -409 meters
-Lake Assal, Africa -156 meters
-Death Valley, North America -86 meters
-Valdés Peninsula, South America -40 meters
-Caspian Sea, Europe -28 meters
-Lake Eyre, Australia -16 meters
-Antarctica (ice covered) -2,538 meters

Deepest ocean depths:
-Mariana Trench, Pacific Ocean 35,827 ft
-Puerto Rico Trench, Atlantic Ocean 30,246 ft
-Java Trench, Indian Ocean 24,460 ft
-Arctic Basin, Arctic Ocean 18,456 ft

Deepest lakes:
-Baikal, Russian Fed. (5,315 ft)
-Tanganyika, Africa (4,800 ft)
-Caspian Sea, Asia-Europe (3,363 ft)
-Malawi or Nyasa, Africa (2,317 ft)
-Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan (2,303 ft)

Driest inhabited places (rainfall in inches per year):
-Aswan, Egypt 0.02"
-Luxor, Egypt 0.03"
-Arica Desert, Chile 0.04"
-Ica, Peru 0.1"
-Antofagasta, Chile 0.2"
-El Minya, Egypt 0.2"
-Asyut, Egypt 0.2"

Wettest inhabited places (rainfall in inches per year):
-Buenaventira, Colombia 267"
-Monrovia, Liberia 202"
-Pago Pago, American Samoa 198"
-Moulein, Burma (Myanmar 192"
-Lae, Papua New Guinea 183"
-Baguio, Philippines180"
-Sylhet, Bangladesh 178"

Largest deserts of the world:
(Subtropical):
Sahara, North Africa 3,500,000 sq. miles
Arabian, Middle East 1,000,000 sq. miles
Great Victoria, Australia 250,000 sq. miles
Rub'al Khali, Middle East 250,000 sq. miles
Kalahari, Southern Africa 225,000 sq. miles
Syrian, Middle East 200,000 sq. miles
Chihuahuan, Mexico 175,000 sq. miles
Thar, India/Pakistan175,000 sq. miles
Great Sandy, Australia 150,000 sq. miles
Gibson, Australia 120,000 sq. miles
Sonoran, S.W. USA 120,000 sq. miles
Mohave, S,W, USA 54,000 sq. miles
(Cool Coastal):
Atacama, Chile SA 54,000 sq. miles
Namib, S.W. Africa 13,000 sq. miles
(Cold Winter):
Gobi, China 500,000 sq. miles
Patagonian, Argentina 260,000 sq. miles
Great Basin, S.W. USA 190,000 sq. miles
Kara-Kum, West Asia 135,000 sq. miles
Colorado, Western USA 130,000 sq. miles
(also called the Painted Desert)
Taklamakan, China 105,000 sq. miles
Iranian, Iran 100,000 sq. miles

Longest Rivers in the World

Well, here's another list - this time related to the natural environment. This is a list of the longest rivers in the world. However, you'll quickly note that rivers aren't only important to the natural environment. They may be viewed as the arteries and lifelines of continents. Rivers not only drain large areas of land, but they also allow for human use by allowing transportation and the movement of people, resources, and goods across continents. Rivers also grant shipping access to and from the world's oceans. As you can see, rivers are an important environmental feature for many reasons. In this listing, I list the River name, length in miles and kilometers, and the body of water for the river's outflow. So, here is the list of the world's longest and most important rivers.

The River Nile at Aswan, Egypt

1. Nile, 4135 mi, 6650 km, Mediterranean Sea
2. Amazon, 3980 mi, 6400 km, Atlantic Ocean
3. Yangtze (Chiang Jiang), 3917 mi, 6300 km, East China Sea
4. Mississippi/Missouri, 3902 mi, 6275 km, Gulf of Mexico
5. Yenisei/Angara/Selenga, 3445 mi, 5539 km, Kara Sea
6. Yellow (Huang He), 3398 mi, 5464 km, Bohai Sea
7. Ob/Irtysh, 3364 mi, 5410 km, Gulf of Ob
8. Congo/Chambeshi, 2922 mi, 4700 km, Atlantic Ocean
9. Amur/Argun, 2763 mi, 4444 km, Sea of Okhotsk
10. Lena, 2736 mi, 4400 km, Laptev Sea
11. Mekong, 2705 mi, 4350 km, South China Sea
12. Mackenzie/Peace/Finlay, 2637 mi, 4241 km, Beaufort Sea
13. Niger, 2611 mi, 4200 km, Gulf of Guinea
14. Parana (Rio de la Plata), 2486 mi, 3998 km, Atlantic Ocean
15. Volga, 2266 mi, 3645 km, Caspian Sea

Amazon River Landscape, South America

Yangtze River (Chang Jiang), People's Republic of China

For a much longer and more detailed listing of the longest rivers in the world, see this article:
List of Rivers by Length

National Parks

I really enjoy visiting national parks. It gives me a real rush. Many national parks contain so much exciting, beautiful, and sometimes quite literally breathtaking sights and scenery. Although the United States contains the most extensive national park system, many countries around the world create national parks to preserve what they deem to be their most spectacular natural scenery and most important historical and cultural items.

For a geographer like me, visiting these magnificent places is quite a thrill. Since geography is such a broad field, from the physical sciences to the social, there is so much for a geographer to get excited about in national parks. How did the spectacular scenery within a particular park form, how did come to be the way it is, how does it continue to change today, and in what way will it change in the future? What is the human history and impact on the landscape in and around a particular park? And how has the land in this particular area shaped and impacted human activity in the past and how does it continue to do so? These questions and many more are part of why I get excited every time I plan a visit to a national park.

With this in mind, I would like to include here bits and pieces of an article I previously wrote for another website. Here, I describe the highlights and offer an overview of the top five most visited national parks in the United States. A link to the original article appears below the article text. Enjoy!
"How to Visit the Top Five National Parks"

Original Article by Paul McDaniel:
How to Visit the Top Five National Parks - eHow.com

This article describes major attractions in the top five most visited national parks in the United States' National Park Service (based on number of visitors in 2006). These parks include Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Yosemite National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and Olympic National Park. Armed with this information, you will be better equipped to plan your trip to some of the most visited and spectacular national parks in the United States. For more detailed information on each park, be sure to check each park's webpage on the National Park Service website (links listed in the additional resources section below).

Top Five National Park #1: Great Smoky Mountains National Park - On the Tennessee/North Carolina border, the Great Smoky Mountains are ancient, but are also some of the highest in the eastern United States. Most visitors to Great Smoky Mountains travel through the park along U.S. Highway 441 (Newfound Gap Road) between the Sugarlands Visitor Center near Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and the Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee, North Carolina. Many attractions are located along this route, including many hiking trails and trailheads, picnic areas, and sights such as the Chimney Tops, Alum Cave Bluffs trailhead (to Mount LeConte via Alum Cave Bluffs), Newfound Gap (with access to the Appalachian trail), the road to Clingman's Dome, and several waterfalls. Another popular area of the park is Cades Cove (a farming valley with several preserved or restored structures), accessible via a road from the Sugarlands Visitor Center, or from Townsend, Tennessee. Laurel Falls is a popular waterfall along the road from Sugarlands to Cades Cove. Backpacking and camping are also popular in the park. Other, more remote areas of the park are also worth visiting: Mt. Sterling, Cosby area, Greenbriar area, Elkmont area, and Cataloochee Valley area.


Top Five National Park #2: Grand Canyon National Park - In northwest Arizona along the Colorado River, the Grand Canyon is considered one of the top natural wonders of the world because of its size as well as its display of over two billion years of geologic history. Most visitors to the Grand Canyon arrive by car via Arizona Highway 64 to the South Rim and the Grand Canyon Village area (where the main visitor center and park headquarters are located). The Grand Canyon Village has many amenities for visitors, including several restaurants and national park lodges. Highway 64 enters the park at both the South Entrance near Tusayan, and the East Entrance near Desert View, and travels along the canyon rim in between. Many overlooks for spectacular views of the canyon are found along this route, including Hermit's Rest, Yavapai Point, Moran Point, and Desert View (with a stone watchtower). Hiking down into the canyon is also popular, but strenuous. The Bright Angel Trail from Grand Canyon Village is the most maintained trail down into the canyon. Bring plenty of water!! The North Rim visitors area (only open in summer months) of the canyon is more remote by car (although it is only 10 air miles from the south rim). Popular points at the North Rim are Bright Angel Point, Point Imperial, and Cape Royal.


Top Five National Park #3: Yosemite National Park - in the Sierra Nevada of California. Designated a World Heritage Site in 1984, Yosemite is internationally recognized for its spectacular granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams, Giant Sequoia groves, and biological diversity. As much of the park is wilderness area, most visitors choose to drive through and within the park and see sights from the roadway. Most people enter the park from the west entrances via California Highway 120 (CA-120) or CA-140, or from the southern entrance via CA-41. An east entrance via Tioga Pass, also on CA-120, is only open during summer months after the snow has melted. As of writing this article, there is a $20 entrance fee per vehicle. The most developed area of the park is in Yosemite Valley (open year round, with food and lodging, and the main park visitor center), where many of the famous sights are located. You may drive several loop roads through the valley, which is flanked on either side by sheer granite cliffs thousands of feet high. The most famous sites here include El Capitan (the largest exposed granite monolith in the world, with its sheer cliff face popular with climbers), Half Dome (another granite monolith, which people may hike to the summit), several waterfalls such as Yosemite Falls (one of the highest in the world) and Bridal Veil Falls, and wildlife. Yosemite Valley may be quite crowded in summer months (there is also a free shuttle bus system for visitors in the valley). Glacier Point is another popular site with visitors, with its spectacular and literally breathtaking views of Yosemite Valley below, Yosemite Village, El Capitan, Half Dome, various waterfalls, and the surround high country of the Sierra Nevada Range. It is at the end of Glaciar Point Road, and is several thousand feet higher than Yosemite Valley. The Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias is also a popular place for visitors, located near the southern entrance of the park. Visitors may hike through the grove on a series of loop trails, or take a shuttle bus tour during peak times. Another site is Tuolumne Meadows along Tioga Road (CA-120) heading towards Tioga Pass in the eastern part of the park (open summer and fall only).


Top Five National Park #4: Yellowstone National Park - in northwest Wyoming and parts of Idaho and Montana. Yellowstone is the world's first national park, established on March 1, 1872. It is known for its wildlife and geothermal features, especially Old Faithful Geyser, one of the most popular areas in the park. The geothermal features are a result of hot spot beneath the park, and much of the park contains the Yellowstone Caldera, one of the largest supervolcanoes in the world (and has erupted with tremendous force several times over the past two million years). Most visitors combine a visit to the park with a visit to Grand Teton National Park, just to the south connected by the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway. There are entrances on all sides of the park (and there is currently a $25 per private vehicle entrance fee). The road network through and within the park is outstanding, and allows motorists the opportunity to visit most of the famous sites. There are several visitor centers located throughout the park, nearby some of the more prominent features. The most popular sites include Old Faithful Geyser (next to the Old Faithful Inn, an old national park lodge built in the grand style), Yellowstone Falls and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone (and Artist Point), the abundant wildlife visible throughout the park (never approach wildlife! They are in fact...wild!), West Thumb Geyser Basin and Yellowstone Lake, Grand Prismatic Spring, and Mammoth Hot Springs. In several of the geyser basins, wooden boardwalks and walkways allow visitors to closely approach the geothermal features (don't step off the walkways though!). Camping, lodging, and food facilities are also abundant throughout the park near to the major visitor areas, as are over 1,100 miles of hiking trails.


Top Five National Park #5: Olympic National Park - On the Olympic Peninsula, in western Washington state, in the Pacific Northwest. The park can be divided into three main regions: the Pacific coastline, the Olympic Mountains, and the temperate rainforest (one of the few remaining in North America). In 1976, Olympic National Park became an International Biosphere Reserve, and in 1981 it was designated a World Heritage Site. In 1988, almost all of the Olympic Peninsula was designated as the Olympic Wilderness, further enhancing the protection of the region. Most visitors arrive by car via U.S. Highway 101, which traverses the Pacific coastal section of the park, and a northern portion of the park west of Port Angeles. There are other spur roads leading into the park from various points as well. The coastal section is typical of the Pacific coast - beautifully rugged and rocky, interspersed with sandy beaches. The center of the park is home to the Olympic Mountains, jagged rocky mountain peaks crowned by ancient glaciers. The highest point is Mount Olympus at 7,965 ft. The Olympic Mountains create a drier rain shadow in the eastern part of the park. In the western part of the park, between the coast and the Olympic Mountains, is the temperate rainforest, including the Hoh and the Quinalt Rainforests. This is the wettest area in the continental United States, receiving more rain than any other part of the country (the island of Kauai, in Hawaii, is actually the wettest place in the entire U.S.). Although few roads penetrate far into the park area, there is a well-maintained network of hiking trails. Many visitors choose to backpack into and camp within the wilderness areas of the park's interior.

Original Article by Paul McDaniel:
How to Visit the Top Five National Parks - eHow.com