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Asir Mountains
A rocky mountain in the range
Naming
Native name	جِبَال عَسِيْر (Arabic)
Geography
Asir MountainsLocation in Saudi ArabiaShow map of Saudi ArabiaAsir MountainsAsir Mountains (Middle East)Show map of Middle EastAsir MountainsAsir Mountains (West and Central Asia)Show map of West and Central Asia
Country	Saudi Arabia
Region	Arabian Peninsula
Range coordinates	21°36′N 39°48′E / 21.6°N 39.8°E / 21.6; 39.8

The Asir Mountains (Arabic: جِبَال عَسِيْر, jibāl ʿasīr; Arabic pronunciation: [d͡ʒɪbaːl ʕasiːr] ('Difficult')) is a mountainous region in southwestern Saudi Arabia running parallel to the Red Sea. It comprises areas in the Region of 'Asir, but generally, it also includes areas near the border with Yemen. The mountains cover approximately 100,000 square kilometres (40,000 sq mi) and consists of mountains, plains, and valleys of the Arabian highlands. Sensu lato, they are part of the Sarawat Mountains, defining the latter as the mountain range which runs parallel to the Tihamah throughout the western portion of the Arabian Peninsula, particularly the western parts of Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

Geology

The mountains consist primarily of sedimentary rock, limestone, sandstone and shale, of Jurassic, Cretaceous and Paleogene origin on a Precambrian granitic basement.

Climate and agriculture

The region has the highest average rainfall of Saudi Arabia due to largely seasonal rain. Average rainfall can range from 600 millimetres (24 in) to over 1,000 millimetres (39 in) per year, in wet regions. The eastern plains and plateaus receive much lower amounts, from 500 millimetres (20 in) to below 100 millimetres (3.9 in) per year.

The region's crops, most of which are cultivated on steeply terraced mountainsides, include wheat, coffee, cotton, indigo, ginger, vegetables, and palms. The region also supports cattle, sheep, goats, and camels.

Biodiversity

The region's difficult terrain has helped preserve the region's unique biodiversity. Several new Myxomycetes fungi species have been discovered in the region, as have a variety of previously undiscovered plants. Asir is also thought to be one of the last natural habitats of the Arabian leopard. and also the Asir magpie, believed to be down to its last 135 pairs.

Gallery

• Jabal Sawdah ("Mount Sawdah")
• Abha City, located 2,270 m (7,450 ft) above sea level in the 'Asir Region
• Habalah Valley near Abha
• Al Soudah
• Jabal Atherb, as seen from Ḥawālah in Bareq

See also

• Geography of Saudi Arabia
• List of mountains in Saudi Arabia
• Wildlife of Yemen

References

1. "Library of Congress Country Study: Saudi Arabia", The Library of Congress, archived from the original on 2008-09-23
2. ^ "Southwestern Arabian montane woodlands". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
3. Overstreet, William Courtney (1977). Tertiary laterite of the As Sarat Mountains, Asir Province, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Vol. 2. Directorate General of Mineral Resources. pp. iii–2.
4. Nasr, Seyyed Hossein (2013). "1: The Holiest Cities of Islam". Mecca the Blessed, Medina the Radiant: The Holiest Cities of Islam. Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4629-1365-7.
5. ^ Judas, J.; Paillat, P.; Khoja, A.; Boug, A. (2006). "Status of the Arabian leopard in Saudi Arabia" (PDF). Cat News. Special Issue 1: 11–19.
6. ^ Spalton, J. A. & Al-Hikmani, H. M. (2006). "The Leopard in the Arabian Peninsula – Distribution and Subspecies Status" (PDF). Cat News (Special Issue 1): 4–8. Archived from the original on May 23, 2011.
7. Boulos, L. (1985), "Myxomycetes from the Asir Mountains, Saudi Arabia (abstract)", A contribution of the flora of the Asir Mountains, Saudi Arabia, vol. 3, Arab Gulf Journal of Scientific Research, pp. 67–94, archived from the original on February 29, 2012
8. "Protecting the Asir Magpie".

Further reading

• A Journey Through the Tihama, the 'Asir, and the Hijaz Mountains, by Wilfred Thesiger

v t e Hills and mountains on the Arabian Peninsula
Oman Hajar range Central Hajar Jebel Akhdar Jebel Shams (H) Eastern Hajar Jabal Aswad Jabal Bani Jabar Western Hajar Jebel Akhdar Jebel Ghawil Jebel Shams (H, HP) Ru'us al-Jibal Jabal Al Harim Jebel Qihwi Dhofar range Jebel Qamar Jebel Qarah Jabal Samhan  Saudi Arabia List of mountains in Saudi Arabia List of volcanoes in Saudi Arabia Jabal Al-Qarah Sarat range Jabal Al-Oraif 'Asir range Harrat al Birk (LF) Jabal Ad-Dhoor Jabal Al-Hadab Jabal Al-Majaz Jabal Al-Qo'mah Jabal As-Sahla' Jebal As-Seqaa Jabal Atherb Jabal Khalaqah Jabal Lawa's Jabal Mana' Jabal Maomah Jabal Mareer Jabal Masher Jabal Moushref Jabal Nahran Jabal Natfa' Jabal 'Okran Jabal Sawdah Jabal Yar (VF) Jabal Warrab Sh'af A'l Nassir Sh'af Bayhan Al-Bahah Jabal Shada [ar] Jizan Fifa Mountains Jebel Al-Qeher [ar] Najran Jabal Abu Hamdan Jabal Raum Hijaz range Harrat Khaybar (VF) Harrat Kishb (LF) Al Wahbah crater (VC) Harrat Lunayyir Harrat Rahat (LF) Jabal Abu Qubays Jabal al-Nour Jabal 'Arafat Jabal Daka Jabal Hada Jabal Sela Jabal Thawr Jabal Uhud Jabal Werqan Safa and Marwa Midian range Harrat al-Sham (VF) Jabal Al-Amud? (VF) Jabal Al-Lawz Jabal Al-Qalom Jabal an Nukhaylah Jabal Hubaysh (Tabuk Region) Jabal Maqla Jabal `Umayyid Jabal Umm Hayfā' Mountains of Adh-Dhahr Shammar range Salma range Jabal Shammar Aja range Jabal Aja Shammar Mountains Tuwayr range Jabal Tuwaiq?  United Arab Emirates List of mountains in the United Arab Emirates Western Hajar Ru'us al-Jibal Jebel Jais (H) Jabal Ar-Rahrah Jabal Rahabah Jabal Qada'ah Jebel Yibir (HP) Shumayliyyah range Jebel Al-Heben Outliers, outcrops or anticlines Jebel Buhais (AC, OC) Jebel Faya (AC, OC) Jebel Hafeet (OL)  Yemen List of volcanoes in Yemen Hadhramaut range Jabal Ar-Rays? Jabal Husn Ghuraf Jebel Shaqb? Sarat range Harra of Arhab (VF) Harras of Dhamar (VF) Harra es-Sawad (VF) Jabal Hubaysh (Ibb Governorate) Jabal Kanin Jabal Nuqm Jabal Sabir Jabal Tiyal Haraz range Jabal An-Nabi Shu'ayb (H, HP)
Note: Mountains are sorted in alphabetical order, unless where it concerns ranges. The highest confirmed mountains in each country are indicated with 'HP', and those with the highest peak are indicated with 'HP', bearing in mind that in the UAE, the highest mountain and the mountain with the highest peak are different. Outcrops are indicated with 'OC', and outliers with 'OL', and anticlines with 'AC'. Volcanoes are indicated with 'V', volcanic craters with 'VC', lava fields with 'LF', and volcanic fields with 'VF'. Other notes: Shared with the UAE Also regarded as being of the Western Hajar Also regarded as being of the Western Hajar Shared with the UAE Shared with the UAE Sensu lato, shared with Yemen Shared with Yemen Sensu lato Sensu lato Shared with Oman Shared with Oman Highest mountain in the UAE, but the peak is in Oman Due to the peak of Jebel Jais being in Oman, this mountain has the highest confirmed peak in the UAE Shared with Oman Shared with Oman Shared with Saudi Arabia Highest confirmed peak in the Arabian Peninsula

• Mountain ranges of Saudi Arabia
• 'Asir Province
• Southwestern Arabian foothills savanna