The Sarawat Mountains or the Sarat (Arabic: جبال السروات‎) is a mountain range running parallel to the western coast of the Arabian Peninsula and is among the Peninsula's most prominent geographical features. The Sarawat start from the border of Jordan in the north to the Gulf of Aden in the south, running through Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The range's northern half, known as Sarat al-Hejaz rarely rises about 2,100 meters, while the middle and southern portions (Sarat 'Asir and Sarat al-Yemen, respectively) can reach heights of over 3,300 meters.

Geologically, the Sarawat are part of the Arabian Shield, and are made up mostly of volcanic rock. The western slopes end abruptly near the Red Sea coast, while the eastern side of the mountain range slopes downward more gently and is intersected by wadis that support agriculture, especially in the southern reaches of the Sarawat, where the mountains face the monsoons.

Among the cities located within the Sarawat are the Muslim holy city of Mecca, which is located in a valley in approximately the middle of the Sarawat mountain range, and the Yemeni capital, San'a, located near some of the Sarawat's highest peaks.

This mountain range is the largest in the Arabian Peninsula, with its highest peak at 3,666 meters in Yemen, near the capital San'a. These mountains are mainly rocky and some can contain vegetation, unlike the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. Many of the peaks are fairly young and jagged, but some are smoother from weathering.

[edit] See also

• Hijaz mountains

[edit] References

• Library of Congress Country Study: Saudi Arabia

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