The largest peninsula & nbsp. The largest peninsula on earth

Arabian and it seems like there is sand all over the place. The warm waters of the washing Red Sea rush to the coast in blue waves. Before us is the largest Arabian Peninsula on the planet.
It is located in the southwest of Asia.

The peninsula is washed by the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden in the south, the Red Sea in the west, and the Persian and Oman gulfs in the east. The largest peninsula in the world covers an area of over 2,700,000 square kilometers, capable of accommodating 10 states like Italy, 7 like Germany and 4 like France.

The largest peninsula in the land of Arabia on the map

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Saudi Arabia, also called "the country of two mosques", is spread over most of the peninsula. Every year, pilgrims from all over the world come here to perform the Hajj at the holy sites of Islam - Medina and Mecca. In addition to this country, other countries are located on the peninsula: Yemen, Bahrain, Qatar Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Oman.

Tropical air is present almost throughout Arabia. It has mostly warm winters and hot, dry summers. Dust storms and prolonged droughts are common among Arabians.

The nature of the Arabian Peninsula

The Arabian Peninsula is rich in oil fields. Oil production is a good source of income for many countries on this peninsula. There are also huge reserves of natural gas here.

The most important animal for the Arabs is the horse. Local horses are very strong, hardy and fast. The camel is of no small benefit. It is not for nothing that it is called the "ship of the desert", since it carries heavy loads and people, and also receives meat, milk and wool from it.

The largest peninsula in the land of Arabia - The number of the Arabian Peninsula is estimated only approximately and in 2010 was 65 million people. Most of them are concentrated in Saudi Arabia and Yemen. People in the Arabian Peninsula live on average 74 years. The largest ethnic group is Arabs. Also, Iraqis, Indians and representatives of the peoples of South Asia live here. Most of the spoken language is Arabic, but English is also widely spoken.

Time and the development of technology have had little impact on the way of life of the peoples living in the central part of Arabia. As in ancient times, residents are engaged in handicrafts, agriculture, cattle breeding. But this does not apply to the coastal zones of the peninsula, where the main oil pipelines go out and there is an active development and production of expensive fuel.

Deserts of the Arabian Peninsula video

1. Arabian Peninsula, 2730 thousand km²

The largest in the world is the Arabian Peninsula, with an area of almost three million square kilometers. Considerable size, isn't it? On such an area, ten Italia can be accommodated. But most of it is occupied by Saudi Arabia, there is still room for Yemen, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and the United Arab Emirates. Located in southwestern Asia, the Arabian Peninsula is washed by the Red and Arabian Seas, as well as the Gulfs of Aden, Persian and Oman. The sun shines here tirelessly! The peninsula is rich in oil fields and natural gas.

2. West Antarctica, 2690 thousand km²

Unlike the hot Arabian Peninsula, West Antarctica is the coldest of the peninsulas. It is smaller in area than its hot predecessor, and is one of the two main regions of Antarctica that separate the Transarctic Mountains. This peninsula is not just cold, but very cold - most of it is covered with ice. It is interesting that although this name existed for a long time, it was documented during the International Geophysical Year - 1958.

3. Indochina, 2088 thousand km²

Let's return to Asia, to the warm sun - we move east and see the Indochina peninsula. Its area is over two million square kilometers. This peninsula is washed by the Andaman and South China Seas, as well as the Gulfs of Siam, Bengal and Tonkin and the Strait of Malacca. There are many rivers, the climate is rather humid, so rice is mostly cultivated here. Local states - Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Vietnam.

4. Hindustan, 2000 thousand km²

The area of Hindustan is exactly two million square kilometers and it is also located in Asia. There are only three states here - Bangladesh, Pakistan and, of course, India. The inhabitants of these countries have access to the waters of the Indian Ocean, and the only bay is Bengal.

5. Labrador, 1600 thousand km²

For now, let's leave Asia and go to the shores of North America, or rather to the shores of the Labrador Peninsula. More than one and a half million square kilometers in the east of Canada. Here, the waters of the Atlantic, Hudson Bay and the Strait, and the Gulf of St. Lawrence are easily accessible. There are also many rivers here - Churchill, Arno, Fey, La Grande, Coxoak, Grand Balen, Ptit Balen, George, Povungkituk, and many lakes. Interesting vegetation and significant fur resources - lynxes, muskrats, foxes.

6. Scandinavian Peninsula, 800 thousand km²

All other peninsulas in our list are much smaller in area than those in the first part. 800 thousand km² is the area of the Scandinavian Peninsula, which is located in the north-west of Europe, here it is the largest. Norway and Sweden are located on the peninsula, as well as partly Finland. It is on this peninsula that the most interesting rock is located - Trolltunga, which we recently mentioned.

7. Somalia, 750 thousand km²

Slightly smaller in size, the Somali peninsula. We return to the scorching sun again - this time to Africa. Somalia is also called the Horn of Africa - it very much resembles it in its shape. This horn is washed by the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden. There are several national parks and reserves of international importance, however, nature still suffers from exhaustion. Many animals here are endangered, and there are more reptiles in Somalia than anywhere else, and 90 of them live exclusively in the Horn of Africa.

8. Iberian Peninsula, 582 thousand km²

The Iberian or Iberian Peninsula is washed by the Mediterranean Sea, the Bay of Biscay and the Atlantic Ocean. Most of the peninsula is Spanish territory, 15% - Portugal and a tiny part belongs to France, Andorra and Great Britain. The second name appeared thanks to the Iberian people who lived in this territory before.

9. Balkan Peninsula 505 thousand km²

We will stay in Europe and take a look at the third largest Balkan Peninsula here. Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro, Turkey, Romania, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Greece, Bosnia and Herzegovina are located on half a million square kilometers. Here is such an impressive list. And there are also the Balkan Mountains, which is exactly why the peninsula was named as well. Here the First World War began with the assassination of Prince Franz Ferdinand.

10. Asia Minor and Taimyr, 400 thousand km²

The last place in our top ten was shared by two large peninsulas with a conventionally equal area of four hundred thousand km² - Asia Minor and Taimyr. As you may have guessed, we are back in Asia again. This place is also called Anatolia - beautiful, isn't it? The waters here are from the Black, Marmara, Mediterranean and Aegean Seas, as well as the Bosphorus and Dardanelles. The entire territory of the peninsula is occupied by Turkey.
Taimyr is located in Russia, and here it is washed by the Laptev Sea and the Kara Sea. This is the territory of the Krasnoyarsk Territory; there are several large lakes and rivers on the peninsula. It is quite cool here, the summer is short and far from the warmest. Of course, northern animals live here, adapted to such an environment. The peninsula was uninhabited for a long time, but later people also learned to become familiar with the harsh climate.

Peninsula- a part of the mainland surrounded by water, only one part connected to the land. Due to the fact that it is difficult to determine the exact border of the peninsula on land, the area of the peninsula is considered a rather conventional concept, and the size of its territory is recognized by scientists in the course of largely conditional recognition.

Therefore, in different sources, the area of the same peninsula may differ by tens of thousands of km². Large parts of the land can be found on all earthly continents, but the largest peninsulas are still located in Asia.

What is the name of the world's largest peninsula?

The most extensive territory is Arabian Peninsula located in Asia. Its area, according to various estimates, ranges from 2750 to 3250 thousand km².

Arabian Peninsula it is washed by the waters (in the west) and the Arabian (in the southeast) seas.

The territory of Arabia is occupied by such country, how:

Kingdom Saudi Arabia;
Sultanate Oman;
Republic of Yemen;
UAE;
Kingdom of Bahrain;
Qatar;
Kuwait;
Iraq;

One of the most developed countries in Arabia is the UAE. Read in what sights you should definitely visit in this state.

From the point of view of geological structure, the entire area of Arabia is occupied by the ancient Arabian platform. In the southern part there are mountain plateaus and mid-mountains, the highest point of Arabia is considered Mount Nabi Shuaib in Yemen (height 3666 m. above sea level).

The vast majority of the territory of the Arabian Peninsula is occupied by tropical deserts, and life is concentrated in rare oases. The climate of most of Arabia is tropical trade wind with minimal moisture, the average annual precipitation does not exceed 100 mm per year, and in the south - no more than 50 mm. Slightly more precipitation falls only in mountainous regions. Arabia is one of the hottest places on Earth, with a local temperature record of + 55 ° C.

The flora of Arabia is relatively poor due to the fact that most of the surface is occupied by deserts.

The greatest diversity of flora is achieved in mountainous regions, oases and wadis - beds of long-dry rivers, which are filled only during rare rainstorms. Acacias, tamarisks, olives, pistachios, coffee, date palms and other cultivated and wild plants grow here. Fauna represented by various desert predators (jackals, hyenas) and herbivores (gazelles, antelopes, jerboas).

The eastern part of Arabia, located on the coast of the Persian Gulf, is world leader in terms of hydrocarbon reserves, the production and sale of which makes up the lion's share of the economies of the Gulf countries.

What are the largest territories in Eurasia?

The leaders by territory among the Eurasian peninsulas are located in southern Asia.

Asia

In addition to the leading Arabian Peninsula in terms of area, the Asian continent boasts the second and third places in the world top 10.

Peninsula Indochina ranks second in the world in terms of area among inhabited continents, second only to the Arabian Peninsula. The area of Indochina reaches 2414 thousand km².

Indochina juts out deeply into the waters of the South China and the seas, as well as the Bay of Bengal in the Indian Ocean. Indochina is one of the most humidified places on the planet, the amount of precipitation in the eastern part of Indochina reaches 2000 mm, and in the foothills of the western part - up to 3000 mm.

Hindustan Sometimes referred to as the Indian Subcontinent due to its geological origin and historical reasons, it is the third largest in Asia in terms of size. The area of Hindustan reaches 2 million km². From the west, Hindustan is washed by the waters of the Arabian Sea, from the east - by the Bay of Bengal. Most of the Indian subcontinent is occupied by India, and a small part of the peninsula belongs to Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Korean peninsula in the east of the Asian continent, in terms of its area, it is significantly inferior to its southern counterparts Indochina and Hindustan.

The total territory of the Korean Peninsula is approximately 220 thousand square kilometers.

Here are located 2 states: South Korea and DPRK. Korea is washed by the Yellow and Japan Seas.

In addition to the greatest peninsulas in the world, in Asia you can find large islands and the largest archipelago on the planet - Malay. List of largest islands:

Europe

Despite the modest size of Europe in comparison with other continents, it boasts of the world's top peninsulas.

Scandinavian peninsula- the largest in Europe and the fifth largest in the entire planet. The territory of Scandinavia is more than 800 thousand km², on which the mainland parts of Sweden and Norway, part and tiny territory of Russia are located.

The Iberian Peninsula- the second largest in Europe and the seventh in the inhabited part of the planet, washed by the waters of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The Pyrenees are located in the extreme southwest of the European continent. The second name of the Pyrenees is the Iberian Peninsula, named after the Iberians who lived here in the ancient era.

Third largest in Europe and eighth in the world Balkan Peninsula located in the southeastern part of the continent. The territory of the Balkan Peninsula exceeds 500 thousand km². The Balkans are distinguished by an amazing variety of peoples living here and located states, the number of which is more than a dozen.

The Balkans are washed by the Black, Marmara and Mediterranean seas, as well as the seas that are part of the Mediterranean.

The southern part of the Balkans is separated into a separate Peloponnese peninsula located in Greece.

Russia

Russia's largest peninsulas are located in the Asian part of the country in the north of Siberia and the Far East:

Largest parcels in America

The largest peninsulas of America are located in North America, their area is ten times the size of the largest peninsulas in South America.

North

The greatest peninsula in North America and the entire Western Hemisphere - Labrador located on the east coast. The area of the territory of Labrador is 1600 thousand km², which makes it the fourth largest in the world and the first among the peninsulas located outside Asia. Labrador is located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean and Hudson Bay.

Other major North American peninsulas are:

California(Mexico, 144 thousand km²), which should not be confused with the state of the same name in the United States;

California is a relatively narrow strip of land separating the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of California.

Yucatan(Mexico, 140 thousand km²), located in the southern part of the country on the coast of the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico;
Florida(USA, 116 thousand km²) is located on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. On the territory of Florida is the US state of the same name.

South

South America is characterized by a small indented coastline, so there are no major peninsulas that are included in the list of the largest in the world. The largest South American peninsulas in terms of territory are:

Brunswick, Chile, area - 6.3 thousand km²;
Valdes peninsula, Argentina, area - 3.6 thousand km².

How did Africa stand out?

Africa cannot boast of such an abundance of large islands and peninsulas as the Asian continent. However, the greatest of them are included in the list of the largest on our planet.

Somalia

The Somali peninsula is the largest in the African continent and the sixth largest in the entire planet. Somalia area, often referred to as Horn of Africa for its shape, is more than 750 thousand km². Somalia is located on the coast of the Indian Ocean in western Africa.

The state of the same name Somalia and partly Ethiopia is located on this peninsula.

Madagascar

The island of Madagascar with an area of almost 590 thousand km² occupies fourth place in the world in its area, second only to Greenland, New Guinea and Kalimantan. The island is located in the Indian Ocean, and the Strait of Mozambique separates it from the African continent. On the territory of the island is the eponymous state of Madagascar.

See in this video TOP 10 largest peninsulas in the world:

The peninsula is not just a piece of land that adjoins the mainland or some kind of island, as it is written in most encyclopedias. This is a great place to relax away from civilization, with big amount the most beautiful places where you can relax both physically and mentally. There are a large number of different peninsulas on our planet, I would like to single out the largest in area.

Its total area is approximately 2730 thousand square kilometers. It is difficult to calculate the exact area of the peninsula, since part of the territory belongs to the mainland to which it is adjacent. Where exactly the territory of the peninsula begins, and where it is impossible to say for sure, the exact area is almost impossible to calculate. But in this case, whatever one may say, the Arabian Peninsula occupies a large territory on which a dozen of the most ordinary European countries can be located. But most of the Arabian Peninsula belongs to Saudi Arabia, and some small countries are located on its territory, these are Qatar, Kuwait, Yemen, Bahrain and the United Emirates. Accordingly, the peninsula is washed by the Arabian Sea and partly by the Red Sea. Also several bays: Aden, Oman and Persian Gulf. The sun shines here 365 days a year, in the middle of the day there is an abnormal heat, in which it is almost impossible to be outside. It may not be the most picturesque peninsula, but it has a large number of oil and gas fields.

In terms of its approximate area, this peninsula is quite slightly inferior to the Arabian Peninsula, but in terms of climate they are absolutely opposite. West Antarctica is rightfully considered the coldest peninsula. The main territory of Antarctica is covered with ice, which does not melt throughout the year. The sun appears in this part of the world quite rarely, as well as man. Only scientific expeditions are sent to West Antarctica, of course, some landscapes here are simply breathtaking, but the place is far from intended for tourist tours.

After the cold Antarctica, we will return to Asia to the warmer Indochina peninsula. From the name you can already guess where exactly this peninsula is located, which occupies a little more than two million square kilometers (2088 thousand kilometers). The peninsula is washed by the Andaman and South China Seas. Also, a large number of rivers flow through the territory of the Indochina Peninsula. The climate is quite humid, but due to this, the area is very picturesque, it is on this peninsula that such famous resorts as Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam are located.

Most reference books and encyclopedias indicate that the area of Hindustan is equal to two million square kilometers. The territorial location is again in Asia, it is on this peninsula that India is powerfully located, as well as two more states of Bangladesh and Pakistan. There is no such humid climate here as in Indochina, only one outlet to the Indian Ocean. Despite the large territory of Hindustan, it is washed by only one Bay of Bengal. Accordingly, the climate here is dry and hot.

And finally, from Asia we move to North America to the shores of the largest American peninsula - Labrador. In the east of Canada, the Lambrador Peninsula stretches for almost one and a half million square kilometers. A very picturesque peninsula, which people come to see and travel from all over the world. The rivers Churchill, La Grande, Coxoak, George, Fey, Arno flow here, as well as a large number of lakes are located on the territory of the peninsula. Due to the abundance of various vegetation, many interesting animals live on the territory of the peninsula, such as lynxes, muskrats and various types of foxes.

In terms of its area, it is significantly inferior to all the previous peninsulas, only 800 thousand square kilometers. But it is considered the largest peninsula located in the European part, namely in the Northwest. Countries such as Norway and Sweden are located on it, a small piece of the peninsula is occupied by Finland. The peninsula is quite picturesque; there is a famous rock called Trolltunga.

The territory is slightly inferior to the previous peninsula by 50 thousand kilometers. But, despite its small area, it is considered the largest peninsula in Africa, similarly to the Scandinavian Peninsula in Europe. Because of the bizarre shape on the map, Somalia has been nicknamed the Horn of Africa. A large number of reptiles and various rare animal species live here. Due to frequent droughts, a large number of the local species have already become extinct, and some are on the verge of extinction.

And we are transported back to Europe, here the Iberian Peninsula stretches over 582 thousand square kilometers. It is also called the Iberian Peninsula. Most of it is Spain and quite a bit Portugal. Also on this peninsula there are very few countries such as France and Great Britain, but not so much that most Spaniards believe that the island belongs to them.

Proudly ranks third in Europe, and the penultimate in the general list with a total area of 505 thousand square kilometers. The Balkan Peninsula, one might say, was torn to pieces by the central European states. Most of the tourist countries such as Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece, Montenegro, Italy were able to accommodate on it. And even if in the TOP-10 this peninsula took the peninsula, it would take the first place as the most visited and tourist peninsula.

Closing the list again is a peninsula from Asia, which has an area of about 400 thousand square kilometers. This island is washed by the largest number of seas: the Black, Marmara, Mediterranean and Aegean seas. Absolutely the entire territory of the peninsula belongs to Turkey. In the evening, beautiful seascapes can be observed from either side of the peninsula.

A peninsula is a part of the land that is connected to the mainland, but is washed by seas and oceans on other sides.

The largest peninsula in the world

The first place in terms of area (2.7 million sq. Km) is occupied by It is located in the southwestern part of Asia. Accordingly, this is the largest peninsula in Eurasia.

This place is known as the "Country of Two Mosques", since it is here that two shrines of the Islamic world are located - Medina and Mecca. Here you will find hot desert lands, where the air temperature is rarely recorded, close to at least zero Celsius, with desert vegetation (95%). So how can you provide yourself with life, living in desert regions? The answer is simple - the largest peninsula has huge deposits of "black gold" and "blue fuel" in its depths.

It is believed that earlier the territory of the peninsula was attached to the African Shield, but at the end of the Paleogene it separated and eventually joined Eurasia. Therefore, the largest peninsula of Eurasia has landscapes that are more similar to East Africa.

More about the location of the Arabian Peninsula

As mentioned above, this peninsula is located in the southwestern part of Asia. Its upper border (northern) runs approximately along the thirtieth north latitude, the southern one along the 12th parallel of the north latitude. From west to east, the largest peninsula is located between the 34th and 60th meridians of east longitude. In total, the territory occupied by the Arabian Peninsula on the map is 2,730 thousand square meters. km. For comparison, we can cite the record holder of Russian origin - Taimyr. This is the largest peninsula in Russia, which occupies a total of about 400 thousand square meters. km, which is seven times less.

The peninsula is washed by the following water areas:

Red Sea on the west coast (crossing it, you can get to the African continent).
The Persian and Oman gulfs in the east (on the other side of them is Iran), as well as the Arabian Sea, which together with the largest peninsula washes in the south.

In the northern part of the peninsula, there is a "connection" with the continent of Eurasia, and all of the above water areas belong to the Indian Ocean basin.

Features of the relief

The shores of the Arabian Peninsula are slightly dissected and rectilinear. If we take, again, for comparison, the largest peninsula in Russia, then the picture is absolutely opposite.

Starting from the shores near the Red Sea, we find a narrow lowland that flows into the mountain ranges: Khija (to the north, with a maximum point of 2347 m) and Asir (to the south, with a maximum point of 3760 m). Further, passing to the shores of the Gulf of Aden, is the Hadhramaut Upland. In general, if you look at the Arabian Peninsula on the map, you can note its some resemblance to a boot, but not as elegant as Italy. So, in the area where the fingers should be located (the eastern coast, washed by the Gulf of Oman), there is also a hill - the Al-Akhdar massif. Its maximum height is around 3352 meters. Thus, it turns out that the peninsula is almost entirely framed by hills, which hide behind them desert flat territories. The largest desert on the peninsula - Rub al-Khali - occupies about a third of the entire territory, in the "foot" of the boot (southern territory between the El-Akhdar massif and the Asir mountain range). There are also two large deserts - Small Nefud and Big Nefud. To the north of the peninsula from the mainland, the Syrian desert also climbed a little.

The climate is not the most favorable

Mountain ranges have played a significant role in the development of those climate conditions that exist in the Arabian lands. Add to this the position in the tropical zone, and what do we get?

Plain regions can boast of annual precipitation ranging from 50 to 100, and in some places up to 70 millimeters. For comparison, let's take the city of Moscow, where the annual rainfall is from 400 to 500 millimeters. All the moisture from the seas is taken by mountain ranges, on which the amount of precipitation exceeds the Moscow indicators by a hundred. The temperature in the summer period is constantly in the region of 30 ° C, with frequent cases of much higher indicators. In winter, the thermometer can drop to 7-24 degrees Celsius, although there have been cases of a decrease even to zero.

The largest peninsula has almost no permanent rivers, based on such conditions. In summer they dry up, and in winter they fill up with water again. The Arabs call these rivers "wadis". There are lowlands with water - oases formed by the proximity to the surface of groundwater. The rest of the territory is deserted and virtually lifeless.

Flora and fauna

The flora and fauna that the largest peninsula possesses, based on climatic conditions, will not surprise with its diversity. Dates can be found in the oases; aloe, mimosa and acacias grow on the mountain slopes. Vismania is very widespread in the extreme south. In those regions where it is not entirely deserted, different types of grasses and cereals are common. Of animals:

birds (quail, ostrich, bustard, pigeon);
mammals (wolf, hyena, panther, fox, wild cat and their prey - gazelle, antelope, gerbils);
lizards, snakes, insects are in abundance.

Countries on the territory of the Arabian Peninsula and their populations

The largest area is occupied by Saudi Arabia - its territory is estimated at 1750-2240 thousand square meters. km with a population of almost 23 million people. The rest is shared by Yemen (18 million), the UAE (2.4 million), Kuwait (2 million), Oman (2.6 million) and Qatar (0.78 million people).

Countries such as Iraq and Jordan are also partly located on the territory of the peninsula. The population of all these countries for the most part (if not to say that virtually all) are Arabs.

Increases in coastal areas - 10-50 people per square kilometer, in large cities this figure rises to two hundred. In other regions, not adapted for human existence, people are less than 10 per 1 sq. km or not at all.

Problems with foreign workers

An interesting fact that worries the governments of all countries occupying the largest peninsula is the issue of foreign workers. For example, sociologists in Saudi Arabia predicted that by 2030, a quarter of 39 million of the population will be foreigners. This causes a lot of problems related to the provision of jobs for the indigenous inhabitants of the country, and further along the chain from it, a lot of negative influences are spreading, up to the fact that young people, having no place of work, begin to unite into extremist groups. Therefore, the governments of these countries are carrying out plans for the nationalization of the economy, the main purpose of which is to reduce the percentage of foreign workers.