West Asia

The landmass of West Asia, also referred to as the Middle East or South-west Asia, has a unique geographic position as a nexus joining Asia, Europe, and Africa. The region is composed of three major physiographic divisions: (1) the mountains and plateaus of the north, (2) a central depression aligned to the Persian Gulf, and (3) a peninsular mass with ranges along the south-west margin. The northern high ranges are recently folded segments of the great alpine system of Eurasia. The main ranges diverge from the central nucleus represented by the Armenian knot. Those in the peninsula are fragments of ancient stable block marked by fracture and rifting. The highlands of West Asia have been grouped into the Iran plateau, Trans-Caucasus, Anatolia, and Arabia and are described in an anti-clockwise sequence (Figure 2 and Annex B).

Figure 2: West Asia