Deserts
Your have already read about
deserts in Book 1. Apart from some oases where water can be reached from
underground sources, deserts have hardly any agricultural output, but some of
them have immensely valuable minerals such as oil.
The Muslim world seems to have
been allotted more than its share of deserts. Almost three quarters of all the
major deserts in the world are in Muslim territories. These are the Sahara in
Africa, which makes up 60 per cent of the total desert area in the world, the
Arabain, Thar, and Somali deserts, the Kyzyl Kum in Uzbekistan, and Dasht-e-Lut
in Iran.
Semi-desert and scrubland
This has occasional rain,
but not enough for crops to grow satisfactorily. Like ordinary deserts, the
daytime temperature is high and the nights are often cool. Coarse, tough plants
and shrubs grow as these have
long roots which go down to whatever water exists
below the surface. Their only real use for agriculture is for wandering
animals, especially goats and sheep. These are valuable for Pakistan because
these hardy animals give hard, tough wool which is excellent for making
carpets. Parts of western Pakistan are semi-desert.
Tropical Grasslands
These are usually found between
the desert and the tropical forests. They are warm throughout the year but have
only a small amount of rain, 500-1500 mm, which falls between April and
September in the northern hesisphere. They have scattered trees and bushes, and
long grass which dies down in the long dry season. In Africa, such grasslands
are home to many game animals---buffaloes, zebras, giraffe, elephants, rhinos,
lions, and tigers----and have a flourishing touris to watch the animals.
Pakistan once had a lot of this type of climate and vegetation, but now almost
none is left. The land has been cleared and, with extra water from irrigation,
all kinds of crops are grown on it.
Tropical Forests
In the Muslim world, these are
found in Central Africa along the Equator, and in South-east Asia. There is
heavy rain, 1800-2500 mm or more, and the temperature remains between 20-30C
all year. Naturally, there is a thick forest of tall trees with a crown of
leaves up the tree trunks to reach the sunlight above. The main stems of so
creepers can be as much as 30—40 cm in diameter.
The main forms of like found here
are birds and monkeys in the canopy (the leaves at the top), and snakes,
lizards, and insects below. Much of the forest is very valuable for timber,
such as teak and other hardwoods. Where these have been cut down and the
forests cleared, sugar cane, cocoa, rubber, mangoes, pineapples, moist
atmosphere, the rainforests are generally unhealthy, with many diseases that
affect humans and animals; many of these, such as malaria, are carried by
insects. However, the rainforests are very important both for their plants and
for their plants and for replenishing the air with oxygen and absorbing carbon
dioxide. Although not in the Muslim world, the great Amazon forest in South
America is believed to supply half the world’s atmosphere with oxygen.
Temperate Deserts
These are dry lands, getting
50---300 mm rain a year but not as warm as the hot deserts. In the Muslim
world, most of Iran, Afghanistan, the Central Asian states, and parts of
Pakistan belong to this climatic region. Naturally, they have small
trees----especially acacia and cassia---with many coarse plants and grasses.
Traditionally, these lands have been the regions of nomadic peoples with their
herds of animals. Today, with much irrigation and fertilizer, many are growing
state in the world, although this has almost drained the Caspian Sea from which
most of the water has been taken. Parts of Pakistan naturally fall into this
category, but irrigation from the rivers and tube wells have turned them into
reasonable farmlands.
Mediterranean Climate
This is a very favorable climate
with mild, wet winters and fairly warm, dry summers. Unfortunately, the
Mediterranean climate is not very widespread but it forms a narrow belt around
the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. The coastal areas of Morocca, Algeria,
Tunisia, Syria, Turkey, and Lebanon enjoy this rich climate. They produce
grapes, citrus and many other fruits, olives, tobacco, vegetables, and
flowers----most of these among the highest—priced agricultural products. Many
of these, especially vegetables and flowers, are also flown to the rich markets
of Northern Europe. Although it is not a true Mediterranean climate, the
north—western part of Balochistan grow similar crops.
Temperate Grasslands
These are areas where it is
reasonably warm but with fairly low rainfall---about 400 mm a year. The natural
vegetation is long grass, with small shrubs and other plants, but in most of
the Muslim world these have been cleared for general farming. Cereal crops such
as wheat and barley are grown, but with irrigation a wide variety of other
plants and fruits are also produced. This climatic region is excellent for the rearing
of animals, especially livestock. In the Muslim world, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon,
Palestine, and parts of Jordan and Iraq are naturally temperate grasslands.
Although the soil in most of Turkey is not exceptionally fertile, it is one of
the very few countries in the world which can produce enough food of all kinds
to feed all of its people, without imports.
Monsoons
Monsoons are like land and sea
breezes on a much larger scale. In general, the winds blow from the north-east
for six months of the year, and from the south-west for the other six months,
though sometimes the wind direction is deflected or turned by high land or for
other reasons. In the hot season, the land heats up and the air above it rises,
pulling in cooler air from over the sea. This air is full of moisture because
it crosses the ocean and drops much of this as rain when it reaches the land.
In the cool season, the land is colder while the sea remains warm. The air over
the sea now rises, drawing in air from the land. This air is dry, so that the
six months of the north-eastern winds have little moisture in them, and little
rain falls. In the Muslim world, only the subcontinent and South-east Asia are
affected by monsoons. Southerly monsoons bring heavy rainfall (over 400 mm a
year or more) so that in most places there is thick, rich vegetation such as in
tropical forests. Pakistan gets its monsoon rains from July to September, but
these winds are turned and come from the south-east rather than the south-west.
As a result, they have to cross India first and have propped much of their rain
by the time they reach Pakistan. Only the north of the country gets real
monsoon rainfall. On the other hand, in much of Malaysia and Indonesia, both
northerly and southerly monsoons come across the oceans so that these countries
get rain throughout the year. Pakistan also has winds from the west in the
December—March period. These are called the Westerly Depressions and they do bring
a little rain, although they have dropped most of their moisture during their
long journey across Iran and Afghanistan.