The largest peninsula on earth is Arabian

The area of ​​the Crimean peninsula, which became part of Russia several years ago, is 27,000 km². However, land areas from this geographical category. Let's try to find the largest peninsula in the world on the Earth's globe by listing the ten largest parts of the continents that crash into the ocean or sea.

Top 10 Large Peninsulas of the World

The geography of the planet is bizarre and does not recognize strict geometric outlines. From the polar Russian coast to the harsh icy expanses of Antarctica, you can see similar islands, but sections of continents connected to the rest of the land.

10. Taimyr. The northernmost point of the Eurasian continent is located here. There is not a single city to be found on 400 thousand km². The largest settlement is the village of Karaul, where less than 800 people live. The polar explorer Fridtjof Nansen stayed in the winter hut on the site of which the village was built during his trip to Siberia. Cold rivers flow through this region and inhospitable mountains rise. Agriculture is impossible in the tundra, and the population is gradually declining.

9. Balkan Peninsula washed by the Black and Mediterranean seas, as well as several smaller ones. This part of Europe has always been full of life and history has been created. From medieval battles between Serbia, Byzantium and the Bulgarian Empire to the Yugoslav conflicts of the 1990s, these events took place on this 505 thousand km² landmass.

8. The Iberian or Iberian Peninsula is a distinct part of southwestern Europe. The waves of the Atlantic crash on its shores and Mediterranean Sea. Tourists go here to see Cape Roca - the westernmost part of the European continent and the southernmost - Cape Morocco. Located on the peninsula are Spain and Portugal, a piece of France and the tiny principality of Andorra, the territory of Gibraltar. The Cordillera Central, a mountain range 400 km long, also stretches here. The area of ​​the Iberian Peninsula is 582 thousand km².

7. Somalia was nicknamed the Horn of Africa because characteristic shape. The waters of the Indian Ocean splash along its shores and are washed by the waves of the Gulf of Aden. The territory is occupied by plateaus and plateaus. The climate is arid and there is little precipitation. The Somali Peninsula is a real paradise for reptiles, of which there are more than 90 species. The area of ​​the site is 750 thousand km².

6. The Scandinavian Peninsula is the homeland of brave Viking sailors. In the north-west of Europe there is a stunningly beautiful land, cut by bizarre fjords. Sweden and Norway are located here, as well as part of Finland. The territory covers 800 thousand km².

5. The Labrador Peninsula is located in North America in eastern Canada. It is washed by the waves of the Atlantic, Hudson Bay and the Strait. It is here that the Gulf of St. Lawrence is located - an estuary, i.e. the place where the river of the same name flows into the ocean, which is the largest in the world. Many rivers and lakes turn this part of the mainland into an amazing natural reserve with an area of ​​1 million 600 thousand km².

4. The Hindustan Peninsula is located in the southern part of Asia. In addition to India, the states of Bangladesh and part of Pakistan are located here. They splash along the shores Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal. The climate of Hindustan is monsoon and subequatorial. Half of the area is occupied by the Deccan Plateau, localized in the central region, and the entire territory of the peninsula is 2 million km².

3. Indochina is located halfway from one large state to another. Seeing in the aborigines the features of two peoples - Indians and Chinese - Europeans gave the corresponding name to the peninsula in southeast Asia. The waves of the South China Sea, Bay of Bengal, Strait of Malacca and Andaman Sea crash on its shores. The southern part stretches a narrow strip of the Malacca Peninsula to the south. The total area of ​​Indochina is 2 million 88 thousand km².

2. West Antarctica is a lifeless, ice-covered space of the southern continent. The Transantarctic Mountains separate this landmass from another large region mainland. The territory is 2 million 690 thousand km².

The largest peninsula in the world

The largest area is occupied by an arid and desert region, the only riches of which are oil, natural gas and sand.

1. The Arabian Peninsula is mostly occupied by Saudi Arabia and is located in the southwestern part of Asia. Smaller states on the territory of the landmass are Yemen, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman. All this is located on 3 million 250 thousand km². The shores of the peninsula are washed by the Gulf of Oman, Aden and Persian Gulfs, the Arabian and Red Seas.

The peninsula that exists in the world is larger than West Antarctica or Indochina. The Arabian land is entirely desert with skyscraper cities built thanks to oil and gas wealth.

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

The largest peninsula in the world

It occupies first place in area (2.7 million sq. km). It is located in the southwestern part of Asia. Accordingly, it is also the largest peninsula in Eurasia.

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

It is believed that the territory of the peninsula was previously 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.

Read 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 latitude north, the southern - along the 12th parallel north latitude. From west to east, the largest peninsula is located between the 34th and 60th meridians of eastern 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 waters:

• The Red Sea on the west coast (overcoming 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, also 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.

Relief features

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

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

The climate is not the most favorable

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

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

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

Flora and fauna

Vegetable and animal world, which the largest peninsula has, based on climatic conditions, will not surprise you with its diversity. You can find dates in the oases, and aloes, mimosas and acacias grow on the mountain slopes. In the far south, Vismania is very common. In those regions where it is not completely deserted, different types herbs and cereals. From animals:

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

Countries on the Arabian Peninsula and their populations

The largest area here 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 people), the UAE (2.4 million people), Kuwait (2 million people), Oman (2.6 million people) and Qatar (0.78 million people).

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

It increases in coastal zones - 10-50 people per square kilometer; in large cities this figure rises to two hundred. In other regions that are not suitable for human existence, there are less than 10 people 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 by area is the issue of foreign workers. For example, sociologists in Saudi Arabia have predicted that by 2030, of the 39 million population, a quarter will be foreigners. This causes a lot of problems related to providing jobs for the indigenous people of the country, and further down the chain a lot of negative impacts spread from it, to the point that young people, without a place to work, begin to unite in extremist groups. Therefore, the governments of these countries are implementing plans to nationalize the economy, the main goal of which is to reduce the percentage of foreign workers.

The peninsula is perhaps one of the most unique places geographically. It is difficult to qualify the largest peninsula in the world, and scientists find it difficult to accurately define the boundaries of this object.

The peninsula is a landmass that is connected to the mainland in one part and surrounded by water in all other parts. Therefore, this representation is the area of ​​the peninsula, in sufficiently, relative. It’s worth trying to get your bearings and determine which of all the known peninsulas is the largest.

For example, in the very north of Eurasia there is the Taimyr Peninsula, which is washed by two seas: the Laptev and Kara. It occupies a huge area of ​​400 thousand square kilometers, and for a long time remained uninhabited. Now people have every opportunity to adapt to the circumstances of the Far North, and they have created settlements on the peninsula.

Another example is the Balkan Peninsula, with an area of ​​505 sq. km, on the territory of which ten states are located. Tourists all over the world love to visit the numerous resorts that are located along the entire coastline and are distinguished by diverse flora and fauna.

The list of countries on the peninsula includes:

Türkiye;
Bulgaria;
Italy;
Greece;
Montenegro.

Even in ancient times, the peninsula was the center of ancient Greek civilization. Many people dream of living in their own house by the sea, enjoying the sound of the sea surf. Others live their whole lives on the coast of the seas and oceans, and do not think that their life is anything special.

To answer the question of which is the largest known peninsula in the world, we need to consider many examples. All geographical objects are different from each other: some have a developed infrastructure, others are poorly adapted for life. And they are all different in size.

Asia Minor

One of the largest peninsulas on the planet, which is washed by a record number of seas. The peninsula belongs entirely to Turkey, a prosperous country that builds its economy on the strength of tourism. The area of ​​the peninsula is 506 thousand square meters. km, a romantic and picturesque place, which in geography is called Anatolia, and is the border between Asia and Europe.

Iberian (Iberian) Peninsula

European heritage, divided between Spain and Portugal. Area 600 thousand. sq. km, washed by the Mediterranean and Marmara seas, as well as the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. By the way, the most small state in the world - Andorra, located precisely in the Pyrenees.

Somalia Peninsula

The hot, merciless sun scorches the Somali peninsula, which covers an area of ​​750 thousand sq. km. This is also one of the largest objects of geography, in general, not very attractive for human habitation. The peninsula has a bizarre shape, which is why it is called the “Horn of Africa”. Despite the heat, the state of Somalia is developing industry. The government is building unique reserves and parks to preserve rare species of animals and plants. This part of Africa is washed by the Gulf of Aden and the waters of the Indian Ocean.

Scandinavian Peninsula

Next on the list is the Scandinavian Peninsula, which is not very significant in area - 800 thousand. sq. km, but famous in northern Europe. Countries such as Sweden, Norway and Finland are comfortably located on the peninsula and attract numerous tourists at all times of the year. A small portion of the peninsula also belongs to Russia. The nature and wildlife here are truly unique.

Labrador Peninsula

In the eastern part of Canada is the Labrador Peninsula, washed by the Atlantic Ocean. This is a big one geographical feature, with an area of ​​1600 thousand sq. km. The area is densely populated and is very famous among travelers. The flora and fauna are very beautiful and diverse. An incredible number of lakes and rivers offer magnificent landscapes. Animals such as lynx, muskrat, and fox live here. People live mainly on the coast and inland of the region.

Hindustan and Indochina

The largest in Asia are two peninsulas: Hindustan and Indochina. Their area is 208,800 and 200,000 sq. km. Although the names of the peninsulas sound similar, they are nevertheless different states. Indochina includes known to the world: Thailand, Laos and Malaysia, and to Hindustan - Bangladesh, India, Pakistan. The famous region of Kashmir is the territory of Hindustan. The waters of the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea wash Hindustan, and the huge freshwater lake Tonle Sap is considered the real pearl of Indochina.

Antarctica

In terms of value for human habitation, the land of West Antarctica is not that valuable. Large, with an area of ​​2,690,000 sq. kilometers long peninsula, a cold, icy beauty. True, it is penguins who see this beauty in most cases. This beauty is unsuitable for human life, so there are no villages or tourist routes here. Most of the peninsula is covered with centuries-old ice.

Arabian Peninsula

The largest peninsula in Asia and the world is Arabian, the hottest part of the planet. The land between Asia and Africa is washed by the Arabian and Red Seas. It is very difficult for geographers to thoroughly calculate the area of ​​the peninsula, therefore, it is generally accepted that the correct figure is 2,750 thousand square meters. kilometers. It is here that the largest deposits of gas and oil were found, so the peninsula can safely be called the richest on Earth. The peninsula looks impressive in all respects. It was divided between the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, the Republic of Yemen, plus a number of other powers southwest asia. And if this is not exactly a paradise for living and traveling, then for the economies of the countries inhabiting the peninsula, it is a real treasure.

Having looked at examples of large peninsulas, we can say with confidence that they are not similar to each other, but each of them deserves the most close attention. The smaller peninsula of Asia Minor is ideal for people to live and relax. While the vast Arabian Peninsula brings many benefits to the people inhabiting it in terms of economics and development.

The terrain is constantly changing

The land, which occupies only about a third of the planet's surface, is structured in an amazing way. Numerous natural phenomena have modified it throughout the history of the Earth and continue to do so.

Relief earth's surface very heterogeneous in its texture, composition and height. This is not surprising, since it was formed under the influence of various tectonic processes (primarily plate movements and, as a consequence, earthquakes and other similar phenomena), which can seriously differ in different parts of the planet.

Arabian Peninsula

No less amazing are the places where land collides with any significant expanses of water. Not a single bank turned out to be perfectly smooth and straight. There are numerous lagoons, coves, cliffs and other amazing “patterns”, naturally formed under the influence of hydronyms on the earth's surface.

Sometimes large areas of land “cut” into some part of the World Ocean, forming so-called peninsulas (which, unlike islands, have at least a small strip of land that “fused” them with the mainland). Some of them are small, while others can be called real giants.

The largest peninsulas have long been calculated by geographers and geodesy specialists. Their area has been calculated, and clear leaders have been identified among them, the main one being Arabian, located between Eurasia (to which it geographically belongs) and Africa. Its area is striking in its size. It occupied a land area of ​​approximately 2.3 million square kilometers.

Scientists are confident that the Arabian plate, which now forms the peninsula of the same name, was previously part of the African continent, but under the influence natural forces separated. Now it has been cut off from a significant part of Africa (leaving only a relatively small connecting piece of land) by the Red Sea, beloved by many tourists. From the east and south, the mostly desert-covered peninsula (which is home to seven Arab powers, which are, for the most part, one of the key players in the global oil market) is washed, respectively, by the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea.

West Antarctica, Hindustan, Labrador

Next in the ranking of the largest by area are other large peninsulas. The second place is rightfully occupied by the iciest (literally) of them - West Antarctica. It is not much smaller than the Arabian Peninsula, as it spreads over 2.9 million square kilometers, second only to forty thousand square kilometers. It is separated from the eastern (and much larger) part of the coldest continent on the planet by the Transantarctic Mountains.

In order to understand what large area of ​​land ended up in third place in the ranking, one must mentally return from the piercing cold of the south pole to the warm Asian latitudes, or more precisely, to Indochina. The name of this peninsula, which occupied an area of ​​about 2.8 million square kilometers, was formed by the French from the names of two neighboring powers - China and India. Indochina now includes seven states, including Thailand, so beloved by many “beach” tourists.

Its closest geographical neighbor, Hindustan, did not reach the top 3. This peninsula, occupied by densely populated India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, stretches over approximately two million square kilometers. Its name passed into European languages ​​from light hand Persians who called the current “Bollywood country” Hindustan.

The fifth place in the rating belongs to the rather cold climate (July temperatures here reach maximum value only +18 Celsius) on the eastern Canadian peninsula of Labrador. Yes, it is from this area of ​​land with an area of ​​about 1600 thousand square kilometers that the dog breed of the same name, beloved by many, originates.

Somalia, Iberian, Balkan Peninsula

The top ten largest also includes Scandinavia with its 800 thousand square meters. km, Somalia (about 750 thousand square kilometers), the Iberian (with an area of ​​about 582 thousand sq. km) and Balkan (505 thousand sq. km) peninsulas. The tenth line is shared by Asia Minor and Taimyr, which are approximately equal in size - four hundred thousand square kilometers each.

These large land areas are quite different in many of their characteristics. It makes a lot of difference here. geographical position, climatic conditions, as well as the customs of the peoples living here, and it is joyful to see such diversity.

1. Arabian Peninsula, 2730 thousand km²

The largest in the world is the Arabian Peninsula, its area reaches almost three million square kilometers. Considerable size, isn't it? This square can accommodate ten Italias. 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 southwest Asia, the Arabian Peninsula is bordered by the Red and Arabian Seas, as well as the Gulf of Aden, Persian Gulf and Oman. The sun shines here tirelessly! The peninsula is rich in oil fields and natural gas.

2. West Antarctica, 2690 thousand km²


Unlike hot Arabia, West Antarctica is the coldest of the peninsulas. It is smaller in area than its hot predecessor and is one of two main regions of Antarctica that are separated by 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 a little over two million square kilometers. This peninsula is washed by the Andaman and South China Seas, as well as the Gulf of Thailand, Bengal and Tonkin and the Strait of Malacca. There are many rivers here, the climate is quite humid, so rice is mostly grown 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 again located in Asia. There are only three states here - Bangladesh, Pakistan and, of course, India. Residents of these countries have access to the waters of the Indian Ocean, and the only one is the Bay of Bengal.

5. Labrador, 1600 thousand km²


For now, let's leave Asia and head to the shores North America, or rather to the shores of the Labrador Peninsula. More than one and a half million square kilometers in eastern Canada. Here you have easy access to the waters of the Atlantic, Hudson Bay and Strait, and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. There are also many rivers here - Churchill, Arno, Fay, La Grande, Koksoak, Grand Balen, Petite Balen, George, Povungkituk, and many lakes. Interesting vegetation and significant fur resources - lynx, muskrat, fox.

6. Scandinavian Peninsula, 800 thousand km²


All other peninsulas on our list are significantly smaller in area than those in the first part. 800 thousand km² is the area of ​​the Scandinavian Peninsula, which is located in northwestern Europe, where it is the largest. The peninsula contains Norway and Sweden, as well as part of Finland. It is on this peninsula that there is an interesting rock - Troll's Tongue, which we recently mentioned.

7. Somalia, 750 thousand km²


The Somali Peninsula is slightly smaller in size. 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 depletion. Many of the animals here are endangered, and there are more reptiles in Somalia than anywhere else, with 90 of them found exclusively in the Horn of Africa.

8. Iberian Peninsula, 582 thousand km²


The Iberian or Iberian Peninsula is washed by the waters of the Mediterranean Sea, the Bay of Biscay and the Atlantic Ocean. Most of the peninsula is occupied by Spain, 15% by 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 remain in Europe and look at the third largest Balkan Peninsula here. Half a million square kilometers cover Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro, Turkey, Romania, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Greece, Bosnia and Herzegovina. This is such an impressive list. And here are the Balkan Mountains, which is why the peninsula was also named. The First began here World War with the assassination of Prince Franz Ferdinand.

10. Asia Minor and Taimyr, 400 thousand km²


The last place in our top ten is shared by two large peninsulas with a roughly 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 the Black, Marmara, Mediterranean and Aegean seas, as well as the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits. The entire territory of the peninsula is occupied by Türkiye.
Taimyr is located in Russia, and here it is washed by the Laptev and Kara Seas. This is the territory of the Krasnoyarsk Territory; there are several large lakes and rivers on the peninsula. It is quite cool here, summer is short and far from the warmest. Of course, northern animals live here, adapted to such an environment. The peninsula was uninhabited for quite a long time, but later people learned to adapt to the harsh climate.