. A complete geography . esare produced in many ofthe vallej^s. In so unfavorable aclimate the population isnecessarily sparse and largely nomadic. Cattle, sheep, goats, horses, donkeys, and drome-daries are raised in large numbers, the three last being celebratedfor their excellent qualities. Most of the Arabian peninsula is independent, though without a well-organized government. Turkey controls the west coast and the PersianGulf coast as far as Oman. Oman, whose capital is the seaport of jVIaskat^was formerly an important kingdom; it still has extensive pearl British have a fo
. A complete geography . esare produced in many ofthe vallej^s. In so unfavorable aclimate the population isnecessarily sparse and largely nomadic. Cattle, sheep, goats, horses, donkeys, and drome-daries are raised in large numbers, the three last being celebratedfor their excellent qualities. Most of the Arabian peninsula is independent, though without a well-organized government. Turkey controls the west coast and the PersianGulf coast as far as Oman. Oman, whose capital is the seaport of jVIaskat^was formerly an important kingdom; it still has extensive pearl British have a foothold on the southwestern coast at Aden, one most important coaling stations. Mecca, a Turkish city about fifty miles from the sea, is sacred to allMohammedans. It was here that Mohammed was born, and every INIoham-medan is supposed to make a pilgrimage to it at least once during his life-time. Most of these pilgrims come by sea, and every year the city, aswell as the roads leading to it, are crowded with Fig. view amonof the Arabian mountains. 476 ASIA Persia. — Like Arabia, Persia is an elevated table-land with largetracts of desert and salt steppes of little or no use to man. Thearid climate prevents the formation of large rivers; but the rainsand snows of the parallel mountain ranges permit some irrigation inthe broad valleys. There is so little rainfall, however, and evapora-tion is so rapid during the hot, dry summer, that water for irrigationis often led from the mountains in underground tunnels. Why aretunnels preferable to ditches? The main farm products are tobacco, wheat, barley, cotton, andopium. Much silk is also produced, and roses are cultivated for
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