The Arabian Peninsula is situated in the Southwestern part of Asia. It is bordered on the west and the east by the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf, respectively. The Arabian Peninsula is one of the hottest regions in the world, with extremely low annual rainfall. The Peninsula also does not have many lakes or stable rivers, creating an exceedingly dry landscape. Although most of its people are ethnic Arabs, there are several variations in the lifestyle and culture of the people from the coasts of Yemen to the borders of Saudi Arabia,
The wadis, or rivers, in the Arabian Peninsula only overflow during the rainy seasons. At other times, the wadis are dry. The lack of water and the arid climate prevents the growth of large-scale agriculture. Only in the vicinity of the oases, which are rare in number in such a vast desert, can farming take place.
Many Arabs on the Arabian Peninsula can trace their roots to several generations living in the same region. Virtually everyone speaks Arabic, and despite significant dialectal variances, mutual understanding is not hindered. Since the middle of the seventh century, most Arabs have been Muslims. Sectarian differences are substantial, as in Bahrain and Yemen, but the peninsula's historical adherence to Islam, the Prophet Muhammad, has been a major uniting factor.
The first people to dwell in the Arabian Peninsula were nomads who traveled searching for new grasslands for their animals. The wetter regions of the Arabian Peninsula, located in its farthest southwest corner, are where the earliest civilizations on the continent emerged. Before the advent of Islam in the Arabian Peninsula, the Bedouins were one of the most notable nomadic groups in the region. Bedouins were polytheistic, and they were heavily socialized into kin-related groups. Families formed a clan, and clans formed a tribe.
In 1517, the Ottoman Empire seized most of the coastal towns in the Arabian Peninsula. Still, it could not conquer the peninsula's interior or the southeast. After World War I, the Ottoman empire fell, and most of the peninsula was under the control of Great Britain. However, the Saudis maintained continuous independence in the core interior.
Most of the peninsula's states have similar political structures. Most of them are or have previously been monarchs, mainly founded on concepts of religious legitimacy. In the 20th century, especially after World War II, they sought to develop economic and social conditions quickly while aiming for gradual transformation in national politics.
The Arab Spring was one of the most notable political events in that region in the 20th century. A series of pro-democracy demonstrations and upheavals began in North Africa in 2010 and 2011, challenging some of the Arab world's long-standing autocracies. The wave started when protests quickly overthrew the governments of Tunisia and Egypt, sparking similar initiatives in other Arab nations. The Arab Spring spread into the peninsula and brought about a series of political changes, and it is at the root of raging civil wars in countries across the peninsula.
