Physical Environment: Ariana
Over 200,000 square miles comprise the Caucasus, a mountainous region located between the Black Sea and Caspian Sea. The Caucasus includes Atropia, Gorgas, and Limaria, as well as parts of Ariana and Donovia. The Caucasus Mountains, consisting of the Greater and Lesser Caucasus ranges, traditionally form the separation between Europe and Asia. The Caucasus region contains two major parts—the North Caucasus and the South Caucasus—that are divided by the Greater Caucasus Mountains. The North Caucasus region is contained entirely within Donovia, while the South Caucasus contains Atropia, Gorgas, Limaria, and part of Ariana.
Table of Physical Environment Data
| Measure | Data | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| Land Area (sq. miles) | 636,372 | Includes inland water |
| Land Border (miles) | 3,662 | Atropia (289); Limaria (167) |
| Coastline (miles) | 1,976 | Caspian Sea (460); Persian Gulf & Gulf of Oman (1,516) |
| Arable (Cultivated) Land (%) | 10.9 | 34% more potentially arable |
| Perm. Crops (%) | 1.2 | |
| Perm. Pasture (%) | 18.1 | |
| Irrigated Land (%) | 3.6 | |
| Forested Land (%) | 6.8 | Primarily on/around the Elburz Mountains |
Terrain
Mountains and deserts form the majority of Ariana. A high plateau with vast sand deserts dominates eastern Ariana. High mountains such as the Zagros and Elburz mountain ranges encompass most of north-central, western, and southwestern parts of the country.
Ariana is located between two major depressions, with the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman to the south and the Caspian Sea to the north. The rocky terrain located along most of Ariana’s borders extends well into the nation’s interior, making Ariana one of the world’s most mountainous countries. Ariana’s topography contains three principal regions: the mountain ranges, the primarily coastal lowlands, and the Arianian Plateau (also referred to as the Central Plateau).
Bodies of Water
Out of Ariana’s 636,372 total square miles, water constitutes only a little over 45,000 square miles. Major Arianian rivers include the Karun, the Sefid-Rud, the Haraz, the Qom, the Aras, and the Zayandeh. The Karun River, located in southwest Ariana, represents Ariana’s longest and only navigable river, and runs 515 miles through the country. The Aras River, located in the far northwest, runs along much of the border between Ariana and its northern neighbors of Limaria and Atropia. Lake Urmia represents Ariana’s and the Middle East’s largest lake and the world’s third-largest salt lake. Located in northwestern Ariana, it covers an area that varies from 2,000 to 3,000 square miles.
Mobility Classification
Ariana’s rugged terrain favors the defender, and the military will generally find the country ill-suited to armored or mechanized operations, particularly in the coastal regions. Travelers can only access most high basin areas through winding, narrow mountain passes.
Ariana’s desert and mountains will complicate cross-country movement. The Zagros Mountains in the western half of the country prohibit vehicular travel. Equipment and vehicles will get stuck in muddy areas created at the base of the mountains by snow melt and spring rains. In heavy rains, southwestern Ariana’s marshlands and rivers can flood and bring ground movement to a halt. The rugged mountains, due to their location, are an excellent place for smugglers of drugs, weapons, and fighters. The mountainous terrain will make vehicle breakdowns and tire changes a daily occurrence.
Natural Hazards
The most common natural hazards in Ariana include dust and sand storms, mirages, and earthquakes. The frequency and severity of dust and sand storms in Ariana depend on surface wind strength and topography. The Dastet Plain in the southwest often develops dust storms due to its soil. The southern coast, inland desert, and semi-desert areas remain subject to sand storms. Dust and sand storms occur in the interior for an average of five to ten days monthly. In winter, cold fronts or thunderstorms lift these storms over wide, dry areas. In summer, the most severe dust and sand storms occur in the heat of the day and make any type of travel impossible. The storms can even eliminate visibility. Dust and sand storms mostly occur in the spring and summer seasons, and people will stay inside unless absolutely necessary and wear a mask while outdoors.
Mirages accompany aridity and heat in the flat interior and southern parts of Ariana. Mirages pose no threat to aerial observation due to the mirage’s moderate intensity of 16—33 feet. On the ground, however, mirages pose an obstacle to ground visibility as the outlines of objects become obscured. Mirages interfere with depth perception as they make objects appear closer to the eye.
Ariana, with its massive mountain ranges, finds itself at the center of an active earthquake zone, with the most vulnerable zone in the northwest. In the last two decades of the 20th century, at least 1,000 measureable earthquakes hit northwestern Ariana. On average, Ariana suffers about 100 earthquakes in any given year. Also on average, Ariana has received at least one earthquake of magnitude equal or greater than 6.0 on the Richter scale in every year for the last century. The frequency of serious earthquakes in northwest Ariana puts the approximately 12 million people in the urban area of Tehran in an extremely vulnerable position. Experts contend that if a major earthquake hit Tehran, thousands or perhaps tens of thousands would die. Most of these people live in poorly built high-rise apartments or cheaply constructed mud-brick buildings.
Subterranean Environment
Ariana, well aware of the surveillance capabilities of its enemies, has developed a significant subterranean environment to combat this capability. This environment includes networks, tunnels, and facilities that support government-regulated, primarily military activities and illicit criminal activities.
It is assessed that the underground facilities (UGFs) managed by the Arianian government support national missile and nuclear enrichment and development programs. Due to the sensitive nature of these programs, much of activities associated with them are conducted in the UGFs to provide protection from enemy detection and destruction. It is likely that the most important UGFs associated with the government are located at Qom, Isfahan, and Natanz.
There is also a significant network of underground tunnels created and used by the God’s Helpers Brigade, an insurgent group that has been opposing leaders for nearly two decades in southeast Ariana. The extensive tunnel system being utilized by this group was created to facilitate in the movement of personnel and supplies in order to evade capture by Arianian government forces.
There is a violent extremist organization based on religion that operate in Ariana and use UGFs, namely The True Believers (TTB), a Sunni-based group of about 5,000 members. Its goal is the transformation or elimination of any Muslims of the Shia faith, but eventually a worldwide Islamic Caliphate. While this group does not build tunnels, it will take full advantage of any UGFs it happens across in its area of operations.
Criminal elements also utilize recently developed underground tunnels to negate law enforcement detection. These underground networks range from small and crude to very elaborate with electricity. The exact number of tunnels is unknown at this time; however, US Strategic Command (STRATCOM) estimates that 20–30 tunnels are active within the northern border regions of Ariana.
Vegetation
Land Cover
Except for the lush forests that cover the Elburz Mountains’ northern slopes, Ariana contains few forested areas. The deserts in central Ariana receive only a few inches of rain annually, and the scant moisture does not allow soil formation or much vegetation growth. The most common vegetation patterns in the Caspian Sea coastal region include thorny shrubs and ferns; broad-leaf deciduous trees such as oak and beech, and a few broad-leaf evergreens. In the Zagros Mountains, semi-humid oak forests grow along with elm and maple trees. Thin strands of juniper, almond, and wild fruit trees are found in the semi-dry plateau. Grasses and thorny shrubs cover steppes, while acacia and palms often grow in areas below 3,000 feet.
Agriculture
Although arable farmland only accounts for 10.9% of all Arianian territory, agriculture employs 25% of the labor force. Out of the total potential arable farmland available, Arianians cultivate less than a quarter due to poor soil conditions and lack of adequate water distribution. Arianian farmers irrigate one- third of the cultivated land and dry farm (rain-feed) the remainder. Arianian irrigation methods include diversion of rivers through deep wells. Ariana’s western and northwestern areas possess the most fertile soils.
Ariana’s wide temperature variations and its multiplicity of climatic zones make it possible to cultivate a diverse variety of crops such as rice, wheat, corn, barley, dates, figs, tea, tobacco, vegetables, and cotton. Barley, wheat, and rice dominate Arianian agricultural output. Arianians grow wheat and barley throughout the country in both rain-fed and irrigated areas, but limit rice production to the moist areas that border the Caspian Sea. Because of its large population, Ariana must import a significant amount of food, particularly rice and wheat. Ariana claims the title of the world’s largest pistachio nut producer. Nuts and dried fruits comprise Ariana’s third most important export after oil and gas.
Climate
The country’s diverse topography contributes to a climate subject to extreme variation. The climate ranges from subtropical in the south to subpolar at high elevations. The Caspian Sea coastline experiences a mild climate, while the central plateau is semi-arid to arid. Summer and winter can generate extreme temperatures of hot and cold respectively. Rainfall mainly occurs in spring. Ariana experiences all four seasons: spring lasts from March to June, summer until September, fall occurs between September and December, and winter takes place from December to March.
Seasons
| Season | Months | Remarks |
| Winter | December–February | |
| Spring | March–May | |
| Summer | June-August | |
| Fall | September–November |
Weather
Precipitation
Most of Ariana’s precipitation falls in the spring months. Ariana’s national annual precipitation averages only about 14 inches. The Caspian Sea coastal region receives the country’s greatest annual precipitation, which varies from 32 to 80 inches. With the exception of the high mountain valleys of the Zagros and Caspian coastal plain, little precipitation occurs throughout the rest of the country. The highest western slopes of the Zagros Mountains receive more than 40 inches of rain annually. Fewer than four inches of rain fall annually over the Dash-e Lut and Dash-e Kavir deserts. Heavy winter snow in the mountains combined with spring rains cause annual floods in parts of Ariana. Torrential rains in dry seasons or parched areas may rapidly fill wadis (dry streambeds) with runoff water that causes flash floods.
Temperature-Heat Index
Seasonal winds, elevations, and proximity to deserts or mountain ranges play a significant role in daily and seasonal temperature fluctuation. The extreme hot temperatures in the summer, partnered with dangerous winds, will make troop mobility slow, difficult, and limited. The harsh conditions will make operating in the area a challenge.
In the summer, daytime temperatures drop as low as 35°F in the mountains of the northwest region but can run as high as 120°F in the desert regions and near the Persian Gulf. In addition to the heat, summers occur without any precipitation. The south, especially near the Persian Gulf, possesses a reputation for its unpleasant climate. Hot and humid summers, with temperatures that can reach 123°F in Dastet province by the gulf, can make outside work difficult. Excessive heat and high humidity in Dastet makes the weather almost unbearable to people from other parts of the country. The heat can cause heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and even heatstroke.
Temperature-Wind Chill Index
In winter, Ariana experiences temperatures at or below freezing. The northwest usually has the coldest winters, with heavy snows and subfreezing temperatures in December and January.
Relative Humidity
Relative humidity varies throughout Ariana. The central portion of the country experiences low relative humidity year-round, while the coastal areas near the Persian Gulf and the Caspian coast are known for their high humidity, especially during the summer months. The Zagros and Elburz mountain ranges experience higher humidity during the spring rains, but are relatively dry during the rest of the year.
Wind
The baad-e sad-o-bist rooseh (wind of 120 days) wind occurs during the hot summer days and carries sand particles. With a velocity of 70 miles per hour, the wind blows toward the province of Akroidet in the southeast, destroys plants and vegetation, strips away soil, and damages buildings and livestock. Traveling is limited and dust particles clog air intakes on cars and other vehicles. The dust also works its way into machinery of all kinds.
Large dust and sand storms in desert areas in the center of the country can limit visibility and adversely affect equipment and machinery. The storms carry dust and/or sand particles in the air and sometimes the dust becomes suspended in the air. Upsweeps and downdrafts also spread dust in the atmosphere in the summer, creating haze after strong storms. The storms cloud visibility, damage machinery and equipment, ruin electrical circuits, and wear away textiles.
Summary
The Caucasus region, containing the Greater and Lesser Caucasus Mountains, forms the traditional division between Europe and Asia. All countries contain different weather and terrain, and soldiers must prepare for seasonal extremes—winter and summer. Areas with flat plains and valleys, such as coastal plains, will favor troop mechanized movement. The mountainous regions, especially in the Greater and Lesser Caucasus Mountains, will compound vehicle and equipment breakdowns. Numerous roads, already in poor condition in most of the countries, will become inaccessible for vehicular traffic because of winter snow. Military planners will need to anticipate the closure of mountain passes for up to six months a year due to snow.