Physical geography of southwest Asia

Since ancient times, the famous "Silk Road" has been the main road of east-west traffic. The Silk Road starts from Xi, China, goes out of Xinjiang along the Hexi Corridor, passes through Pakistan, and then goes from West Asia to Europe. In West Asia, there are land and international routes connecting three continents in the west, and the Suez Canal connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea also connects the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean. The Northwest Strait is the only exit from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. The Persian Gulf in the south is the main waterway for world oil transportation, while the the Strait of Hormuz and Mande Strait are the "throats" of offshore oil transportation lines. Therefore, West Asia is strategically located in a modern land, sea and air transportation hub connecting three continents and connecting two oceans and five seas. The natural vegetation in West Asia is mainly tropical and subtropical desert and semi-desert (desert grassland), with sparse vegetation, few species and obvious drought resistance. The developed roots, succulent stems and needle-like leaves are mostly short-padded shrubs, and there are many short-lived annual plants and perennial pseudo-short-lived plants. Forests are mainly distributed in windy and rainy mountainous areas. Most of the earth's surface is bare, and oases rich in aquatic plants are mostly distributed in coastal lowlands and areas with sufficient water along arid riverbeds. The date palm forest growing on oases is its special landscape.