Syrian Desert

Syrian Desert, triangular desert plateau covering much of the Arabian Peninsula, including portions of present-day Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, and Iraq. Al-Hamad, the name of the western part of the desert, is sometimes used as a name for the entire expanse. The northern portion is a flat plain, while the southern portion is rocky, with a mountainous central region. The extreme aridity has made the desert nearly uninhabitable, although there are remains of ancient oasis towns, including the caravan city of Palmyra. The desert is now crossed by 2 highways and by oil pipelines from Iraqi oilfields.