ZAGROS

Mountain range in Iran.

The Zagros mountain range is the largest in Iran, stretching for 1,400 miles (2,253 km) from Armenia in the former U.S.S.R. in the northwest to the Persian Gulf in the south, and thence eastward to Baluchistan. It consists of a number of parallel ranges, the highest peak of which rises to 14,000 feet (4,270 m). It separates the Iranian plateau from the plains of Mesopotamia and Iraq in the west and the Persian Gulf in the south. Together with the Elburz (also known as Alborz) ranges in the north, the Zagros was formed from the Paleozoic to the Pliocene period.

Bibliography

Wilber, Donald N. Iran: Past and Present—From Monarchy to Islamic Republic, 9th edition. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1981.

parvaneh pourshariati

Zagros Mountain range in s and sw Iran, extending c.900km (560mi) from the borders with Turkey and Armenia almost to the Persian Gulf. The topography varies from rugged peaks in the n to ridges and fertile valleys in the central region (producing cotton, tobacco, and fruits) and lowland marshes and rock in the s. One of the world's most productive oilfields is located in the w foothills. Zard Kuh is the highest peak, at 4548m (14,921ft).