Which mountain range forms a major mountain belt across Iran, Iraq, and southeastern Turkey?
Answer
Zagros Mountains
The Zagros Mountains form a major mountain belt across Iran, Iraq, and southeastern Turkey.
The range extends for roughly 1,600 kilometres from eastern Turkey toward the Strait of Hormuz in southern Iran. Its folded ridges and parallel valleys were created mainly by the collision of the Arabian Plate with the Eurasian Plate.
The Zagros are important for both natural history and human settlement. Oak forests cover parts of the range, while numerous valleys support agriculture and pastoral communities. The region also contains major petroleum-bearing sedimentary basins.
The Zagros are sometimes confused with Iran’s Alborz Mountains. The Alborz lie farther north beside the Caspian Sea, whereas the Zagros run mainly along western and southwestern Iran.