Masirah Island - Geography

Geography

Located about 19 km off the east side of Barr al Hikman, the island is generally hilly, especially on its east side. The hills along the east side of the island are separated from the island coast by a narrow sandy plain; they run nearly its entire length.

A steep plateau stands in the middle of the range on the northeast side of the island. Along the west side of the island, there are a few low hills separated from the east range by an extensive sandy plain marked by several hillocks.

The climate of the island is agreeable and healthy between November and March, but hot and unhealthy during the southeast monsoon.

Jabal Madrub, a 256 meter high mountain, stands about 13 km south of the north end of the island.

Ras Abu Rasas, the south extremity of Al Masirah, is low and rocky. Jabal Suwayr (Jabal al Hilm), a conspicuous conical hill, rises to a height of 153 meters, about three km north-northeast of Ras Abu Rasas.

Ras Kaydah, a small and rocky headland, has a conspicuous, conical hill about 20 meters high nearby. There are small islets 600 meters east and four km north of Ras Kayda.

The coast between Ras Kaydah and Ras Zafaranat, about 27 km to the northeast, is regular with a few small rounded projections and a low rocky beach. Haql (Hakkan), a small village in a grove of trees, lies close to the shore about eight km north of Ras Kaydah.

Ras Zafaranat is rocky with hills rising abruptly.

Between Ras Abu Rasas and Ras Kaydah, about 18 km to the northeast, the coast is indented by small, sandy bays fringed by rocks.

Ras al Ya, about three km northeast of Ras Zafaranat, is the east extremity of the island and consists of a prominent bluff rising to a ridge of hills which extend westward to the center of the island.

A conspicuous peak, 99 meters high, stands about three km west-northwest of Ras al Ya. Jabal Madrub rises about five km farther west-northwest.

Ras al Jazirah, about six km north-northwest of Ras al Ya, is rocky and well-marked by a black patch on its south side. A sharp peak, rising to a height of 95 meters, stands about three km west of this point.

Jazirat Thukhayr, a sandy islet close north of Ras al Jazirah, lies on a drying reef connected to the shore. Drying rocks extend up to 300 meters off the eastern extremity of the islet. The coast between Ras al Jazirah and Ras Qudufah, the northeast extremity of the island, about 11 km further north-northwest, is indented by a bay.

Ras Qudufah, consisting of two rocky projections about 800 meters apart, rises to Jabal al Jidufa, about 64 meters high, a short distance inland. A cairn stands on a hill close south of Jabal al Jidufa. A small monument stands close southwest of Ras Qudufah.