'IRAQ AND THE PERSIAN GULF' [‎78r] (160/862)

DESCRIPTION OF THE LAND
99
the chief centre, but downstream towards the Sirwan there are fewer
villages and less cultivation. Most of the lower valley is given over
to pasture.
The Baranand Dagh, which separates these valleys from the
Sulaimaniya plain, is a well-defined range, generally more than 1,000
feet lower than the Bazian ranges. It rises fairly steeply for 1,000 feet
from the bottom of the Bazian trough and in places falls abruptly to
the valley of the upper Tanjero, here known as the Cham-i-Chaqlawa,
but it is far less of an obstacle than the Sagirama Dagh and is easily
crossed by the Kirkuk-Sulaimaniya road. Farther to the south-east
it is a more formidable barrier, maintaining a height of over 3,000 feet
above sea-level to within a mile of the Sirwan.
The Sulaimaniya plain is formed by the wide trough of the upper
Tanjero, the whole valley extending south-eastwards for 44 miles.
At Sulaimaniya town, where the Azmar Dagh, the watershed of the
Little Zab, rises to the north-east, the plain is about 9 miles wide; but
the Azmar Dagh gradually loses height, becomes easier to cross, and
eventually plunges downwards, so that the lower plain of the Tanjero
is contiguous with that of Halabja, both being buried by the alluvial
deposits which have been brought down by numerous tributaries and
trapped above the Darband-i-Khan. Above the junction with the
Sirwan the combined plain broadens to 20 miles. The upper Sulai
maniya plain is undulating and generally treeless, mainly because of
indiscriminate cutting in the past, but with a rich heavy soil. It is
watered by many streams, some containing fish; oak, tragacanth,
and turpentine trees are found on some slopes. Snow in winter may
lie on the ground for periods of from 6 weeks to 2 months. The
lower plain of the Tanjero, where it merges with the Halabja plain,
is marshy and provides luxuriant pasture for flocks, liquorice is
plentiful.
The landscape south-east of the Sirwan shows the alternation of
range and trough less clearly because the strata have been corrugated
into numerous minor folds, but the Baranand has a marked extension
which has been deeply eroded by the Zinkan. The hills here are
better wooded with oak, walnut, and mulberry, but the narrow strip
of Iraq territory between the Sirwan and the Persian boundary is
little known.
Along the eastern frontier the Avroman Dagh forms an impassable
barrier for more than 20 miles. It rises to heights of 8,000 and 9,000
feet. The ridge of dark green volcanic rock falls precipitously to
short spurs and deep ravines on its south-western side.