2. Geology
Iraq lies in the border zone between the two main Phanerozoicunits of the Middle East, i.e., between the Arabian–AfricanPlatform and the Asian branches of the Alpine orogenic belt,the Taurus-Zagros mountain ranges. The Western Desert of Iraqis part of the Stable Zone of the Arabian Shield (Buday, 1980).Due to this position of the Western Desert, the regional geologyand tectonics have directly influenced the geological history of the area.