ABSTRACT
GEOGRAPHICALCONCEPTS InthetraditionalgeographyoftheclassicalArabicsourcesthe easterncoastoftheArabianPeninsuladividesbetweenal-BaJ:irain and'Uman.Thisideaisancientforal-BaJ:lrainclearlycorresponds,in somemeasure,withDilmun,whilst'Umansimilarlyapproximatesto Magan.Suchadivisionisfundamentallygeographicalinconcept. 'Umanistheregionwhoseeconomiclifefocusesonthe650kmlong mountainchainwhichformsthedominantphysicalfeatureofsoutheastArabia.Al-BaJ:iraincorrespondstotheregionofthe'twowaters,' thoseabsorbedbythedesertsurface(al-Hasa'),andthoseofthe confinedaquifersdrainingtowardstheGulffromthescarplands(alYamama)surroundingtheNajdshield(al-'Ariid).Naturalrelease pointsofthispressurizedsub-surfaceflowgiverisetothesprings whichsupplyallthemainoasesofI:IasafromtheconfinesofKuwait
(al-~ima)toQataraswellasonBahrainislanditself.Offshoreon theseabedthepearldiversusedtofilltheirwaterbagsfromthese naturaldischargepoints.
