ABSTRACT
312Jīzān (جيزان, also Jāzān جازان, Jizan, Gīzan, Gazan, DJīzān), an area inhabited for at least a millennia, has served as a stopping place for pilgrimage caravans to and from Sana’a. It is situated in the southern most Saudi province bordering Yemen, across the Red Sea from Eritrea (Fig. 18.1). The topography is diverse, and along with a hot seacoast, includes fertile plains, forests, and mountains. Agriculture has long been important for livelihood, and it has been estimated that up to 75 percent of Jīzānis have been involved in the profession of farming (Jazan 2003). Into the twenty-first century, through the mass production of grains and other crops, Jīzān has gained the title: “Bread Basket of the Kingdom.” Date palm farming and animal husbandry also provide means of support for those of the foothills and mountains. Since the sea runs along Jīzān’s longest border (ca 300 km) fishing and other maritime activities have also had a major impact on regional peoples. In the past pearl diving was based from the port city of Jīzān, as was salt mining: the commercial mine has an open salt face that is five meters thick.
