Editing Najd (section)

=== Topography ===
[[File:Lake at Wadi Hanifah (5218227168).jpg|thumb|Lake at the 120&nbsp;km long [[Wadi Hanifa]] valley that cuts through Riyadh]]
Najd is a [[plateau]] ranging from {{convert|762|to|1525|m|ft|abbr=on}} in height and sloping downwards from west to east. The eastern sections (historically better known as Al-Yamama) are marked by oasis settlements with much farming and trading activities, while the rest has traditionally been sparsely occupied by [[nomad]]ic Bedouins. The main topographical features include the twin mountains of Aja and [[Salma Mountains|Salma]] in the north near Ha'il, the high land of Jabal Shammar and the [[Tuwaiq]] mountain range running through its center from north to south. Also important are the various dry river-beds (''[[wadi]]s'') such as [[Wadi Hanifa]] near Riyadh, Wadi Na'am in the south, Wadi Al-Rumah in the [[Al-Qassim Province]] in the north, and [[Wadi ad-Dawasir]] at the southernmost tip of Najd on the border with Najran. Most Najdi villages and settlements are located along these wadis, due to ability of these wadis to preserve precious rainwater in the arid desert climate, while others are located near [[Oasis|oases]].

[[File:Saudi-desert.gif|thumb|left|The [[An Nafud]] desert in the outskirts of Riyadh with the Jabal [[Tuwaiq]] in the background]]
Historically, Najd itself has been divided into small provinces made up of constellations of small towns, villages and settlements, with each one usually centered on one "capital". These subdivisions are still recognized by Najdis today, as each province retains its own variation of the Najdi dialect and Najdi customs. The most prominent among these provinces are Al-'Aridh, which includes Riyadh and the historical Saudi capital of [[Diriyah]]; Al-Qassim, with its capital in [[Buraidah]]; [[Sudair]], centered on [[Al Majma'ah]]; Al-Washm, centered on [[Shaqra (Saudi Arabia)|Shaqra]]; and [[Jebel Shammar]], with its capital, Ha'il. Under modern-day [[Saudi Arabia]], however, Najd is divided into three administrative regions: [[Ha'il Province|Ha'il]], Al-Qassim, and [[Riyadh Province|Riyadh]], comprising a combined area of {{convert|554000|km2|abbr=on}}.

{{clear}}