Need congeography help

[Ahzoh]

I am designing a map for Vrkhazh, which is described as mostly arid with tropical parts in the south. I don't know where to put mountains and such so that this can be achieved.

Some things to note:

• The size of Vrkhazh is roughly the size of Libya, so check a word map for reference
  
• Reference point is the Tropic of Cancer
  
• Everything within the black lines is Vrkhazh
  
• The entire map is only a portion of a continent
  

The map:

[MetalRenard]

"Tropical"
- Needs rain
- Needs year-round constant temperatures

"Arid"
After about 10 minutes of research: On Earth, arid areas tend to be formed along the equator because there is more evapouration than rainfall. This is because the heat causes high pressure zones in those areas and all the water that evapourates is dropped once it has escaped these zones (30 degrees North and South of the equator).

Based on those two things, I think you would need the following conditions to get that kind of situation:
- An air current moving towards the east from the sea to cause rainfall in those areas
- A mountain range along the coast that stops in the point of the map towards the bottom left to prevent said rain reaching the arid zone.
- Would have to be in the tropic of CAPRICORN, not cancer, to allow for the high pressure zone to keep water away from the arid zone and make it fall on the tropical zone. OR turn it upside down, I guess.

[Ahzoh]

Hmm, someone had said deserts and semi-arid regions tended to be north of the Equator and about the Tropic of Cancer...

"This works even better, but I would like to point out that deserts seem to be more likely at around 30 degrees north or south, which would be six to eight degrees (about 450-500 miles) north of the tropic"

If I do make it north of the equator, I would think a mountains on the east-side of Vrkhazh may block rain from the winds that go south and south-west direction?

[KasperKalamity]

using your map, i guessed at where glaciation would have carved out mountains to match your tropical border that looks like it was made by a river.

[Ahzoh]

What the arrow things mean?
If I interpret that shaded things on that map, all of Vrkhazh is surrounded by mountains, yes?

[MetalRenard]

" I would think a mountains on the east-side of Vrkhazh may block rain from the winds that go south and south-west direction? "
The water would have been deposited long before it reached the country if it came from the east towards the south-west.

Kasper's onto something too, about the river and glaciers carving out a trench. That would also explain it, if it was in a valley.

[Ahzoh]

" I would think a mountains on the east-side of Vrkhazh may block rain from the winds that go south and south-west direction? "
The water would have been deposited long before it reached the country if it came from the east towards the south-west.

Kasper's onto something too, about the rivers(?) and glaciers carving out a trench. That would also explain it, if it was in a valley.

I like it, I don't mind a valley, as long as there is enough space for the tropical south to efficiently travel to the arid north. If it works, it works. I will assume the triangles are mountains...

[MetalRenard]

Tropical zone in a valley, arid zone higher up. This way the arid zone would have colder temperatures than average and the valley would be warmer than average.

[Ahzoh]

Tropical zone in a valley, arid zone higher up. This way the arid zone would have colder temperatures than average and the valley would be warmer than average.

How cold..?
Also wonder if the mountains will provide Vrkhazh with an abundance of iron, copper and tin.

[MetalRenard]

The temperature would depend on the height. Mt Everest for example - The peak is -15C to -40C depending on the time of year.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmospheric...e_1962.svg
This is a rough guide - how high is your mountain plateau going to be? 10km up gives you -70C from sea level temperatures. 1.8km (a mile high) would be -20C. (C is celsius. 1 Kelvin = 1 celsius. 0 Kelvin is the lowest possible temperature where even atomic activity is frozen. 273.5K is the freezing point of water.) To convert celsius to farenheit for my American buddies: http://www.mathsisfun.com/temperature-conversion.html

Iron etc: That's quite possible, so why not? If there's iron, the rock would be red, could be the seed for a myth about "blood in the rocks" or something.
"The great titans fought a war here with weapons so powerful they carved out the valey below. Their blood drenched the rocks. And now we prosper, the titan rock empowers our armies and gives us a way of life. That was their gift to us, albeit a dark one." - My overactive imagination