Transcript Ch 18 Notes - Spring Branch ISD

Chapter 18:
The Arabian
Peninsula
Physical Geography of the Arabian Peninsula
Landforms
• The Arabian Peninsula is surrounded almost
entirely by water.
• The climate of the interior is arid, or very dry,
and is unsuitable for agriculture or human
settlement.
• The extremely dry Rub’ al-Khali in the Arabian
desert is the world’s largest uninterrupted area
of sand.
Rub’ al-Khali
Physical Geography of the Arabian Peninsula
Water Systems
• The Red Sea links the Suez Canal to the Gulf
of Aden, allowing the transportation of goods
between Europe and Asia.
• Rapidly growing populations are using up the
already scarce sources of freshwater.
Physical Geography of the Arabian Peninsula
Climate, Biomes, & Resources
• Seasonal winds bring heavy rains like the
monsoon, or hot, suffocating winds like the
simooms.
• The Red Sea is a unique aquatic biome whose
marine life can endure extreme heat and
salinity.
• The Arabian deserts are estimated to contain
at least 25 percent of the world’s oil reserves.
Human Geography of the Arabian Peninsula
History & Government
• Religion, ethnicity, and shared culture define the
region, with most people being ethnic Arabs who
practice Islam.
• For centuries, tribal groups based on family
relationships, or sheikdoms, controlled specific areas
of the subregion, and their influence continues.
• The majority of governments in the area are
monarchies, with Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Qatar
being absolute monarchies.
Human Geography of the Arabian Peninsula
Population Patterns
• The dry, desert climate causes most people to
live along the coasts of the Persian Gulf and
Red Sea.
• Push & pull factors refer to the reasons ppl leave
& are drawn to the Arabian Peninsula
Human Geography of the Arabian Peninsula
Society & Culture Today
• Arabic is the primary language in the subregion,
with English the most common second language.
• Shari’ah, or Islamic law, governs every aspect of
a Muslim’s life.
• Bedouin tribes wandered w/sheep & goat herds &
now mostly live in towns & cities.
• Nomadic Bedouin tribes moved from place to place
bc they needed to move herds from one oasis to
another.
Sharia, Islamic sharia, or Islamic law is
the basic Islamic legal system derived
from the religious precepts of Islam,
particularly the Quran and the Hadith.
Human Geography of the Arabian Peninsula
Economic Activities
• Petroleum has produced great wealth for the Arabian
Peninsula; it is one of the world’s most important
regions for oil production.
• Lack of water remains the most important natural
resource issue.
• Water comes from natural supply from groundwater
deep beneath sandy desert.
People and Their Environment: the Arabian Peninsula
Managing Resources
• Oil is a nonrenewable resource, yet it is the
most widely used energy source today.
• Burning fossil fuels creates greenhouse gases,
which contribute to a rise in air temperature.
• Most impt resources are oil and freshwater.
• Seawater converted to freshwater is mostly used
for irrigating crops.
People and Their Environment: the Arabian Peninsula
Human Impact
• The rapidly growing population in the
subregion is dramatically increasing the demand
on already scarce water resources.
• On-going desertification is taking a heavy toll
on vegetation, resulting in soil erosion.
People and Their Environment: the Arabian Peninsula
Addressing the Issues
• Desalination is being used to address some
water needs, but it alone cannot satisfy demand; it
also has negative environmental impacts. (soil, air,
& water pollution)