Transcript Southwest Asia And North Africa

Leading countries according to GDP
(how rich they are)
• Kuwait
• United Arab Emirates
• Qatar
• Israel
Leading countries according to Land
size
• Algeria
• Saudi Arabia
• Libya
Leading countries according to
population
• Iran
• Turkey
• Egypt
Physical Characteristics
• Middle East is the crossroads of
Europe, Africa, and Asia
• It has a primarily desert or semiarid climate
• Sahara, Sahel, and steppes are
the primary vegetation region
• Sahara--world’s largest
desert, it stretches over most
of North Africa and is
growing
• Sahel--area separating the
Sahara from the tropical
rainforest of Africa.
Sahara desert
• The Sahel is an area of
temperate grassland (steppe)
moving into sparse desert
scrub-like vegetation
• Three main mountain ranges
–1. Atlas Mountains in northern
Algeria and Morocco
–2. Taurus Mountains in southern
Turkey
–3. Zagros Mountains in western
Iran
• Even though this is a dry
area, water plays a very
large role
• There are several large
bodies of water which play a
major role in world politics
–Examples :
•Persian Gulf/Arabian Gulf
•Strait of Hormuz
•Arabian Sea
•Red Sea
• Other important bodies of water
• Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea,
Bosporus Strait, Dardanelles Strait,
Nile River (longest in the world),
Tigris and Euphrates (home to the
world’s first civilization) and the
Jordan River
• The area is also subject to
seasonal flooding, alluvial
soils, delta regions, oases, and
wadis
• Seasonal flooding--several of
the rivers flood regularly (Nile)
which deposit rich alluvial soil
for farming
• The desert regions are home to
many oases (a place where
fresh water makes it possible
for life to exist in a dry area)
and wadi (a gully or usually dry
river bed cut by running water
after a downpour)
Oasis
• Label each country in BLACK
• Label each capital and city of importance
in RED and use the proper symbol
• Capital
• City of Importance
• Label each sea, river and ocean in BLACK
and color them BLUE.
• Label each desert in GREEN and color
them YELLOW.
• Label each mountain BROWN and use a
triangle.
Economic Characteristics
• The area has a heavy reliance
on primary economic activities
such as oil drilling, agriculture
and herding/grazing
• The area is the home of the
Organization of Petroleum
Exporting Countries (OPEC)
• Many countries in the area still
belong today
• Major producers of the world’s oil
• Provide large oil revenues
• Positive effects--jobs, revenue,
position of power
• Negative effects--reliance on one
industry, pollution, unequal
distribution of wealth
• Water is the region’s MOST
PRECIOUS resource
• Aswan High Dam has had positive
and negative effects on the region.
• Suez Canal enhanced shipping
routes in the region
• Positive effects of the Aswan High
dam
–Controls flooding, recreation
areas, power
• Negative effects of the Aswan high
Dam
–land losing fertility, lost homes
when dam built, disease
Benefit
Problem
• There is a great variation in the
standard of living in the region.
• It ranges from the relatively high
to the poverty stricken.
• There is also a wide range of per
capita income and differing levels
of development
• Trade has been important to
the region from the earliest
time.
• Today regional conflicts and
political unrest have affected
trade and tourism
• The area today has
contemporary trade routes
(sea lanes)
Cultural Characteristics
• The area has experienced rapid
urbanization
• Most modernization has
centered around urban areas
and more traditional life has
continued in the rural areas
• Large percentage of the
population is under the age of 15
due to conflict, disease and the
hardships associated with the
region.
The population is generally unevenly
distributed due to the environment
and resources
• All but three of the countries are
Arab nations and they use the
Arabic language.
• Turkey, Iran and Israel are the
non-Arab countries
• North Africa and Southwest Asia
are the birthplace to three major
monotheistic religions: Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam.
• All three claim similar holy places
and the dominant group has
changed over the years.
• Since 1949, the region has been
in conflict over the area known
as PALESTINE. This area is
present day Israel.
• Much of the region has a
nomadic lifestyle
• NOMADIC-to wander from place
to place behind a food source or
for other reasons
• The art of the region reflects the
diversity of the religions;
• stained glass, geometric tiles,
calligraphy, mosaics, and prayer
rugs
Prayer Rugs
Stained Glass/Mosaics
Cities as centers of trade and culture
• Baghdad, Iraq
• Cairo, Egypt
• Istanbul, Turkey
• Jerusalem, Israel
• Mecca, Saudi Arabia
• Tehran, Iran
Cultural Landscape
• Mosques, minarets
• Church of the Holy Sepulcher
• Hagia Sophia
• bazaars, sugs
• Western Wall (of Jerusalem)
• Dome of the Rock
• Kaaba
• Pyramids
• Oil rigs
• walled cities
Oil Rigs
Kaaba
Dome of the Rock
Hagia Sophia
Church of the Holy Sepulcher
Pyramids
Western Wall
Western Wall