Introduction

North Africa/Southwest Asia (also known as the Middle east) is an excellent example of a region: although is made up of countries on two continents, it is still considered a region because the people in the area share many things, especially religion

Ten Geographic Qualities 1. World’s great

ancient culture hearth

2. Source region or hearth for several religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam)

Ten Geographic Qualities

3. Islam Predominates (main culture and religion of the area)

4. Arab World– Semitic- family of languages

native to West Asia but are know through out southwest Asia and North Africa

5. Population is clustered around water

Ten Geographic Qualities

6. Desert denominates Environment and the way people live

7. Central Area between 3 continents (Asia, Africa, Europe)

8. Volatile area with conflicts – disputes religion & boundary frictions

Ten Geographic Qualities 9. Center of

superpower chess game

10. Petroleum (Oil) - a key economic resource

Relative Location of Northern Africa & Southwest Asia

Centrally located between Europe, Asia & Africa

East of the Atlantic ocean, west of the Indian ocean and southeast of Mediterranean sea

Physical Geography of Northern Africa & Southwest Asia

Main Physical features IncludePlate TectonicsPlateaus and Peninsula'sDesertsMountainsRivers, Seas, and Gulfs

Physical Geography Plate Tectonics

– Clashing Plates Arabian Plate into

Eurasian Plate– Separating Plates

Arabian Plate pulling apart from African Plate

– Red Sea spreading

Physical Geography

Plateaus - Anatolian Highland

Peninsula's – Arabian peninsula,

Physical Geography of Northern Africa & Southwest Asia

Deserts

– The Sahara Desert – North Africa

– The Saudi Arabian Desert- Arabian Peninsula

– The Libyan Desert- in-between Libya, Egypt and Sudan

Physical Geography of Northern Africa & Southwest Asia

Mountains– Atlas Mountains– Zagros Mountains. – Taurus Mountains– Ahagger Mountains– Pontic Mountains– Elburz Mountains

Physical Geography of Northern Africa & Southwest Asia

Rivers & Sea– The Nile River– The Tigris & Euphrates Rivers– The Jordan River– The Red Sea

Gulfs - – Persian Gulf, – Gulf of Suez, – Gulf of Aden– Gulf of Oman

Physical Geography of Northern Africa & Southwest

Asia

Climate of Northern Africa & Southwest Asia

Climates– Desert– Semiarid – Mediterranean – Humid subtropical – Highland

Cultural Geography of Northern Africa & Southwest

Asia– Population– Languages– Religion– Agriculture– Economics/– Urban

Cultural Geography of Northern Africa & Southwest Asia

Population– 300 million– concentrations along

the Nile, Euphrates and Tigris & Coasts

– low overall population due to desert climate

– very high growth rates in Gaza

Northern Africa Population Characteristics

– Birth rates 29/1000– Death rates 8/1000– Natural Increase 2.2/1000– Infant Mortality 59/1000– Doubling Time 32 yrs– Pop <15 39%– Pop > 65 4 %

Southwest Asia Population Characteristics

– Birth rates 28/1000– Death rates 7/1000– Natural Increase 2.2/1000– Infant Mortality 54/1000– Doubling Time 32 yrs– Pop <15 37 %– Pop > 65 5 %

Cultural Geography of Northern Africa & Southwest Asia

Languages– Unified by Arabic

Language - An Afro-Asiatic Language

– Hebrew spoken in Israel

– Tribal languages spoken in remote areas of North Africa

Cultural Geography of Northern Africa & Southwest Asia

Religion– Main religion in the

region: Islam– Christianity, and

Judaism are also found in the region.

– Religious landscapes of mosques, minarets, distinctive non-revealing clothing

– Muslim - a follower of Islam

Cultural Geography of Northern Africa & Southwest Asia

Religion– Islamic

Divisions Sunni

Islam Shite

Islam (Iran)

Religion– Three major monotheistic religions were founded in Southwest

Asia Judaism, Christianity, and Islam

– All three Claim Jerusalem (capitol of Israel) as a Holy place for different reasons

– Judaism For Jews Jerusalem is the capitol of Israel and their modern and ancient

homeland

– Christianity For Christians Jerusalem is the place where Jesus Christ was crucified

– Islam For Muslims it is the 3rd holiest site for the faith because the Dome of Rock

is located their where Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad ascended into Heaven

Cultural Geography of Northern Africa & Southwest Asia

The Effects of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam in North Africa and

Southwest Asia

How has the culture in North Africa and Southwest Asia been affected by Judaism, Christianity, and Islam?– These religions are the main religions throughout

the region with Islam being the main religion– Traditions and customs of these three religions

are carried out in everyday life of the people in the region

– Religious conflicts are throughout the region

Cultural Geography of Northern Africa & Southwest Asia

Agriculture– commercial farming in Israel

Farming enough to sell crops

Mediterranean climate yielding citrus, avocados & ranching

– Nomadic Herding dominates the region Nomadic: Moving from place to place

Bedouins– Desertification

An expansion of dry conditions to moist areas that are next to areas, causing them to become desert land

Cultural Geography of Northern Africa & Southwest Asia

Economy– oil dominated industry– Regional Imbalances

Oil and Non-oil states (“haves” versus “have-nots”)

The Impact of Oil Industrialization Regional disparities Foreign Investment High Incomes Modernization The Creation on OPEC(Organization of Petroleum

Exporting Countries)– eleven oil-producing and exporting countries, from

Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America created in 1960 by oil producing countries to create policies on selling petroleum products

Your text hereYour text here

Regions of Northern Africa & Southwest Asia

Egypt & the Nile River Basin Maghreb Arabian Peninsula Middle East The North

Egypt & the Nile Basin- Egypt and Sudan- rely on the Nile River- 95% of Egypt’s 71 million people live within 12 miles the Nile

The Maghreb (means west)

Western Mediterranean region of coastal North Africa, includes Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, dominated by the Atlas mountains main physical feature in area

Arabian Peninsula Includes

– Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Kuwait, Oman, United Arab of Emirates

– Abundance of oil in the area

Middle East Includes

– Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Palestine territory

– North of Saudi Arabia, south of Turkey, includes Syrian desert

– Center of conflict between Christians, Jews, and Muslims,

– Sunni and Shi’ite Muslim conflict (within Iraq and throughout the region

The North Includes Turkey

and Iran Northern most

countries in Southwest Asia

Cultural Facts

Afghanistan – infant and maternal mortality rates are high. Breastfeeding continues until the next pregnancy.

Egypt – female circumcision is viewed as the ultimate proof of virginity and takes place at the age of seven or eight.

Iran – a woman’s making direct eye contact with a man implies promiscuity and an interest in dating. Boys and girls no longer play together after age five.

Iraq – a government-sponsored fertility campaign encourages families to have at least five children.

Saudi Arabia – if a wife does not produce a son, her husband may divorce her. Women may have fifteen or more children. Religious police enforce the cultural laws governing segregation of sexes.