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Physical Geography of North Africa, Southwest Asia and Central Asia
Chapter 17
1. The LandThe vast region of North Africa, Southwest
Asia and Central Asia spans portions of Africa and Asia
Early civilizations thrived here thousands of years ago in fertile river valleys
Today, ancient rivers such as the Nile remain vital to the people of the region
LandformsIn NA, SWA and CA, dramatic landforms can
be found It is a region dominated by deserts and
mountainsTectonic activity responsible for shaping
the landscape in many parts of NA, SWA and CA.
EarthquakesThe African, Arabian, Anatolian and Eurasian
plates come together in NA, SWA and CAAs the plates move they:build mountainsshift landmassescause earthquakesTectonic activity built Atlas Mtns. of Morocco and
Algeria, the Zagros of southern Iran and the Taurus of Turkey
Earthquakes occur regularly in the regionIn 1999, Turkey experienced an earthquake
measuring 7.4 on the Richter scale
MountainsPhysical Map on p. 412Africa’s longest mountain range, the Atlas
Mountains, extends across Morocco and AlgeriaIn Southwest Asia, two mountain ranges, the Hejaz
and Asir, stretch along the western coast of the Arabian Peninsula
Precipitation received by the Asir region makes it the most agriculturally productive on the Ariabian Peninsula
Turkey possesses the Pontic Mountains and the Taurus mountains, and in between the two sits the Anatolian Plateau (2000 to 5000 ft above sea level)
MountainsMount Ararat (almost 17000 ft), near
Turkish/Iranian boderThe Caucasus Mountains, located N of Mount
Ararat between the Black Sea and Caspian SeaWest of Tian Shan range, the Turan Lowlands,
made up by irrigated farmlandTo the south are dune-covered kums, or desertsThe Kara-Kum, or black sand desert, covers most
of TurkmenistanThe Kyzl Kum, or red sand desert, blankets half
of Uzbekistan
Coastal Plains, Seas and PeninsulasRegions agricultural base are the fertile
plains along the Mediterranean Sea, the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf
To the E, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden separate Arabian Peninsula from Africa
The northwest, the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aquaba flank the Sinai Peninsula
Coastal Plains, Seas and PeninsulasTo the N, the peninsula of Anatolia points west
to the Aegean SeaBlack and Mediterranean Seas lie at the
peninsula’s north and southThree landlocked bodies of salt water E of the
Mediterranean Sea:Smallest – Dead Sea, near mouth of Jordan RiverIn CA, the Caspian Sea, largest inland body of
water on EarthEast of the Caspian Sea is the Aral Sea, used to
be fourth largest inland sea before Soviet irrigation
Water SystemsFor thousand of years, people have
depended on the region’s rivers and fertile river valleys’ where early civilizations thrived
Rivers are the lifeblood of this region, which on the whole is quite dry or arid
Major Rivers: Cradles of CivilizationEgypt’s Nile River, world’s longest river at
4,160 miles longThe Nile, provided one of the world's
earliest civilizationsToday, more than 90 percent of Egypt’s
population live on only 3 percent of Egypt's land, located along the Nile River
The Aswan High Dam and others now control the river’s flow
Major Rivers: Cradles of CivilizationEarly civilizations also thrived in the Tigris-
Euphrates River Valley, fertile farming valley in SWA
Known by ancient peoples as Mesopotamia, Greek word for ‘land between two rivers’
Today the Tigris and Euphrates help irrigate Turkey, Syria and Iraq
The Euphrates is the longer river of the two (2,335 m), versus the Tigris (1,180m)
StreambedsMany streams in the region flow only
intermittentlyIn the region’s deserts, runoff from
infrequent rainstorms creates wadis, or streambeds that remain dry until a heavy rain
Rainstorms often produce flash floodingDuring a flash flood, wadis fill with so much
sediment they become mud flows, or moving masses of west soil, which are dangerous to humans and animals
Natural ResourcesSome of NA, SWA and CA’s most abundant
resources are important to the world economy
Include petroleum and natural gas
Oil and Natural Gas Over 60 percent of the world’s known oil
reserves are beneath this regionAbout 50 percent of known natural gas
reserves are here as wellPetroleum exports have enriched the
regionHowever, reliance on oil exports is risky,
due to fluctuation in oil prices
MineralsTurkmenistan, worlds’ largest deposits of
sulfurlargest deposits of sulfate, used in
paperboard, glass and detergentsMorocco – a leading producer in
phosphate, chemical used in fertilizers
Building Diverse EconomiesSome countries are diversifying to reduce
reliance on oil and mineral exportsUnited Arab Emirates is investing oil wealth
in banking, information technology and tourism
Libya is investing in infrastructure, agriculture and fisheries
2. Climate and VegetationLarge expanses of North Africa, Southwest
Asia and Central Asia have an average annual rainfall of 10 inches or less
As a result, much of the region arid, unfertile, desert
Water and ClimateLack of water affects climate, natural
vegetation, and human activities in these regions
Water scarcity defines the region's climatesAncient cave paintings in North Africa,
show us this part of Africa was once wet and green
Desert ClimateScientific definition of desert: an area which averages 10
inches or less precipitation per yearDeserts make up almost 50 percent of North Africa,
Southwest Asia and Central AsiaSahara Desert – largest desert in the world, 3.5 million
square miles, covers most of North Africa, expanded by recent droughts
Desert weather patterns tend to be extreme, with relatively cold winters with freezing temperatures, and summers that are long and hot
A traveler crossing any of the region's deserts would probably see only a few Ergs, but man Regs
Ergs – sandy, dune covered areaRegs - stony plains covered with rocky gravel (desert
pavement) and hamada, a flat sandstone plateau
Desert ClimateSand covers less than 10 percent of the Sahara.
Mountains, barren rock and desert pavement cover the rest
Rub’ al-Khali Desert – largest area of sand in the region, 250,000 square miles, covers almost the entire southern quarter of the Arabian Peninsula
The Sahara and other deserts support some vegetation , such as cacti and shrubs.
Small-scale farming is possible in an oasis, or place in the desert where underground water surfaces.
Oases such as these are often the sites of villages, towns and cities in the Sahara
Steppe ClimateSteppe is the second largest climate region in
the regionSteppe borders the Sahara to the north and
southPrecipitation in this semi-arid climate region
usually averages less than 14 inches per yearSupports short grasses, providing pasture for
sheep, goats and camels, as well as shrubs and some trees
Pastoralism, the raising and grazing of livestock, is a way of life for people who live in a steppe climate
Midlatititude RegionsCountries within the region’s mid-latitudes
benefit from rainfall in the Mediterranean highland, and humid subtropical climates
Mediterranean climates have cool, rainy winters and hot, dry summers
Exports and TouristsMorocco, Tunisia, Syria boost their
economies by exporting citrus fruits, olives and grapes
Some Mediterranean countries benefit from tourism
Moroccan city of Agadir has 360 days of sunshine per year
Higher area, like the Caucasus Mountains, are generally wetter and colder
Highland climate varies with elevation and exposure to wind and sun
RainfallCoastal and highland areas near mountain
ranges usually receive the most rainfallNorth African coast near the Atlas Mountains
averages more than 30 inches of rain/yearMore than 60 inches of rain falls each year
at the foot of the Elburz Mountains in northern Iran
Batumi, in the Republic of Georgia, receives more than 100 inches of rain per year
In areas where more than 14 inches of rain falls yearly, farmers can raise cereals, such as barley, oats and wheat, without irrigation