Unit 6 – Chapter 17The Physical Geography of North

Africa, Southwest Asia, and Central Asia

I. Section IThe Land

A. Seas & Peninsulas

SeasRed Sea, Dead Sea, Caspian Sea, Aral Sea

PeninsulasArabian, Sinai, Anatolia

Bodies of Water

TigrisRiver

Nile River

EuphratesRiver

Jordan River

Persian Gulf

ArabianSea

Mediterranean Sea

IndianOcean

Red Sea

Black Sea

Gulf of Aden

Strait ofHormuz

Suez Canal

Dardanelles StraitAtlanti

cOcean

Gulf ofOman

Caspian

Sea

B. Rivers

Major Rivers Nile – longest river in the

world The majority of the

Egyptian people live along this!

Tigris & Euphrates (Iraq) Land in between is called

Mesopotamia (“land between two rivers”)

Streambeds Wadis – usually dry streambeds until heavy rain

Dead Sea: Lowest Point on Earth

HighestSaltContent(33%)

HighestSaltContent(33%)

2,300’ below sea level2,300’ below sea level

C. Plains, Plateaus, & Mountains

Coastal PlainsFertile plains along the Mediterranean Sea

HighlandsAtlas MountainsCaucasus MountainsHindu KushOthers – Hejas, Asir, Pontic, Taurus, Zagros

Mountains & Plateaus

Atlas Mts.

El

burz

Mts

.

Taurus

Mts. Zagros

Mts.

Iranian Plateau

AnatolianPlateau

Caucasus Mts.

Heja

z Mts.

Mountain Ranges in Mid-East

Elburz Mts., IranElburz Mts., Iran Zagros Mts., IranZagros Mts., Iran

Lebanese Mts.Lebanese Mts. Taurus Mts., TurkeyTaurus Mts., Turkey

Deserts

Sahara DesertArabianDesert

NegevDesert

SinaiDesert

Libyan Desert

Rubal-Khali

Kums - deserts

Fresh Groundwater Sources

Swarms of Desert Locusts!

Locusts Swarm the Pyramids Complex at Giza!

Locusts Swarm the Pyramids Complex at Giza!

Israel Hit By Worst Locust Plague Since the 1950s!

Israel Hit By Worst Locust Plague Since the 1950s!

D. Earthquakes

African, Arabian, & Eurasian Plates come together here Because of this,

earthquakes (often very serious ones) happen here frequently

E. Natural Resources

Oil & Natural Gas70% of the world’s oil reserves33% of the world’s natural gas

Oil Reserves

Leading U. S. Oil Suppliers

The U. S. imports 30% of its oil needs from the Middle East.The U. S. imports 30% of its oil needs from the Middle East.

Minerals

Sulfate Phosphate – Morocco (3rd in world)

II. Section II Climate & Vegetation

Vegetation Map

Middle East: Climate Regions

A. Water: A Precious Resource

Look at map on pg. 428Desert Climate (#1)

Sahara – the largest desert in the world3.5 million sq. mi.

Steppe Climate (#2)Pastoralism – the raising & grazing of

livestock

B. Climate Variations

Exports & TouristsExport – citrus fruits, olives, & grapesTourism – people enjoy the warm climates

RainfallCoastal Areas & Highlands receive the most

Dead Sea Tourists