Geography of the Middle East

• The region known as the Middle East straddles three continents: Europe, Asia, and Africa

• It has connected major trade routes since ancient times between Europe, India, and China

• People, ideas, goods, and religions have originated in and flowed through this region

Five Regions of the Middle East The Northern Tier

The Arabian Peninsula

The Fertile Crescent

The Nile River Valley

The Maghreb

The Northern Tier

• Stretches across Turkey and Iran

• Region of mountains and plateaus

• Consists of the Anatolian Plateau and the Iranian Plateau

Anatolian Plateau

• Fertile soil• Conducive to farming

Iranian Plateau

Very drySparsely populated

Mountains of the Northern Tier

• Pontic Mountains in northern Turkey• Taurus Mountains in southern Turkey• Zagros Mountains in western Iran

Arabian Peninsula

Small population

Lack of water BUT lots and lots of oil!!!

Birthplace of Islam

Saudi Pipeline

Al-Masjid al-Haram (The Holy Mosque)

The Fertile Crescent

• Arc-shaped region that stretches from the Tigris and Euphrates river valley to the Persian Gulf

• Is prone to flooding• Constantly invaded by foreign powers

throughout history:Sumerians-Hittites-Assyrians-Babylonians-

Persians-Greeks-Parthians-Romans-Arabs-Ottomans- British and French-United States???

The Fertile Crescent

The Nile Valley

• Enjoyed a safer and more reliable flood season than Mesopotamia

Nile River Valley cont’d

• Protected from invaders by deserts to the West and East

Nile River Valley cont’d

• The Nile River Valley gave rise to the civilization of Ancient Egypt

The Maghreb

• Means “western isle.”• Most people live along the coast• Region is bordered by the Sahara Desert to the

south and the Atlas Mountains to the West

Map of MENA