1. Oil in Southwest Asia: How “Black Gold” Has Shaped a Region
Chapter 24
Oil in Southwest Asia: How “Black Gold” Has Shaped a Region

2. Introduction
State: A political unit that controls a particular territory
Nomads: A person who wanders place to place
Oil reserves: Underground oil that has been discovered but remains unused
Natural gas: Gas within the Earth’s crust.
Crust: The outer layer of the Earth
Region: An area defined by one or more natural or cultural characteristics that set it apart from other areas

3. The Geographic Setting
SW Asia lies at the crossroads of three continents:
Europe
Africa
Asia
Oil: Southwest Asia’s Hidden Treasure
Crude oil: Another name for petroleum as it is found in the ground
Developed countries: A wealthy country with an advanced economy. Have many industries and provide a comfortable way of life for most of their people

4. Oil: Southwest Asia’s Hidden Treasure cont’d
Nonrenewable resources: Resources that are in limited supply
Renewable resources: Resources that will not run out or that can be replaced
Geothermal energy: Heat from the center of the Earth

5. Many Ethnic Groups, One Major Religion
Ethnic groups: A group of people in a country who share a unique culture and identity
Kurds (Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Iran)
Persians (Iran)
Islam is the most important religion in Southwest Asia
Israel is the only country in the region that does not have a Muslim majority

6. The Geology and Geography of Oil
Oil Was Formed Millions of Years Ago

7. Oil is Found in Pockets Deep in the Earth
A lot of the world’s oil lies buried under Southwest Asia
Millions of years ago, this area was under water
Movement of the Earth’s crust
Tectonic plates collide, creating pockets where oil can form
Oil Is Not Distributed Equally
Saudi Arabia is the largest country in this region
Has the most oil

8. Distribution of Oil cont’d
Kuwait (tiny country)
Holds 1/10 of the world’s known oil reserves
Other countries, like Syria and Yemen have less oil, but still have more than most other countries

9. Oil Wealth and People’s Well-Being
Saudi Arabia’s royal family very rich from oil
$185 million preparing the Marbella, Spain palace for their visit
Daily flower delivery ($1,500 for each day’s flowers)
Oil Has Made Many People Better Off
Life expectancy: The average age that a person in a given population can expect to live to. Varies from one country to another.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP): A measure of the goods and services produced by a country each year

10. Oil Has Made Many People Better Off cont’d
Per capita GDP: Measure the average income of the people in a country.
Per Capita GDP Does Not Tell the Whole Story
Human Development Index (HDI)
Looks at a country’s per capita GDP along with other factors that reflect quality of life.
Infant Mortality Rate: Number of deaths of babies under age 1 per 1,000 births in a year

11. Oil Has Not Improved Life for All
Yemen
One of the 20 poorest countries in the world
Population about 80% as large as Saudi Arabia’s
Oil reserves are about 1% the size of Saudi Arabia
Oil-Exporting Countries: Working to Control the Price of Oil
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC): An organization formed to ensure a steady flow of money to come back into the participating countries
11 member countries, 6 from SW Asian countries
Includes Venezuela, Algeria, Nigeria, Libya, Indonesia

12. Oil-Importing Countries: Working to Protect the Flow of Oil
Countries depend on the flow of oil from SW Asia to fuel their economies

13. Global Connections
What energy sources is the world using to meet most of its energy needs? What do they have in common?
Why isn’t the world getting more of its energy from renewable resources?
How might having renewable energy resources affect a region in the future?