The Middle East is extremely arid… meaning that it receives little or no rain and stays mostly dry during the year. Large portion of the land is covered in ___Deserts_- made up of rough, dry terrain such as sand dunes, salt flats. Rivers do not flow year round, but vegetation/animals living in desert can survive w/ little water & extreme temperatures. Use irrigation to create productive farmland.
Deserts reduce travel & limit almost all human-environment interaction. 2 Kinds of Desert in Middle East: 1. __Sandy Deserts_____________ 2. __Salt Deserts_______________ Rub al-Khali Desert
1. Rub al-Khali aka: “place where no one comes out”. Located on the Arabian Peninsula One of the largest sandy deserts in the world Dunes as high as 800 feet Temperatures up to 150º F
2. An-Nafud Desert – red sand desert in the North Occasional oasis--- an oasis is an area on the desert where vegetation grows due to presence of water Severe sandstorms common in this desert.
Salt Deserts are created when… Land dries out because of a mountain range blocks moisture The water evaporates and leaves salt chemicals in the soil _Dasht-e Kavir (central Iran) & _Dasht-e Lut_ (eastern Iran). Salt-encrusted lands surrounded by quicksand-like salt marshes. Extremely hot. Rugged & no one lives there.
Sandy Deserts:
Salt Deserts:
__On the edges of the deserts_ in the Middle East are _regions with a semi-arid climate_______. ___Have warm to hot summers_____ w/ _enough rainfall to support growth of grass & some low-growing shrubs. Also, good pasture for animals. Jordan has semi-arid climate.
Most areas of Middle East are arid or semiarid, but… some areas have adequate rainfall. Along the Mediterranean Coast and in most of Turkey Hot summers & rainy winters (similar to climate in southern California). Grow citrus fruits, olives, & vegetables. Can grow crops year round (mild in winter & heavy irrigation in dry summers). _Mediterranean climate is comfortable to live in so, these areas are highly populated.