SOUTHWEST ASIA GEODATA

SW ASIA IS KNOWN AS A LAND BRIDGE CONNECTING 3 CONTINENTS: ASIA, AFRICA, & EUROPE Continent: Asia Land Area: 2.7 million sq. miles Population: 290 M Early cradle of civilization: Mesopotamia (Tigris- Euphrates R. Valley) Region’s 3 major monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity, Islam

PENINSULAS 1.ARABIAN PENINSULA (Largest in region) Contains several countries: Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, UAE, Kuwait, etc… Borders: - Red Sea (W) - Persian Gulf (E) - Suez Canal (NW) -Straits of Hormuz (SE)

2.ANATOLIAN PENINSULA – bordered by Black, Mediterranean & Aegean Seas (peninsula is the country of Turkey - beginning of Asian Continent )

Part 3. SINAI PENINSULA - - Part of Egypt/ both flat & mountainous desert terrain; connects continents of ASIA and AFRICA

Rugged mountains from Turkey to Afghanistan. 1. On Arabian Peninsula a. Hejaz Mountains: on east coast of Red Sea - north of Islam’s holy city of Mecca b. Asir Mts. (Highlands): on east coast of Red Sea/ south of the city of Mecca; only large-scale agriculture area on the Arabian Peninsula. c. Mediterranean climate area (citrus crops, olives, grapes, figs & dates B. MOUNTAIN S –

HEJAZ MOUNTAINS & ASIR MTS. (HIGHLANDS)

HEJAZ MOUNTAINS

ROAD THROUGH THE HEJAZ MNTS.

2. ON ANATOLIAN PENINSULA (TURKEY) a. PONTIC MOUNTAINS (along Black Sea region of Turkey)

b.TAURUS MOUNTAINS (along Mediterranean Sea region and eastward across southern part of Anatolian Peninsula/ frequent earthquakes/ separates Turkey from the rest of SW Asia )

a.ZAGROS Mountains (separate Iran & Iraq); also a major earthquake zone/ many in last 50 years. Mts. Are located to the west of the Iranian Plateau b.ELBURZ Mountains – South of the Caspian Sea in Northern Iran. c.Mts. cut off Iran’s easy access to water 3. IRAN - MOUNTAINS Iran’s capital city,Tehran, and the Elburz Mts.

a. Mountains isolate Iran from the rest of SW Asia 2. ZAGROS MOUNTAINS

ZAGROS MOUNTAINS

a. HINDU KUSH Mts.(rugged/ far eastern border of Afghanistan/connecting into Pakistan) b. Name Hindu Kush means “Man Killer” 4. AFGHANISTAN -

PLAINS & HIGHLANDS 1.WADIS a.Riverbeds that are dry except during rainy season; can cause flash floods and walls of mud WADI IN OMAN

WADI BEFORE AFTER

3. PLATEAU of IRAN a.Surrounded by mountains b.High elevation c.Rocky, barren salt desert (flats)

PLATEAU of IRAN

Caspian Sea

BODIES OF WATER 1. PERSIAN GULF AND RED SEA a.Surround the Arabian Peninsula

Red Sea

SUEZ CANALSUEZ CANAL

2. SUEZ CANAL (belongs to EGYPT) Strategic waterway connecting the Mediterranean & Red Seas Port Said -1869

Suez City and the entrance to the canal today

a. Landlocked saltwater lake – lowest exposed point on the earth's surface / about 1349’ below sea level. b. Saltiest lake on earth/ _______times saltier than the oceans/only bacteria can live here. c. Potash - a mineral used in fertilizer & _________________is extracted from the Dead Sea 3. DEAD SEA

4. BOSPORUS, SEA OF MARMARA & DARDANELLES a.Strategic waterways connecting the Black Sea & Aegean Sea ( and then the Mediterranean)

BOSPORUS STRAIT & SEA OF MARMARA The Bosporus ISTANBUL

DARDANELLES

5. Caspian Sea, Black Sea, Arabian Sea, Aegean Sea, Gulf of Oman, Gulf of Aden

E. RIVERS 1.TIGRIS & EUPHRATES RIVERS – originate in mountains of Turkey (a vital /limited source of water). The Euphrates R. flows from Turkey, through eastern Syria and finally Iraq. Euphrates R. joins Tigris R. in southern Iraq just before entering the Persian Gulf. a. Mesopotamia - means "Land Between the Rivers") b. Part of the “Fertile Crescent” –region of intense agriculture c. Supported ancient civilizations (Babylonians, Assyrians, Sumerians…)

TIGRIS RIVER

TIGRIS RIVER IN BAGHDAD

UPPER EUPHRATES RIVER

Turkey’s ATATURK DAM on the Euphrates River

Euphrates River in Iraq today

a. Water flows into the Dead Sea from JORDAN R. (begins in mts. near Lebanon-Syria border (Sea of Galilee); flows as natural boundary between Israel & Jordan 2. JORDAN RIVER

F. DESERTS 1.Scarcity of water (averages less than 10 “ of precipitation/ year) a. Deserts widespread in region(more than 50% of region) b. Deserts huge & harsh: surface can be sand, rock, (desert pavement) or salt (salt flats) c. Lebanon, Cyprus are only countries of SW Asia that do not have deserts. Turkey has only one small desert region.

2. RUB AL KHALI - a. Located on southern part of Arabian Pen. b. About the size of Texas c. Known as “The Empty Quarter” - largest DRY Desert in world/ does not have any underground springs or oases. d.Under the Rub’al-Khali is a vast sea of oil. e.May not have rain for 10+ years. Temperatures can reach 150  F. in daytime

a.A red sand desert in northern part of Saudi Arabia b.Has some underground springs & a few scattered oases. 3. AN-NAFUD DESERT –

4. NEGEV DESERT a. Desert turned into productive farmland through use of extensive drip irrigation b. Precise amounts of water drip from pipes onto plants. d. Wastewater Treatment plants – water used for agriculture c. Swamplands along Mediterranean drained and water used to irrigate farms__ in Negev Desert. d. Send water from swamps about 100 miles through the Israel’s NATIONAL WATER CARRIER

5. SYRIAN DESERT a.Covers part of northern Saudi Arabia, about 4/5 of Jordan and the western bulge of Iraq b.Gravel desert…not sand c.Averages less than 5” of rain/year

6. DESERTS of IRAN a.Dasht e Kavir (Great Salt Desert of Iran) and Dasht e Lut b.Barren salt deserts located next to the Plateau of Iran.

B. MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATE 1. Winters are mild and rainy, summers are hot and dry 2. Mediterranean Climate areas are found mostly around coastal plains. Some arable regions are near mountains. 3. Some areas of Mediterranean climate: in coastal regions of Israel, Lebanon and across Turkey. *** Along southern coast of Caspian Sea, region has a Humid Subtropical Climate with up to 80” of rain/year

A. Petroleum and Natural Gas ­ 1. Region has 60 % of the world’s source of crude oil 2. Most oil is found in countries around the Persian Gulf & on the Arabian Peninsula, a. Saudi Arabia is the world's leading exporter of oil B. Other Resources 1. Minerals- Iron Ore, Copper, Lead and Coal 2. Phosphate - chemical compound used in fertilizers and explosives II. NATURAL RESOURCES

OIL IN SW ASIA

C. WATER - "LIQUID GOLD!" (a resource SW Asia NEEDS but does not have) - Hydroelectric power from rivers is important to all countries sharing the river Ex: Euphrates River has dams for power & irrigation canals in Turkey, Syria & Iraq…each country lessens the potential value of the countries downriver D. Saudi Arabia is using much of its oil profits to build desalinization plants and to improve the country’s infrastructure. WATER & OIL: STRATEGIC COMMODITIES