The Geography of the Middle East

The Middle East Today: Political Map

Middle East? OR Near East? OR Southwest Asia? OR….?

…AND HERE IS NORTH AFRICA AND SOUTHWEST ASIA HERE IS THE WORLD… …AND HERE IS NORTH AFRICA AND SOUTHWEST ASIA Due to the location, it’s called the Crossroads of Continents: Europe, Africa, and Asia

SOUTHWEST ASIA IS MORE COMMONLY CALLED THE “MIDDLE EAST” NORTH AFRICA SOUTHWEST ASIA SOUTHWEST ASIA IS MORE COMMONLY CALLED THE “MIDDLE EAST”

Some Physical Features you need to know are: BLACK SEA Bosporus Strait & Dardanelles Strait (SPLITS TURKEY FROM THE REST OF EUROPE) TAURUS MTS MEDITERRANEAN SEA ATLAS MTS PERSIAN GULF ZAGROS MTS SAHARA DESERT RED SEA STRAIT OF HORMUZ ARABIAN SEA NILE RIVER TIGRIS RIVER EUPHRATES RIVER There is also a lot of seasonal flooding, alluvial soils (deposits from the river), and delta regions (like the Nile delta). There are also natural water reservoirs likes oases and wadis. An oasis is fertile land in a desert, usually fed by an underground spring A wadi is a temporary watering hole when a gully gets filled up during the rainy season.

Bodies of Water Caspian Sea Black Sea Dardanelles Strait Atlantic Ocean Tigris River Mediterranean Sea Euphrates River Jordan River Suez Canal Strait of Hormuz Persian Gulf Nile River Gulf of Oman Red Sea Arabian Sea Gulf of Aden Indian Ocean

Mesopotamia: ”Land Between the Two Rivers” The Tigris & Euphrates River System Mesopotamia: ”Land Between the Two Rivers” Marsh Arabs, So. Iraq

Dust Storms Along the Tigris-Euphrates Flood Plains

The Jordan River System: Israel & Jordan--A Fight Over Water Rights?

Dead Sea: Lowest Point on Earth Highest Salt Content (33%) 2,300’ below sea level Highest Salt Content (33%)

Wadis – Instant Springs

Mountains & Plateaus Caucasus Mts. Elburz Mts. Anatolian Plateau Iranian Plateau Taurus Mts. Zagros Mts. Atlas Mts. Hejaz Mts.

Mountain Ranges in Mid-East Elburz Mts., Iran Zagros Mts., Iran Lebanese Mts. Taurus Mts., Turkey

Deserts Negev Desert Sinai Desert Libyan Desert Arabian Desert Rub al-Khali Sahara Desert

Desert Bedouins

Breeding Areas of Desert Locusts

Swarms of Desert Locusts! Israel Hit By Worst Locust Plague Since the 1950s! Locusts Swarm the Pyramids Complex at Giza!

Rub al-Khali: “The Empty Quarter”

Desert Oases: Water at a Premium!

Fresh Groundwater Sources

Desalinization Plants

Fertile Crescent

The Fertile Crescent

Completed Map Caucasus Mts. Black Sea Caspian Sea Dardanelles Strait Anatolian Plateau Elburz Mts. Atlantic Ocean Mediterranean Sea Tigris River Euphrates River Iranian Plateau Taurus Mts. Jordan River Zagros Mts. Atlas Mts. Negev Desert Sinai Desert Suez Canal Strait of Hormuz Arabian Desert Persian Gulf Libyan Desert Nile River Gulf of Oman Rub al-Khali Red Sea Hejaz Mts. Sahara Desert Arabian Sea Gulf of Aden Indian Ocean

The Middle East vs. the U. S. Latitude Lines

Middle East: Climate Regions

Middle East: Population Density

Cairo, Egypt: Most Populated City in the Middle East 17,000,000+ People!

The Middle East: Natural Vegetation

The Natural Resources of the Middle East

World Oil Reserves

Persian Gulf Oil Exports (2003)

Saudi Oil Fields & Refineries

Kuwait: An Island Floating on a Sea of Oil Kuwait City

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

Many Areas around the Middle East and North Africa are world famous. Follow these cultural landmarks. Do you recognize any?

MINARETS MOSQUES: places of worship for Muslims. Typical features are domes and minarets DOME

The Hagia Sofia in Istanbul, Turkey The Hagia Sofia in Istanbul, Turkey. Built between 532 and 537 by the Christian Emperor Justinian I as a Byzantine church, which it functioned as for the next 900 years. In 1453, the Islamic-faithed Ottomans took over Constantinople (now Istanbul). They wasted little time in converting the Hagia Sophia into a mosque. It served the Muslims for almost 500 years. The Ottomans painted over the Christian mosaics - and erected the four defining minarets we see today. In 1934, Turkey changed the Hagia Sofia's status from mosque to museum and uncovered the priceless Byzantine mosaics.

The Dome of the Rock http://www.sacredsites.com/1st30/domeof.html Jerusalem: This Muslim holy site was built on the remains of the Temple of Solomon, a holy site for Jews

The Kaaba http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~brvs/kaaba.html Located in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the Kaaba is the most sacred site for Muslims. A Muslim must take the haj (pilgrimage) to Mecca at least once in his/her life.

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher http://www.israel-mfa.gov.il/mfa/go-visual.asp?MFAJ01wh0 Jerusalem: This church was built on the site where Christians believe that Jesus Christ was crucified.

The Western Wall in Jerusalem: Also known as the Wailing Wall http://www.sacredsites.com/1st30/domeof.html http://www.igc.apc.org/ddickerson/western-wall.gif

Other notable cultural landmarks: A “Bazaar” is an open-air market, usually in the center of a Middle eastern town. This bazaar specializes in woven Arabian carpets- verrrrrrry popular!!!! Bazaars are also called “suqs”

Cultural Landscapes are old…. Like the many walled cities around the Arab World…

Like the oil rigs around the Middle East …and new Like the oil rigs around the Middle East