Middle East Physical Geography

Tigris and Euphrates Rivers Two of the most important rivers in the Middle East Supported several ancient river valley civilizations in a larger area known as the Fertile Crescent or Mesopotamia aka “the land between the rivers” Flow through parts of Turkey, Syria, and Iraq The valleys are fertile, well watered, and great for agriculture Flow almost parallel to each other for hundreds of miles Join at the Shatt al Arab and then flow into the Persian Gulf

Jordan River Provides water to the region Flows from the mountains in Lebanon into the Dead Sea Natural boundary between Israel and Jordan

The Dead Sea A landlocked salt lake The Dead Sea is so salty that only bacteria can live in the water 1,349 feet below sea level – lowest place on the exposed crust of the Earth

The Red Sea Separates the Arabian Peninsula and the continent of Africa Covers a rift valley created by the movement of the Arabian plate

The Suez Canal Connects the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea Goods from Asia flow through this canal to ports in Europe and North Africa

Mountains in the Middle East Mountains divide the land and countries The Hindu Kush Mountains of Afghanistan are linked with other mountain ranges that frame South Asia The Zagros Mountains on the western side of Iran isolate the country from the rest of the Middle East The Elburz Mountains cut off easy access to the Caspian Sea for Iran The Taurus Mountains separate Turkey from the rest of the Middle East However, goods, people, and ideas have still been able to spread because of water

Climate of the Middle East Majority of North Africa has a desert climate Around the Atlas Mountains, the climate is Semiarid and on the coast of the Mediterranean, the climate is Mediterranean Majority of the Middle East is extremely arid The Arabian Peninsula consists of the Rub-al- Khali, which is the most famous desert in the region, and is the largest contiguous sand desert in the world