Crossroads of the World The Middle East Crossroads of the World

What is the Middle East? Region in Southwest Asia Crossroads of 3 continents: Europe Asia Africa Extends from Morocco to Iran

Climate Short period of rainfall Rains wash away topsoil Temperature extremes Hot and dry Deserts and green coastal lands

Natural Resources Oil is the Middle East’s most important natural resource 70% of the world’s known oil reserves are located in the Middle East Middle Eastern countries produce 2/3 of the world’s oil

Natural Resources Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest oil producer

Natural Resources Other natural resources include: gold, iron, and copper Water is scarce and difficult to harness Fertile river valleys and coastal lands Aswan High Dam in Egypt

Geographic Features Desert – an area that has less than 10 inches of annual rainfall Arabian Desert Syrian Desert Oasis – fertile place in a desert where water is available through an underground spring

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!

Desert Oases: Water at a Premium!

Fresh Groundwater Sources

Countries in Crisis Yemen Saudi Arabia Iraq Syria Jordan What does it Cause:

Water Scarcity and Conflicts: Syria March 2011: Anti-Assad Revolution erupts 1,5 million people internally displaced because of the 2006-2011 drought Water shortages have contributed to conflict, for example in Syria. A severe drought from 2006 to 2011 led to the ruin of hundreds of thousands of small scale farmers who emigrated to the outskirts of major cities, contributing to the pressure leading to revolution and continuing civil conflict.

Yemen- People are moving to cities due to aquifers depleting.

Syria and Iraq blame Turkey's huge network of dams on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers for reducing water supplies by 50 percent

Two people, one land, one aquifer: Water and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict Access to scarce water resources is one of the issues at stake in the In the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The common aquifer which is in the underground of the West Bank is exploited by the Israelis, who are using four fifths or it, whereas Palestinians are only using one fifth.

Desalinization Plants

Problems with de-Salinization Health issues due to high amounts of boron and bromide and lacks calcium Desalination plants harm wildlife and cause pollution Uses high amounts of energy Expensive

Other Solutions Conservation Treated Wastewater Importing water Some treat wastewater multiple times Used for crops People fear contamination Importing water Pipelines built for water distribution Countries must work together to maintain pipelines Conservation Limit use Use drought tolerant crops Change agricultural practices.

War over Water? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=if-ibJT-MzM&feature=youtu.be

Five Physical Regions Northern Tier Arabian Peninsula Fertile Crescent Nile River Valley Maghreb Beach in Lebanon

1. The Northern Tier Stretches across present-day Turkey and Iran Anatolian Peninsula * fertile soil and moisture available for farming to support a large population Iranian Plateau * Elburz and Zagros Mountain ranges * dry region with a small population A bazaar in Turkey

2. Arabian Peninsula A plateau that borders the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and the Persian Gulf Mostly barren desert Beneath the desert is a huge amount of oil, which supports the country Small population because of lack of water Most of the population lives around the oases

2. Arabian Peninsula Birthplace of Islam

3. Fertile Crescent Arc-shaped region that stretches from the eastern Mediterranean along the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers to the Persian Gulf Rich soil and abundant water have led to a large population

3. Fertile Crescent

Mesopotamia “land between two rivers” Part of the Fertile Crescent Between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers Located in modern-day Iraq Land is very fertile Some of the earliest civilizations began here Ancient Babylon

4. Nile River Valley Located in northeastern Africa Nile River supports the population of this region

5. Maghreb North African nations of Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco Lies west of the Arabian Peninsula Isolated land surrounded by water, mountains, and deserts

5. Maghreb Sahara Desert and Atlas Mountains Few people live here because of scarcity of water Major crossroad of the southern rim of Mediterranean Gateway to the Atlantic Ocean Mosque in Morocco