Sharon Westerholm La Vernia HS Sharon Westerholm La Vernia HS

The Middle East Today: Political Map > 4--> > 11--> 9 < >

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

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

Egypt: The “Gift of the Nile” Annual Nile Flooding Nile Delta 95% of the Egyptian people live on 5% of the land!

Aswan High Dam, Egypt Hydroelectric Power Plant

Suez Canal Completed by the British in 1869

Strategic Waterways Many strategic waterways or narrow bodies of water that are important for trade or defenseMany strategic waterways or narrow bodies of water that are important for trade or defense –Bosporus Strait –Dardanelles Strait –Strait of Hormuz

Strait of Hormuz Connects the Persian Gulf with the Arabian Sea.Connects the Persian Gulf with the Arabian Sea. Iran is on one side of the strait and the U.A.E. and Oman are on the other side.Iran is on one side of the strait and the U.A.E. and Oman are on the other side. The strait is important because most of the oil in the world must be transported from the Persian Gulf to world marketsThe strait is important because most of the oil in the world must be transported from the Persian Gulf to world markets

Persian Gulf is also known as the Arabian Gulf.is also known as the Arabian Gulf. The term Arabian Gulf is used by Arab countries near the Persian Gulf such as Saudi Arabia, Oman, and the U.A.E. but it is not recognized by the United Nations.The term Arabian Gulf is used by Arab countries near the Persian Gulf such as Saudi Arabia, Oman, and the U.A.E. but it is not recognized by the United Nations.

Red Sea is connected to the Mediterranean Sea by the Suez Canal.is connected to the Mediterranean Sea by the Suez Canal. The Suez Canal does not have locks like the Panama Canal or the St. Lawrence Seaway because there is no change in elevation.The Suez Canal does not have locks like the Panama Canal or the St. Lawrence Seaway because there is no change in elevation.

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

Dust Storms Along the Tigris-Euphrates Flood Plains

Jordan River System

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

Wadis – Instant Springs

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

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

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

Desert Bedouins (pastoralism)

Breeding Areas of Desert Locusts

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

Rub al-Khali: “The Empty Quarter”

Desert Oases: Water at a Premium!

Fresh Groundwater Sources

Water… Critical for life, food productions, & industrial processesCritical for life, food productions, & industrial processes 9 out of 14 SW Asia countries face water shortage conditions9 out of 14 SW Asia countries face water shortage conditions N. African countries have natural increase above 2.0%, increasing stress on water sourcesN. African countries have natural increase above 2.0%, increasing stress on water sources

Desalinization Plants

Fertile Crescent (Mesopotamia)

The Fertile Crescent

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

Climate The most common climates in this area are desert (arid) and semiarid.The most common climates in this area are desert (arid) and semiarid. A. The Sahara Desert covers North Africa. B. The Rub al-Khali is located on the Arabian Peninsula.

Middle East: Climate Regions

Middle East: Population Density

POPULATION DISTRIBUTION The majority of the population in this realm lives not in the dry arid regions, but around water resources.The majority of the population in this realm lives not in the dry arid regions, but around water resources. - The Nile - Mediterranean Sea - Euphrates and Tigris Basin - Lower mountain slopes of Iran, south of the Caspian Sea

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.

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