Satellite Image of The Middle East

Political Map of The Middle East

Predicament: Traditional Middle East? OR Near East? OR Greater Middle East? OR….?

Large Bodies of Water

Arabian Peninsula Bodies of Water The Red Sea The Gulf of Aden The Persian Gulf The Gulf of Oman

The Tigris & Euphrates River System

The Jordan River  Connects the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea

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

Suez Canal  Completed by the British in 1869  120 miles long, 79 ft deep, & 673 ft wide  Connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea  120 miles long, 79 ft deep, & 673 ft wide  Connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea

Mountains & Peninsulas Elburz Mts. Taurus Mts. Zagros Mts. Caucasus Mts. Hejaz Mts. The Arabian Peninsula

Mountain Ranges in Mid-East Elburz Mts., Iran Zagros Mts., Iran Caucasus Mts., Turkey & Russia Taurus Mts., Turkey

The Arabian Peninsula “The Arabian Subcontinent”  1, 250,000 sq. miles  The world’s largest peninsula  1, 250,000 sq. miles  The world’s largest peninsula

Deserts Arabian Desert Negev Desert Sinai Desert Libyan Desert

The Arabian Desert  2,330,000 sq. miles  Covers 90% the Arabian Peninsula  2,330,000 sq. miles  Covers 90% the Arabian Peninsula

Rub al-Khali: “The Empty Quarter”  250,000 sq. miles  Covers southern third of the Arabian Peninsula  250,000 sq. miles  Covers southern third of the Arabian Peninsula

Desert Oases: Water at a Premium!

Fresh Groundwater Sources

Desalinization Plants

Fertile Crescent

The Fertile Crescent  Area of Moist & Fertile land  Nicknamed: “The Cradle of Civilization”  Birth of various early civilizations  Area of Moist & Fertile land  Nicknamed: “The Cradle of Civilization”  Birth of various early civilizations

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

Climate Regions

Natural Vegetation

Earthquakes

Sandstorms and Dust Storms

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

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.

Middle East: Population Density

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

Desert Bedouins