7 th Grade Geography Review

Much of the Middle East has what type of climate?

Desert

How have the deserts in the Middle East provided protection?

They have acted as a natural barrier preventing invaders from attempting to pass through

The people who live in the desert have what type of job?

They are nomadic herders which are people who move from place to place looking for water and usable land

Who are the Bedouins?

The Bedouins are one example of nomadic people. Nomads will travel by camel and live in tents making it easy to move around.

What is the largest all sand desert and where is it located?

The Rub al-Khali or “Empty Quarter” in Saudi Arabia

In the Middle East, cities are located near what?

Near the coasts or water sources

Countries in the Middle East do not have equal access to what natural resource that is necessary to sustain life?

Water

Unequal access to water has caused what issue in the Middle East?

Conflicts (war, fighting, etc.) due to water rights

What water related issue occurs between Turkey and Iraq?

Turkey and Iraq have the Tigris and Euphrates River Systems which have caused conflict with the building of dams on these rivers for hydroelectricity. The dams create water shortages downstream.

What water related issue occurs between Kuwait and Iran?

Sharing of the junction of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers at the Shatt al-Arab is a source of conflict between Kuwait and Iran.

What water related issue occurs between Israel and Jordan?

Israel and Jordan have conflicts sharing the Jordan River which is considered to be a scared river.

What are underground aquifers?

Layers of underground rock where water runoff from rains and streams is trapped

What is an oasis?

A small area in a desert that has a supply of water and is able to support vegetation. An oasis forms when groundwater lies close enough to the surface to form a spring or to be reached by wells.

What are underground qanats?

Underground tunnels the bring water from the hills to dry plains

What is irrigation?

The process of transporting water from rivers, lakes, or other water sources to farms

What is drip irrigation?

Using computers to measure out how much water each plant receives

What is desalination?

The process of removing salt and other chemicals from salt water. Desalination can increase the amount of useable water for certain areas but it is very expensive and requires technology to be built.

What is the pollution issue that has come from using chemical fertilizers?

Overuse of the land for farming has created the need to use chemical fertilizers for farming. The fertilizers have contaminated water sources through the runoff into streams and rivers. In addition, the consistent planting and use of fertilizers has ruined the soil by an increase in the salt level. This has cause once farmable land to turn into unusable land.

How has urbanization caused water related issues?

Urbanization led to an increase of people living around water sources. The people are polluting the water with garbage and sewage. The countries are struggling with keeping up with the growing population.

More than half of the world’s oil supply lies is what area today?

More than half of the world’s oil supply lies in the Persian Gulf region

How has the presence of oil impacted the standard of living in countries in the Middle East?

Unequal distribution of oil in the region has created a large gap in the wealth of nations. Countries with large deposits of oil like: Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait have seen great improvement in their standard of living and are very wealthy nations. They have used their money to improve their infrastructure. Countries with little to no oil reserves have had a difficult time improving the standard of living. Countries like: Turkey, Israel, and Afghanistan have had to find alternative revenue streams for their economies. This unequal distribution has led to conflict.

What is OPEC?

OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries: Is group was founded in the 1960s by oil rich nations around the world. The purpose of the group is to control the price of oil in the market. They do so by controlling the production of oil. OPEC can use the oil supply to pressure countries by politically and economically through the use of embargos or other methods to control the amount of oil available.