INTRO TO THE MIDDLE EAST WG.4 RHS-WORLD GEOGRAPHY

HERE IS THE WORLD… …AND HERE IS NORTH AFRICA AND SOUTHWEST ASIA Due to the location, it’s called the Crossroads of Continents: Europe, Africa, and Asia

SOUTHWEST ASIA IS MORE COMMONLY CALLED THE “MIDDLE EAST” NORTH AFRICA SOUTHWEST ASIA MIDDLE EAST

Most of the climate is arid (dry) and semi-arid (partly dry) DESERT SEMI SAHEL DESERT

Middle East: Population Density

Some Physical Features you need to know are: ATLAS MTS TAURUS MTS ZAGROS MTS MEDITERRANEAN SEA RED SEA BLACK SEA ARABIAN SEA PERSIAN GULF STRAIT OF HORMUZ Bosporus Strait & Dardanelles Strait (SPLITS TURKEY FROM THE REST OF EUROPE) SAHARA DESERT NILE RIVER TIGRIS RIVER EUPHRATES RIVER There is also a lot of seasonal flooding, alluvial soils (deposits from the river), and delta regions (like the Nile delta). There are also natural water reservoirs likes oases and wadis. An oasis is fertile land in a desert, usually fed by an underground spring A wadi is a temporary watering hole when a gully gets filled up during the rainy season.

Desalination Plants

The Mighty Nile River: “Longest River in the World”

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

The Fertile Crescent

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

Aral Sea Was the world’s fourth largest lake; now 80% gone Central Asian desert climate Irrigation on Amu Darya, Syr Darya –Cotton, rice –Commercial, not subsistence, farming

Aral Sea Increased salinization Fishing industry gone Salts and dust from dry lakebed Rivers slow, contaminated Climate even more continental “Ten times worse than Chernobyl”

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.

Many cities are known for their influence on culture and trade CASABLANCA, MOROCCO TRIPOLI, LIBYA CAIRO, EGYPT ISTANBUL, TURKEY JERUSALEM, ISRAEL MECCA, SAUDI ARABIA BAGHDAD, IRAQ TEHRAN, IRAN

Many Areas around the Middle East and North Africa are world famous. Follow these cultural landmarks. Do you recognize any?

The Pyramids at Giza The ancient Egyptians used manual labor and wooden tools to build these magnificent tombs for pharoahs.

MOSQUES : places of worship for Muslims. Typical features are domes and minarets DOME MINARETS

The Hagia Sofia in Istanbul, Turkey. Built between 532 and 537 by the Christian Emperor Justinian I as a Byzantine church, which it functioned as for the next 900 years. In 1453, the Islamic-faithed Ottomans took over Constantinople (now Istanbul). They wasted little time in converting the Hagia Sophia into a mosque. It served the Muslims for almost 500 years. The Ottomans painted over the Christian mosaics - and erected the four defining minarets we see today. In 1934, Turkey changed the Hagia Sofia's status from mosque to museum and uncovered the priceless Byzantine mosaics.

The Dome of the Rock Jerusalem: This Muslim holy site was built on the remains of the Temple of Solomon, a holy site for Jews

The Kaaba Located in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the Kaaba is the most sacred site for Muslims. A Muslim must take the haj (pilgrimage) to Mecca at least once in his/her life.

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher Jerusalem: This church was built on the site where Christians believe that Jesus Christ was crucified.

The Western Wall in Jerusalem: Also known as the Wailing Wall

Other notable cultural landmarks: A “Bazaar” is an open-air market, usually in the center of a Middle eastern town. This bazaar specializes in woven Arabian carpets- verrrrrrry popular!!!! Bazaars are also called “suqs”

Cultural Landscapes are old…. Like the many walled cities around the Arab World…

…and new Like the oil rigs around the Middle East

... and the many aspects of globalization.

Around the world, people recognize places and culture reflecting the Middle East.