The Major Regions of the Middle East Middle East Geography The Major Regions of the Middle East

Region 1: The Northern Tier (Turkey-Iran) Mountains area with plateaus Has a relatively large population

Region 1: The Northern Tier (Turkey-Iran) The Iranian Plateau is found here in the East Surrounded by mountains Region is very DRY DRY = BAD FARMING BAD FARMING = LOW POPULATION Persian Empire was found here The Anatolian Plateau is found here in the West Surrounded by mountains Has very rich soil Rich soil = good farming Good farming = HIGH POPULATION Found on Asia Minor – home of Ottoman Empire

Region 2: Arabian Peninsula Smaller in population due to lack of water Remember No Water + No Farming = No People Most people here live in scattered oases An oasis is fertile dessert that has enough water to sustain life Contains a large supply of oil Arabian peninsula plays huge role in world economy because of oil Saudi Arabia is found here Countries like this have become very $$$$ because of oil

Region 2: Arabian Peninsula

Region 2: Arabian Peninsula Birthplace of Islam The Holy City of Mecca is found here Attracting Muslims from around the globe to this part of the Middle East

Region 3: The Fertile Crescent Stretched down the Eastern Mediterranean along the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers Contains abundant water and rich soil Rich/Good Soil + A lot of Water = High population Large center of population Location of Mesopotamia Means “land between the rivers” The regions wealthiest settlements were found here

Region 3: The Fertile Crescent Fertile Crescent has little natural barriers Provides little protection Mesopotamia was often invaded because of little protection and wealthy cities/people Land of the Fertile Crescent Because the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers are unpredictable land; flooding may occur causing destruction and devastation Farmers have built dikes and canals to control the flooding

Region 3: The Fertile Crescent

Region 4: The Nile Valley Considered to be the Cradle of Civilization Enjoyed great advantages from it’s location Desserts were found on both the east and the west Flooding of the Nile River was predictable and dependable The deserts in the area protect it from invaders Trade was important Access to the Nile and the Mediterranean linked people here to the people of the Fertile Crescent

Region 4: The Nile Valley

Region 5: Northern Africa (aka: Maghreb) Includes the Northern African nations of: Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco Other African countries share cultural links with this region Libya, Chad, Niger, Mali, and Mauritania Maghreb means “Western Isle” in Arabic Located West of Arabian Peninsula Location of the Sahara Desert and Atlas Mountains Little/No Water Here = No Population

Region 5: Northern Africa (aka: Maghreb)

Region 5: Northern Africa (aka: Maghreb) Most people in this area live along the Mediterranean coast Fertile soil + Rain = High Population Major Crossroads – Connecting the Middle East with Africa, Europe, and the West Gateway to the Atlantic

Climate of the Middle East Climate Dictates where people live Water = Good Soil Good Soil = A lot of people People gather in areas where water is plentiful Irrigation systems were built in some areas to help get water to where it was not found Desalination is very popular here Turing salt water into usable fresh water

Resources of the Middle East Oil is the most valuable resource here Helps to run the world’s economy Oil is unevenly distributed across the Middle East Explains the fact some countries are quite rich while other countries are very poor Salt Phosphate – used in fertilizers Copper