Section 2- Southwest Asia

Arabian Peninsula Home of the “Empty Quarter” Largest all-sand desert in the world Almost nothing lives there

Arabian Peninsula

Topography of Southwest Asia

Dry Region Bordered By Water Rub’al-Khali desert Areas receive little rain Oasis- some support whole communities Deserts Sand Pebbles Gravel Boulders

Two Historic Rivers Tigris & Euphrates Flood and deposit valuable silt Begin in Turkey and flow south through Iraq

Ancient Mesopotamia Existed between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers People raised plants and animals Relied on rich soil provided by the rivers floods

Mountains Zagros Mountains- western Iran Elburz Mountains- northern Iran

Seas & Gulfs Red Sea Mediterranean Sea Black Sea Caspian Sea Persian Gulf Dead Sea

The Dead Sea is dying. Seven times saltier than the ocean!

Red Sea, Persian Gulf

Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, Red Sea

Caspian Sea, Black Sea

Climate Arid Semiarid <10 inches of rain per year Up to 125 degrees during the day As low as 40 degrees at night Some parts Mediterranean climate

Climate Map

Natural Resources 2 main resources are: Petroleum Water

Natural Resources Petroleum- an oily, flammable liquid formed from the remains of ancient plants and animals; non-renewable resource. Non-renewable resource- a natural resource that cannot be quickly replaced once it is used. Petroleum plays a key role in the world’s economy.

Natural Resources Oil increases the standard of living for Southwest Asia. Standard of Living- a measurement of a person’s or a group’s education, housing, health, and nutrition. Southwest Asia has more than ½ of the world’s oil reserves.

Water Irrigation is a MUST! This region has no permanent rivers Wadis- stream beds that hold water when seasonal rain falls but are dry much of the year People irrigate using deep underground wells Wells could run dry! OUCH!

drip irrigation

Using the land 3 major ways Nomadic herding Producing oil Agriculture Bedouins- herd camels, goats and sheep Today Bedouins- 10% of population Producing oil Agriculture

Agriculture Turkey Israel Wheat Citrus fruits Barley Cotton Cotton Sugar beets Fruits Olives Corn Israel Citrus fruits Cotton Peanuts Sugar cane