Southwest Asia Regional Atlas

Southwest Asia  Often called the Middle East

Cities  Cities  Some of oldest in world  Damascus = capital of Syria  Baghdad = capital of Iraq  Largest city is Istanbul in Turkey (actually in Europe not Asia)  Part of Turkey lies in Europe because of the invasion of the Ottoman Empire

Turkey

The Fertile Crescent  area extending north from Red Sea arcing down into the valley of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers  birthplace of agriculture.  First domesticated animals= pigs  Plants were first domesticated here from 13,000 to 10,000 years ago

Deserts and Mountains  Wind is a major factor in shaping the land.  Climate near mountains is less arid

Birthplace of the 3 Western Religions  All Monotheistic Religions  Belief in only 1 God  Judaism  Developed 2,000 to 1,000 BC along Mediterranean  Christianity  Developed around 30 AD along Med.  Islam  developed around 600 AD in Arabia

Where people live…  Water is the most precious resource in SW Asia  People live anywhere water is available.

Climate and Vegetation  Dry Climate  Mostly arid or semi arid  Less than 10 in. of rain each year  Areas near Mediterranean Sea have a Mediterranean climate.  Arabian Peninsula is almost completely desert or desert scrub.

Oases (plural of oasis)  Places where supply of fresh water makes it possible to support life in a dry region  Created by deep underground springs

 Arable land  Bedouins  Oil  Land that can be farmed is scarce  Dams and irrigation are important  Nomadic herding = most common economic activity in arid areas  Nomadic herders of camels, goats and sheep  Many have settled on the outskirts of cities and villages  A great percentage of world’s oil is from SW Asia  Has changed the region