1. Chapter 17: Physical Geography of North Africa, Southwest Asia, and Central Asia

2. Seas and Peninsulas
The most northern sea in this region is the Strait of Gibraltar
The Mediterranean Sea separates Africa and Europe
Three major landlocked bodies of saltwater
Dead Sea- Forms the Israli-Jodanian border
Caspian Sea- largest inland body of water
Aral Sea- Faces a major problem with irrigation
The earliest civilizations are going to be here due to the Nile River
There is going to be many different seas and peninsulas in this region
Straight of Gibraltar has been rated as one of the most dangerous airports in the world because of the winds
Potash is going to be found in this region
Caspian Sea was one that we talked about with Russia how it was used but not with dry weather and use of irrigation the water levels are much lower
The Aral Sea was diverted by the Soviet Union and used it for their own crops
They are building small dams in parts ot eh former sea, local people plan to create freshawater basins

4. Nile River The worlds largest river
Today more than 90% of Egyptians live in the Nile Delta
Flows north
Flooding used to be very important for the region
The Aswan High Dam controls the river
Rivers are most critical in these regions as civilizations would not have survived without them
The Nile Delta and the fertile land around it is going to be where the majority of ancient civilizations are going to begin
Only 3% of the land of Egypt is going to be used for people living there
They relied on it
After the floods it left behind alluvial soil which is made up of sand and mud deposited by moving water

5. Tigris and Euphrates “The Land between two rivers”
Ancient Mesopotamians ruled this area
Created the wheel, sailboats, and cuneiform
A complex irrigation network allowed for a civilization of 7,000 years
It got the nickname because of a Greek philosopher and it has kept the name ever since
They created the wheel, sailboats, cuneiform and it is believed they invented the game checkers
The Euphrates is the largest and starts in Turkey emptying into the Perisan Gulf

7. Streambeds Many of the streams flow intermittently
Frequent rainstorms creates wadis
Streambeds that remain dry until a heavy rain
Wadis are often very dangerous

8. Coastal Plains and Highlands
Most of the region has lush coastal plains
The Atlas mountains are longest mountain range in Africa
Western side gets a lot of precipitation
Eastern side very dry which hurts the economy
The Asir mountain produces the best farmland in Southwest Asia
The Nile Delta is probably the biggest examples of a coastal plains
These coastal plains are extremely important for the survival of the region
Some of the areas are also going to have a very large export of oil because of this
Much of the land is going to be deser

10. Earthquakes Eurasian plates come together
Tectonic activity in the area formed the Zagros Mountains in Southern Iran
Turkey has suffered the largest earthquake in this region
The Eurasian plates come together in the lands of North Africa, Southwest Asia, and Central Asia
7.4 on the richter scale which toppled more than 76,000 buildings and killed over 20,000 people

12. Natural Resources and Diverse Economies
Petroleum and natural gas are the regions most abundant resource
70% of oil
33% of natural gas
Turkmenistan is the leading producer of sulfate and sulfur
Countries are trying to get more involved in tourism
There was not too much oil being drilled before WWII ut after that and new technology this has changed
They are the reasons are gas prices are so low
Sulfate is used for paperboard, glass, and detegents
Sulfur gunpowder, matches
These are just some of the natural resources such as zinc, manganese, iron ore, and copper

14. Section 2: Climate and Vegetation

15. Water: A Precious Resource
Some areas get large amount of rainfall
Caspian Sea receives more than 78 inches
In the majority of this region evaporation rates exceed rainfall rates
The Sahara is the worlds largest non-polar desert
Water is going to define the region

16. Desert Climate Covers most of North Africa
A desert is defined as having less than 10 inches of precipitation
Winters in the Northern Sahara and Central Asia have cold winters
Nomadic herds of sheep, goats, and camels graze the deserts
In prehistoric times a grassy plain extended across North Africa, and the climate was moderate
Because this area has so much drought it is has continued to grow
Hotttest temperature on earth was recorded here in it was 136 degrees
Not much of the Sahara is going to be sand, the majority of it will be rock it just appears that way

18. Steppe Climate The Steppe is the second-largest climate of this region
The more northern of the climates
Generally less than 14 inches of precipitation
Just enough grasses to practice pastoralism

19. Exports and Tourists
The Mediterranean countries have a much better economy
Major exports of citrus fruits, olives, and grapes
Dubai is one of the fastest growing cities
In Morocco, cities have 360 days of all daytime

21. Rainfall
Coastal and highlands areas near mountains generally receive more rainfall
The Atlas mountains in Africa receives over 30 inches of precipitation creating the best farmland in the area
Most cereals come from that region
With new technology there is more concern about acid rain
Barlet, oats and wheat it is good because they do not have to irrigate it very much