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

2. Middle East

3. Central Asia

4. The Land Seas and Peninsulas
North Africa, Southwest Asia, and Central Asia feature numerous seas and Peninsulas
Mediterranean Sea
Red sea
Black Sea
Arabian Peninsula- separated from Africa by the Red sea and the Gulf of Aden
Sinai Peninsulas area flanked by the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba
Anatolian Peninsulas (A.K.A. Asia Minor)- points west to the Aegean Sea

6. The Land Landlocked bodies of Salt Water Dead Sea (Israel)
Caspian Sea- Earth’s largest inland body of water
Aral Sea (Kazakhstan)
Began to dry up when the Soviet Union diverted river source waters for irrigation seems to be coming back

7. The Land
What might people have done to revive the Aral Sea?

8. Rivers Major Rivers: Cradles of Civilization Stream Beds
The Nile river valley provides water and a lush, fertile living space for about 90 % of Egypt’s population, and is the worlds longest river
The Tigris and Euphrates rivers help irrigate farms throughout Syria, Turkey, and Iraq
Stream Beds
Runoff from infrequent, violent rainstorms creates temporary streams in arid North Africa and Southwest Asia

9. Cradle of Civilization

10. Streams and rivers….
Why are streams from rainstorms only temporary?

11. Plains, Plateaus, and Mountains
Coastal Plains
Although most of the region is made up of deserts and mountains, the coastal plains along the Mediterranean provide the agricultural base of the region
Highlands
Enough precipitation falls on the Atlas mountains to make them hospitable to settlement and farming. These mountains are Africa’s longest mountain range
The Caucasus Mountains between the Black sea and Caspian Sea are known for their grandeur and beauty
Desert covers much of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan
Garagum is the black sand desert in Turkmenistan
Qiziliqum is the red sand desert in Uzbekistan

12. Plains plateaus and mountains
Which of the Above areas do you think are most heavily populated? Why do you think so?

13. Earthquakes
The shifting tectonic plates of the region have built mountains, shifted landmasses, and caused earthquakes, and created the Mediterranean sea A 1999 earthquake in Turkey measured 7.4 on the Richter scale, killing nearly 20,000 people.

14. Earthquakes…
What might be done to reduce the damage from earthquakes in heavily populated areas?

15. Natural Resources Oil and Natural Gas Minerals
About 70% of the world’s oil reserves and 33% of the world’s natural gas reserves
Minerals
Turkmenistan has the world’s largest deposits of sulfate. Morocco ranks third in the production of phosphate. The region may contain up to 10% of the world’s iron ore reserves
Building Diverse Economies
Many Countries in the region are diversifying their economies so that they are not so dependent on their oil and mineral exports.

16. Natural Resources….
What do these facts suggest about the region’s economy?

17. YouTube Links The Nile: River of Life Pt.1
About 10 minutes
Killing The Dead Sea-Jordan

18. YouTube Videos Honey Badgers: Documentary
About 8 minutes
Honey Badgers humor, rated R
1 min. Too much swearing.