1. Physical Geography of Middle East & North Africa

2. Climate

3. The Sahara Desert
Oasis= fertile land in the middle of the desert due to a natural spring
Many cities exist in these oases
Largest desert in the world and covers most of North Africa
Highest recorded temperature= 136º
Average winter temperature= 55º
Only about 3 inches of rainfall per year and it is in the winter months
Only 20% is covered with soft sands, the rest is rock or gravel
Most of Arabian Peninsula is desert as well

4. Steppes
Bordering the region’s deserts are dry, treeless plains known as steppes
Most of the land north of the Sahara and Middle East
4-16 inches of rainfall per year
Some people in the area live as nomads and travel around with herds of livestock

5. Mediterranean and Highland
Coastal areas around the Mediterranean and other seas enjoy a nicer climate
Higher rainfall and less extreme temperatures allow for more consistent farming and population
Highland climate found in mountainous regions like Afghanistan and Pakistan

6. The Need for Water
Due to high temperatures and low amounts of rainfall, most people in the region do not have an adequate amount of water to support development
Some have tapped into aquifers, which are underground water reserves
A large amount of water is used for irrigation of crops
Countries often compete with one another for water resources which creates conflict
Desalinization is a popular process now to try to remove salts and minerals from sea water to make it drinkable
This is costly and is only seen in oil-rich countries that can afford it

7. Landforms

8. Seas and Waterways Four waterways control access to seas and oceans
Strait of Gibraltar links Mediterranean Sea to Atlantic Ocean
Dardanelles Strait , Sea of Marmara and the Bosporus Strait links Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea
Suez Canal in Egypt is important waterway for ships to pass from Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea
North of Arabian Peninsula, Strait of Hormuz allows oil tankers to access the Persian gulf

9. Rivers
Because of the regions rugged and dry land, people have long settled in fertile river valleys
Early civilizations originated along the Nile in Egypt and Tigris and Euphrates in Iraq
Egyptians relied on annual flooding of the Nile to carry silt and other minerals to the rest of the soil nearby
Flooding in Mesopotamia (land between 2 rivers) encouraged agriculture and farming in ancient civilizations

10. Natural Resources

11. Oil and Gas
Petroleum and natural gas are plentiful in these regions and are needed in countries around the world
Largest reserves can be found in the Persian gulf
Oil is common here because of the high amount of sedimentary rock
Many countries use the wealth from selling oil to boom their economies and development (United Arab Emirates)
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12. Oil wealth has brought challenges as well…
What happens to the countries in the area that do not have large reserves?
With the internet and TV, oil-rich countries have been exposed to more ideas from other parts of the world
As a result, conflicts happen between people who support new vs. traditional ways of life/thinking
Other resources include: iron ore, phosphates for fertilizer and coal

13. Environmental Concerns
Water is a scarce resource in the area, and while trying to manage life in harsh conditions, the inhabitants have greatly misused this resource
Two inland seas, Aral and Caspian, have suffered greatly in recent decades
Caspian Sea- Illegal farming (poaching) of sturgeon have impacted the areas fishing business
Aral Sea- Irrigation projects in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan since the 1960s have drained two major rivers in the area that source the sea. Because of this, the size of the sea has reduced dramatically and the water has become more salty, making it unfit for drinking

14. The misuse of water also impacts the amount of nutrients in the soil
Irrigated water evaporates quickly in the dry climate, leaving behind salt that leeches into the soil making it less fertile to grow crops
Aswan High Dam in Egypt controls the flooding of the Nile River which messes with the yearly deposit of new nutrients into the soil
Air pollution from refineries and older model cars that do not have emission controls on them