1. Physical Geography of SW & Central Asia, and N. Africa
Chapters
Lesson 1

2. Seas & Peninsulas Arabian Peninsula
Separated from Africa by Gulf of Aden & Red Sea
Sinai Pen. &
Suez Canal separate the land to the north/west
Persian Gulf is on the east side
Gulf of Aden

3. Seas & Peninsulas Anatolia Pen. Black Sea to N Aegean Sea to W
Mediterranean Sea to S
Many straits connecting seas ($$)
Bosporus Strait
Aegean Sea
ANATOLIA

4. Seas & Peninsulas Strait of Gibraltar
Separates Africa from Iberian Pen.
Only a 8-9
miles wide
‘gateway to
Africa’
Britain owns city
of Gibraltar

5. Strait of Gibraltar

6. Seas & Peninsulas
Strait of Hormuz
If sanctions put on Iran oil cut off strait (some deny threat)
~ 30% of world’s oil trade

8. Seas & Peninsulas Dead Sea On Jordan River (border w/ Israel)
8X saltier than any ocean- How come?
In the 50s
L= 262 m, W= 57 m
Today
L= 42 m, W= 11 m

9. Dead Sea: Lowest Point on Earth Highest Salt Content (33%)
2,300’ below sea level
Highest Salt Content (33%) 9

11. The Jordan River
Israel & Jordan (and others in area) fight over water rights 11

12. Caspian Sea Largest inland/landlocked body of water (lake)
Less salty than oceans
Remnants of ancient sea
Facing evaporation increases, decrease in
flow from feeder rivers,
and increase in irrigation/industry uses

13. Seas & Peninsulas Aral Sea Use to be lg & have productive fishing
Shrunk drastically due to USSR draining it for irrigation
Ppl build sm. dams to create basins of freshwater from rivers

14. Rivers Nile River Longest in world Flows north to Med. Sea
90% of Egyptians live in delta or along river (= 3% of land)
Faces great flood seasons  built Aswan High Dam for control
Aswan High Dam

15. 15

17. Hydroelectric Power Plant
Aswan High Dam
Hydroelectric Power Plant 17

18. Completed by the British in 1869
Suez Canal
Completed by the British in 1869 18

19. Rivers Tigris & Euphrates
Mesopotamia or ‘land b/w two rivers’; aka Fertile Crescent
Join to form Shatt al Arab
Border of Iraq &
Iran
Wars & treaties
over it

20. Rivers
Wadi in Oman
Wadis- dry streambeds that will fill with heavy rain  flash floods (seasonal)
Since they are typically arid, creates mud quickly dangerous mud flows

21. Wadis 21

22. Plains, Plateaus, & Mtns.
Since most is desert/steppe agricultural base = coastal areas of Med. Sea, Caspian Sea, & Persian Gulf
Atlas Mtns
Longest mtn
range
Stretches from
Morocco to Algeria
Northern side of Atlas allows for lots of agric. (farms, fishing, livestock)
Rainy side, Med. climate

23. Atlas Mtns.

24. Plains, Plateaus, & Mtns. Hejaz & Asir Caucasus Mtns
West coast of Arabian Pen.
Rain shadow effect to Central Plateau
Caucasus Mtns
b/w Black & Caspian Sea
Seen as border b/w
European Russia
& Asia

25. Mountain Ranges in Mid-East
Elburz Mts., Iran
Zagros Mts., Iran
Lebanese Mts.
Taurus Mts., Turkey 25

26. Plains, Plateaus, & Mtns. Garagum (Karakum)- Qizilqum (Kyzyl Kum)-
Black sand desert, covers 70% of Turkmenistan
Qizilqum (Kyzyl Kum)-
Red sand desert in Uzbekistan & Kazakhstan
Use wide spaces for livestock

27. Desert Bedouins 27

28. Swarms of Desert Locusts!
2004: Israel- Worst Locust Plague Since the 1950s!
Locusts Swarm the Pyramids Complex at Giza! 28

29. Fresh Groundwater Sources29

31. Desalination Plants 31

32. Tectonic Activity
Meeting point of the African, Arabian, & Eurasian plates
Reason for mountainous terrain
Many earthquakes
Turkey 1999
Iran has 90% of land on faults
Landforms still Δing
Red Sea

34. Natural Resources
Oil (petroleum) & nat. gas are region’s most abundant resources
70% of world’s oil
33% of world’s nat. gas
Reserves are still being discovered!
WWII sparked production as world moved to modern industry/reliance

35. The Natural Resources of the Middle East35

36. Top Exports

37. 37

38. Persian Gulf Oil Exports (2003)38

39. Leading U. S. Oil Suppliers
The U. S. imports 30% of its oil needs from the Middle East. 39

40. Kuwait: An Island Floating on a Sea of Oil
Kuwait City 40

41. Natural Resources Why might such heavy dependence on oil be risky?
Many countries are now diversifying
UAE  banking, info. tech, tourism
Libya  infrastructure, fisheries
Completed Dubai Tower, 2010

42. Climate Images

44. Sahara Desert

45. Ergs
Algeria
Morocco

46. Regs
Mauritania
Algeria

47. Empty Quarter

48. Oases
Siwah Oasis (Egypt) in Libyan Desert
Oasis in Saudi
In Algeria

49. Caucasus Mountains
Georgia
Azerbaijan