1. Middle East
Physical Geography

2. Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
Two of the most important rivers in the Middle East
Supported several ancient river valley civilizations in a larger area known as the Fertile Crescent or Mesopotamia aka “the land between the rivers”
Flow through parts of Turkey, Syria, and Iraq
The valleys are fertile, well watered, and great for agriculture
Flow almost parallel to each other for hundreds of miles
Join at the Shatt al Arab and then flow into the Persian Gulf

4. Jordan River Provides water to the region
Flows from the mountains in Lebanon into the Dead Sea
Natural boundary between Israel and Jordan

6. The Dead Sea A landlocked salt lake
The Dead Sea is so salty that only bacteria can live in the water
1,349 feet below sea level – lowest place on the exposed crust of the Earth

8. The Red Sea
Separates the Arabian Peninsula and the continent of Africa
Covers a rift valley created by the movement of the Arabian plate

10. The Suez Canal Connects the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea
Goods from Asia flow through this canal to ports in Europe and North Africa

12. Mountains in the Middle East
Mountains divide the land and countries
The Hindu Kush Mountains of Afghanistan are linked with other mountain ranges that frame South Asia
The Zagros Mountains on the western side of Iran isolate the country from the rest of the Middle East
The Elburz Mountains cut off easy access to the Caspian Sea for Iran
The Taurus Mountains separate Turkey from the rest of the Middle East
However, goods, people, and ideas have still been able to spread because of water

15. Climate of the Middle East
Majority of North Africa has a desert climate
Around the Atlas Mountains, the climate is Semiarid and on the coast of the Mediterranean, the climate is Mediterranean
Majority of the Middle East is extremely arid
The Arabian Peninsula consists of the Rub-al- Khali, which is the most famous desert in the region, and is the largest contiguous sand desert in the world