1. Geography’s Effect on the People of Southwest Asia
August 18, 2014
Rippling Water
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2. Introduction Physical features can impact where people live
The population will often avoid landforms such as deserts and mountains, but SW Asia has a number of these and they are often hard to avoid
Even though SW Asia does have a few large rivers, most of the water in the region is salt water
This can also impact the population and where they live
The presence of natural resources, such as oil, can also effect the population

3. Deserts in SW Asia SW Asia has a number of very large desert areas
While these deserts have historically helped protect SW Asia from invasion, they have also impacted the way many people live in the region today
Some people, called Bedouins, choose to live in and around the desert and make their living as sheep and camel herders
The hot, dry desert climate also impacts the region since it doesn’t rain very much in some areas
Many people choose to live near a coastline or river instead of the desert

4. Bedouin life in SW Asian deserts

5. Water in SW Asia
Three major river systems – the Tigris, Euphrates, and Jordan – are located in the region
Not only are these rivers an important source of drinking water, they also provide irrigation for farms and transportation routes
Many of the major cities in SW Asia are located along these rivers
Since these cities are the center of industry, most of the population can be found there so they can be closer to jobs

6. Major Cities/Rivers in SW Asia

7. Salt water in SW Asia
The region is surrounded by several large bodies of water, including the Red Sea, Persian Gulf, and Arabian Sea
While these bodies of water help the region when it comes to shipping, importing, and exporting, they are not beneficial for drinking water, since they are salt water
While there has been work done to learn how to take salt out of water (called desalination), this process is very expensive and requires complex technology
The poorer countries of SW Asia do not have the means to afford the necessary technology
This can cause conflicts with other countries to try and have access to the rivers and fresh drinking water

8. Water pollution in SW Asia
As countries in SW Asia have worked to modernize their farming, water pollution has become a major issue in the region
Increased demand for irrigation (bringing water from rivers to fields) has led to the overuse of the rivers
Many farmers have also begun to use chemical fertilizers, which have contaminated the water supply in the rivers
Many cities do not have effective ways to handle sewage and garbage, so those end up in the rivers as well

9. Oil in SW Asia Oil is the most important natural resource in SW Asia
Over half of the world’s known oil reserves are found in this region
It helps bring wealth to the region because it is needed around the world
Countries with oil reserves have tremendous national wealth and a high standard of living for their populations
Unfortunately, not all countries in SW Asia have large oil reserves
Those countries have a difficult time improving the living conditions for their populations
This difference in wealth has led to conflicts among the SW Asian countries

10. Questions: Answer on this paper or your own
1. How have SW Asia’s deserts historically helped the region?
2. Who are Bedouins?
3. Where do many SW Asians choose to live instead of the desert?
4. What are the three major river systems located in SW Asia?
5. How are these rivers important to the people of SW Asia?
6. Why does most of the population live in cities near the rivers?
7. What three major bodies of water surround SW Asia?
8. How do these bodies of water help the region?
9. Why are these bodies of water not good for drinking water?

11. More Questions: 10. What is desalination?
11. What are some problems with the desalination process?
12. What has caused water pollution to become a major issue in the region?
13. What is irrigation?
14. What are 2 other ways that the water supply has become contaminated?
15. What is the most important natural resource in SW Asia?
16. How do oil reserves impact the countries that have them?
17. What happens in the countries that do not have large oil reserves?
18. What is a consequence of this unequal distribution of oil?