1. The
Natural Resources
of the
Middle East

2. FIRST FIVE
Agenda Message: Geography make-up quiz is next Wednesday for any students who failed the first quiz.
Standard: Natural Resources of SWA Water, Oil, & Natural Gas
Essential Question for Wednesday September 13th: What life sustaining natural resource is distributed unequally in SWA?
Warm-up: What two bodies of water does the Suez Canal connect?
Today We Will:
Review SWA Geography & Political Boundaries Quiz
Natural Resources of SWA

3. Answers
E.Q. Answer for Wednesday September 13th: Fresh Water. Only Turkey & Iraq have enough fresh water to meet their people’s needs. All other countries in SWA are struggling to find enough water for their people. Warm-up: The Suez Canal connects the Mediterranean Sea & the Red Sea.

4. The Middle East Today: Standard: G5 Locate selected features in SW Asia
Jordan River
Tigris River
Gaza Strip
Strait of Hormuz
Suez Canal
Euphrates River
Persian Gulf
Red Sea
Arabian Sea

5. Countries
Turkey
Iran
Afghanistan
Israel
Iraq
Saudi
Arabia

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

7. Mesopotamia: ”Land Between the Two Rivers”
The Tigris & Euphrates River System
Mesopotamia: ”Land Between the Two Rivers”
Marsh Arabs, So. Iraq

8. The Jordan River System:

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

10. Rub al-Khali: Saudi Arabia “The Empty Quarter”

11. Standard: G6 Discuss environmental issues across Southwest Asia.
-Water is a natural resource that is unevenly distributed in Southwest Asia. -Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Kuwait have plenty of water (Tigris and Euphrates Rivers). -Some countries share a water source like Jordan, Israel and Syria (Jordan River) -Saudi Arabia has almost no water. -Irrigation has become necessary for those who want to farm and raise animals. -Using wells taps into fossil water (water that has been underground for centuries) -Saudi Arabia and Israel have developed systems of drip irrigation that measure out how much water each plant receives.

12. FIRST FIVE
Agenda Message: SWA Geography Make-up Quiz is next Wednesday.
Standard: Describe the impact of location, climate, physical geography, and distribution of natural resources on population distribution.
Essential Question for Thursday September 14th : What are the three leading environmental problems in SWA?
Warm-up:
What narrow waterway connects the Persian Gulf & the Arabian Sea?
Today We Will:
Review for SWA Geography Quiz
Water & Soil Pollution

13. ANSWERS
E.Q. Answers for Thursday September 14th : Environmental problems in SWA have to do with water and soil pollution. They are related based on the use of chemical fertilizers in farming. A third problem is the building of dams for irrigation and production of hydro-electric power (electricity). Warm-up: The Strait of Hormuz

14. Desalination (the process of removing salt and other chemicals from seawater) is very expensive and requires complex technology.
Water pollution is a growing problem. Many farmers are using chemical fertilizers, which have contaminated water supplies through runoff water. This has increased the salt level found in soil, eventually making it impossible to farm.
The building of dams to produce hydroelectric power has become a source of conflict. This is because it greatly reduces the amount of water available to other countries located downstream.

15. Desalinization Plants

16. Middle East: Climate Regions

17. Middle East: Population Density

18. Desert Nomads

19. Desert Nomads:
People who live in the desert roaming from place to place (Oasis to Oasis) in search of water and grazing for their animals (camels and goats).
Desert nomads earn a living by selling their camels and goats and hand made goods such as rugs, and metal work.

20. Desert Oases: Water at a Premium!

21. FIRST FIVE
Agenda Message: SWA Geography Make-Up Quiz is Wednesday September 20th. This week we’ll have only 3 E.Q.’s & Warm-Ups which are due Monday September 18th.
Standard: Describe the impact of location, climate, physical geography, and distribution of natural resources on population distribution.
Essential Question for Friday September 15th:
What percent of the world’s oil supply is found in SWA?
Warm-up:
Where do people tend to live?
Today We Will:
Finish labeling Maps of SWA by adding Kuwait & Syria
Population distribution/Oil distribution

22. Answers
E.Q. Answer for Friday September 15th: 40-50% of the world’s oil reserves are found in SWA. Warm-up: People tend to live where the temperatures are Moderate (Moderate means temperatures that are not too hot or too cold) and where there is an abundant supply of fresh water.

23. Standard: G7 Explain the impact of location, climate, physical characteristics, distribution of natural resources and population distribution on SW Asia Oil and Natural Gas The two most “valuable” natural resources found in SW Asia are oil and natural gas . These resources were discovered in the 1900s and United States and European companies controlled the drilling and refining. Over ½ of the world’s known oil reserves are found in this area of the world.

24. World Oil Reserves

25. Saudi Oil Fields & Refineries

26. Standard: G7 Explain the impact of location, climate, physical characteristics, distribution of natural resources and population distribution on SW Asia
Countries in SWA that have oil have become incredibly rich (especially oil rich nations surrounding the Persian Gulf). As a result their people, once poor, now enjoy a high standard of living. The countries without oil in SWA have remained poor and have had a much harder time improving living conditions for their people.

27. Persian Gulf Oil Exports (2003)

28. Standard: G7 Explain the impact of location, climate, physical characteristics, distribution of natural resources and population distribution on SW Asia
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries- OPEC was created in the 1960s and is made up of the world’s oil-rich countries from SWA, Africa (Nigeria), and South America (Venezuela & Brazil).
OPEC’s goal is to control the production & price of oil in the world’s markets.

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