1. Chapter 21- Southwest Asia Notes (Middle East)
Harsh & Arid Lands

2. Section 1- Landforms & Resources

3. Sulemaniye Mosque
Turkey

4. Syria
Damascus
Umayyad Mosque

5. Parliament Square in Beirut Beirut
Lebanon

6. Tel Aviv
Dead Sea Salt Beds
Negev Desert
Israel
Dome of the Rock

7. Abdullah Mosque Amman King Abdullah II Petra Jordan
One of the new 7 wonders of the world
King Abdullah II
Petra

8. Iraq
Saddam Hussein
Bombing of Baghdad
Tigris River

9. King Fahd
Empty Quarter
Saudi Arabia
Mecca

10. Shahid Motahari Mosque
Iran
Tehran
                                                          
Shahid Motahari Mosque

11. Sanaa
Yemen

12. Mosque
Oman
Sultan’s Palace

13. Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates

14. Museum
Doha
Qatar
Desert

15. Kuwait
Water Towers
Kuwait City
Oil wells on fire

16. Section 1- Landforms & Resources
Peninsulas & Waterways-
Peninsula- area of land that is almost completely surrounded by water, except for a small portion connecting it to the mainland
Strait- narrow body of water connecting 2 larger bodies of water

17. Section 1- Landforms & Resources
Suez Canal- artificial waterway between the Mediterranean Sea & the Red Sea

18. Section 1- Landforms & Resources
Arabian Peninsula- very dry, sandy, & windy
Wadis- riverbeds that remain dry except for the rainy season.

19. Section 1- Landforms & Resources
Water is the most important resource in this region
Tigris & Euphrates river valleys supported several ancient societies

20. Section 1- Landforms & Resources
Jordan River- provides a natural boundary for Israel & Jordan
Flows into the Dead Sea

21. Section 1- Landforms & Resources
Dead Sea- landlocked salt lake
So salty that only bacteria lives in it
Lowest place on the exposed surface of the earth.
1349 feet below sea level

22. Section 1- Landforms & Resources
Oil-
Largest reserves in the world (1/2 of all known reserves)
Most prominent resource
Water is still most valuable resource in SW Asia

23. Section 2- Climate & Vegetation
Rub Al-Khali (the empty quarter)-
Size of Texas
One of largest sandy deserts in world
Surface temps, can reach 150°
10 years may pass w/out rain

24. Section 2- Climate & Vegetation
Salt Flat- flat land made of chemical salts that remain after winds evaporate the moisture in the soil
Common in Iran
Usually uninhabited

26. Pamukkale is one of the extraordinary natural wonders of Turkey.
The great attraction is the white immensity of the cliffs with sculptured basins full of water and congealed waterfalls; they seem done of snow, cloud, or cotton.

27. The scientific explanation is the hot thermal places that lie under the mount provoke the calcium carbonate spill, that makes the forms as solid as travertino marble.

28. One can bathe there; the Turks call this place PAMUKKALE, which means "Castle of Cotton".

29. It is a protecting landscape that fascinates, as the action of the mineral waters that contains calcium oxides left fantastic marks in the structures.

30. The resultant effect is spectacular: the waters spill on a series of steps, forming solid cascades and pools.

31. The cascades of calcium carbonate as well as the water itself changes colors in accordance with changes of the solar light that illuminates them, and the effect is breathtaking.

32. At times white, others blue, or green or other colors
At times white, others blue, or green or other colors. The spectacle is amazing.

33. The continuous dynamics of the erosion and the transformation of the natural landscape result in an unusual environment.

34. PAMUKKALE is one of the most unique phenomena in nature.

35. Section 3- Human-Environment Interaction
Fresh water supplies are available only in small amounts
Dams are very controversial in this region as they affect multiple countries at once.

36. Section 3- Human-Environment Interaction
Water Conservation is a major priority in SW Asia
Drip Irrigation- practice of using small pipes that slowly drip water just above ground

37. Section 3- Human-Environment Interaction
Desalinization- removal of salt from ocean water
Very expensive
Can’t meet all needs

38. Section 3- Human-Environment Interaction
Fossil Water- water pumped from underground aquifers
Little chance of being refilled in this area because of little rainfall

39. Section 3- Human-Environment Interaction
Petroleum- remains of plants & animals, formed from pressure & heat over millions of years.
Oil is not in big pools under the ground, it is trapped in the pores of rocks.
Taken out of ground by pressure

40. Section 3- Human-Environment Interaction
Crude Oil- petroleum that has not been processed
Refinery- converts crude oil into useful products like gasoline & kerosene

41. Section 3- Human-Environment Interaction
Oil Spills are a risk when transporting oil in narrow straits or around reefs
Largest in U.S. History is the Exxon Valdez spill in 1989