1. North Africa and Southwest Asia (Middle East) Physical Characteristics

2. Algeria Egypt Iran Israel Kuwait Libya Qatar Saudi Arabia
Important countries of North Africa and Southwest Asia
Algeria
Egypt
Iran
Israel
Kuwait
Libya
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
United Arab Emirates
Turkey

3. Egypt – Iran – Turkey – Population – Population refers to the total
number of people living in a country.
Use pages to determine
the countries with the largest population:
Egypt –
Iran –
Turkey –

4. Algeria – Libya - Saudi Arabia - Land Size – land size refers to the
total square miles of a country.
Use pages to determine
what the largest countries are
in land size.
Algeria –
Saudi Arabia -
Libya -

5. GDP – Gross Domestic Product refers to the total value of
goods and services produced
in a country in one year.
Qatar
Kuwait
Israel
United Arab Emirates

6. HERE IS THE WORLD…
…AND HERE IS NORTH AFRICA AND SOUTHWEST ASIA
Due to the location, it’s called the Crossroads of Continents: Europe, Africa, and Asia

7. Crossroads of Continents
Africa Europe Asia

8. Sahara Desert
The Sahara is the world’s largest desert, stretching 3.5 million square miles.

9. Sahara
Averages less than five inches of rain each year.
Temperatures there can run to the extreme
-freezing at night
-Can be more than 130 degrees Fahrenheit at the peak of day.

10. Climate Region – Semi – Arid(Steppe) THE SAHEL
means “shore of the desert”
Climate Region –
Semi – Arid(Steppe)

11. Sahel -Steppe region below Sahara that is spreading into a desert region.

12. Wadi
A wadi is a dry streambed that fills up with rainwater during the wet, rainy season. A seasonal stream or river.

13. Oasis
An oasis is a source of water in the desert.

14. The Nile River flows South to North, where accumulation of sediment forms a delta.

15. The Nile Delta
A delta is a an area where the river fans out and deposits rich alluvial soil before it empties into another body of water.

16. What is the Persian Gulf?
Gulf bordering Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Oman

17. In Western countries it is called Persian Gulf, in most Arab countries it is called Arabian Gulf.

18. Rivers!
Water is the most precious resource for this region of deserts and steppe areas.
Many areas are dependent on seasonal floods. Can you name the river?
I will give you a hint! .
The Nile River !

19. What does the
flooding deposit?
Alluvial Soil!

20. Tigris
Euphrates 20

21. Jordan
River

22. DESERT! DESERTIFICATION! Sahara desert is growing.
Dry(Arid) climates dominate the region:
between 0 and 10 inches of precipitation
a year; little vegetation; an example is
the Sahara Desert which crosses Northern
Africa.
What is the climate region type?
DESERT!
Sahara desert is growing.
What is this called?
DESERTIFICATION!

23. Semi – Arid(Steppe) Between 10 and 20 inches precipitation;
Vegetation consists of grasslands; an example is
the Sahel which is just south of the Sahara. The
Sahel is shrinking.
Name the climate region type:
Semi – Arid(Steppe)