1. This is a satellite image of the Middle East. Where do you think most people live and why? Back up your ideas.

2. Southwest Asia – Middle East

3. POLITICAL MAP REVIEW

11. There are three major river systems located in Southwest Asia. Euphrates River Tigris River Jordan River These three rivers are important because they furnish water for drinking and irrigation, as well as routes for transportation and trade. Many of the major cities are located on or near these rivers. These cities and towns are also centers for industry, where people can find work. JOBS.

12. A lot of Southwest Asia is covered by deserts. Syrian Desert (between Syria and Iraq) Rub al-Khali “Empty Quarter” (Southern Saudi Arabia) These deserts have historically provided the Middle East with natural barriers against invasion. They have also affected how people live in these areas.

13. “Bedouins” or desert nomads have managed to live in and survive the harsh desert climates, by living in tent camps and surviving as sheep and camel herders and making a living trading animals and handmade goods with those who lived in towns on the deserts edge.

15. Today the Suez Canal in Egypt links the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea and Indian Ocean, making it possible to continue trade without going around Africa.

16. Many people in Southwest Asia use subsistence agriculture, growing small amounts of crops, to take care of their needs. The climate is so dry, agriculture almost always depends on irrigation.