1. Section 2- Southwest Asia

2. Arabian Peninsula Home of the “Empty Quarter”
Largest all-sand desert in the world
Almost nothing lives there

3. Arabian Peninsula

4. Topography of Southwest Asia

5. Dry Region Bordered By Water
Rub’al-Khali desert
Areas receive little rain
Oasis- some support whole communities
Deserts
Sand
Pebbles
Gravel
Boulders

7. Two Historic Rivers Tigris & Euphrates Flood and deposit valuable silt
Begin in Turkey and flow south through Iraq

8. Ancient Mesopotamia Existed between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers
People raised plants and animals
Relied on rich soil provided by the rivers floods

9. Mountains Zagros Mountains- western Iran
Elburz Mountains- northern Iran

10. Seas & Gulfs Red Sea Mediterranean Sea Black Sea Caspian Sea
Persian Gulf
Dead Sea

12. The Dead Sea is dying.
Seven times saltier than the ocean!

14. Red Sea, Persian Gulf

15. Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, Red Sea

16. Caspian Sea, Black Sea

17. Climate Arid Semiarid <10 inches of rain per year
Up to 125 degrees during the day
As low as 40 degrees at night
Some parts Mediterranean climate

18. Climate Map

19. Natural Resources
2 main resources are:
Petroleum
Water

20. Natural Resources
Petroleum- an oily, flammable liquid formed from the remains of ancient plants and animals; non-renewable resource.
Non-renewable resource- a natural resource that cannot be quickly replaced once it is used.
Petroleum plays a key role in the world’s economy.

21. Natural Resources
Oil increases the standard of living for Southwest Asia.
Standard of Living- a measurement of a person’s or a group’s education, housing, health, and nutrition.
Southwest Asia has more than ½ of the world’s oil reserves.

23. Water Irrigation is a MUST! This region has no permanent rivers
Wadis- stream beds that hold water when seasonal rain falls but are dry much of the year
People irrigate using deep underground wells
Wells could run dry! OUCH!

24. drip irrigation

25. Using the land 3 major ways Nomadic herding Producing oil Agriculture
Bedouins- herd camels, goats and sheep
Today Bedouins- 10% of population
Producing oil
Agriculture

26. Agriculture Turkey Israel Wheat Citrus fruits Barley Cotton Cotton
Sugar beets
Fruits
Olives
Corn
Israel
Citrus fruits
Cotton
Peanuts
Sugar cane