1. The
Geography
of the
Middle East

2. The Middle East Today: Political Map19
4--> 17 18
11--> 6 7 1 13
8--> 9
<--10 2 12 5
3--> 16
15--> 20 14 21

3. Middle East? OR Southwest Asia?

4. The Middle East vs. the U. S. Latitude Lines

5. Middle East: Climate Regions

6. The Middle East: Natural Vegetation
Diversity in climate/elevation/precipitation=diversity in vegetation

7. Middle East: Population Density
Where is the water??? Find fresh water and you find population concentration.

8. Bodies of Water Caspian Sea Black Sea Dardanelles Strait
Atlantic Ocean
Tigris River
Mediterranean Sea
Euphrates River
Jordan River
Suez Canal
Strait of Hormuz
Persian Gulf
Nile River
Gulf of Oman
Red Sea
Arabian Sea
Gulf of Aden
Indian Ocean

9. Cairo, Egypt: Most Populated City in the Middle East
20,000,000
44,000 p/sq/mi

10. The Mighty Nile River: “Longest River in the World”

11. Egypt: The “Gift of the Nile”
Nile Delta
Annual Nile Flooding
95% of the Egyptian people live on 5% of the land!

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

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

14. Fertile Crescent

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

16. Mountains & Plateaus Caucasus Mts. Elburz Mts. Anatolian Plateau
Taurus Mts.
Iranian Plateau
Zagros Mts.
Atlas Mts.

17. Mountain Ranges in Mid-East
Elburz Mts., Iran
Zagros Mts., Iran
Lebanese Mts.
Taurus Mts., Turkey

18. Deserts Sinai Desert Libyan Desert Arabian Desert Rub al-Khali
Sahara Desert

19. Dust Storms Along the Tigris-Euphrates Flood Plains

20. Desert Bedouins Remember the “Adam” video?

21. The Ships of the Desert Arabian Camel!
Sway makes one seasick
Cruise at 2mph
1,000 lb loads
Toes like snowshoes

22. Bactrian Camel further east in Asia!

23. No natural predators
Can withstand a massive amount of dehydration
Humps=fatty tissue
Omnivorous
Temperament? Docile and sweet
Stubborn and angry if ill treated
They spit…chew cud like cows

24. Brow bone
Lashes protect from sandstorms
Toes like snowshoes
Hard pads to withstand heat

25. Rub al-Khali: “The Empty Quarter”

26. Desert Oases: Water at a Premium!

27. Wadis – Instant Springs

28. Desalinization Plants

29. The Natural Resources of the Middle East

30. World Oil Reserves

31. Saudi Oil Fields & Refineries

32. Kuwait: An Island Floating on a Sea of Oil
Kuwait City

33. What would the Regents Exam ask? DBQ June 2010
Throughout history, geographic factors (deserts/mts/rivers) have had a variety of effects on different regions.
Describe deserts/mts/rivers
Discuss the effect deserts/mts/rivers have had on a specific region.