1. Unit 6: Southwest and Central Asia
Introducing the Region:
Physical and Human Geography

2. Physical Features: SW Asia
Peninsulas: Arabian Peninsula
Plateaus: Anatolia
“fairy chimneys”
Seas: Arabian, Mediterranean, Black, Red, Dead, Caspian
Tigris-Euphrates Valley

3. Fairy Chimneys

4. Physical Features: Central Asia
Seas: Aral, Caspian, Arabian
Hindu Kush
K2 (Mt. Godwin Austen)
Indus River

5. K2

6. Aral Sea

7. Climate: SW Asia
Arid
Semi-arid
Mediterranean

8. Climate: Central Asia
Highlands
Arid
Semiarid
steppes

9. Vegetation: SW & Central Asia
Wide variety
Desert scrub
Adaptation

10. Human Geography: the countries
Most populous: Pakistan
Largest: Kazakhstan
Wealthiest: United Arab Emirates
Common links: trade and Islam

11. Human Geography: History
Cradle of civilization
Monotheism: Judaism (Abraham), Christianity (Jesus), Islam (Muhammad)
Islamic Empire
Ottoman Empire
Independence
Modern Conflicts

12. Abraham

13. Jesus

14. Muhammad

15. Human Geography: Population
Population density (Istanbul, Karachi)
% rural, % urban
Major religion: Islam (Sunni, Shia)
Population growth

16. Karachi, Pakistan

17. Human Geography: Economic Activity
Oil (abundance of )
Water (scarcity of )
Nomadic herding
Fossil fuels
Commercial farming
Trade and manufacturing

18. OIL

19. Links to More Information about SW and Central Asia