North Africa and Southwest Asia(Middle East)

Physical Characteristics

Important countries of North Africa and Southwest Asia

AlgeriaEgyptIran Israel KuwaitLibyaQatarSaudi ArabiaUnited Arab EmiratesTurkey

Population – Population refers to the total number of people living in a country.

Use pages 434-437 to determinethe countries with the largest population:

Egypt –

Iran –

Turkey –

Land Size – land size refers to the

total square miles of a country.

Use pages 434-437 to determine

what the largest countries are

in land size.

Algeria –

Saudi Arabia -Libya -

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

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

Crossroads of Continents

Africa Europe Asia

Sahara DesertThe Sahara is the world’s largest desert, stretching 3.5 million square miles.

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.

THE SAHEL means “shore of the desert”

Climate Region – Semi – Arid(Steppe)

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

Wadi

A wadi is a dry streambed that fills up with rainwater

during the wet, rainy season. A seasonal stream

or river.

Oasis

An oasis is a source of water in the desert.

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

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.

Gulf bordering Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Oman

What is the Persian Gulf?

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

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 !

What does the flooding deposit?

Alluvial Soil!

Tigris

Euphrates

Jordan River

1. 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?

Sahara desert is growing. What is this called?

DESERT!

DESERTIFICATION!

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)