Sharon Westerholm

La Vernia HS

Sharon Westerholm

La Vernia HS

The Middle East Today:Political Map

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Middle East? OR Near East?OR Southwest Asia? OR….?

Bodies of Water

TigrisRiver

Nile River

Euphrates

RiverJordan River Persian Gulf

ArabianSea

Mediterranean Sea

IndianOcean

Red Sea

Black Sea

Gulf of Aden

Strait ofHormuz

Suez Canal

Dardanelles Strait

Atlantic

Ocean

Gulf of

Oman

Caspian

Sea

Egypt: The “Gift of the Nile”

Annual Nile Flooding

Annual Nile Flooding

Nile DeltaNile

Delta

95% of the Egyptian people live on 5% of the

land!

95% of the Egyptian people live on 5% of the

land!

Aswan High Dam, Egypt

Hydroelectric

Power Plant

Hydroelectric

Power Plant

Suez Canal

Completed by the British in 1869

Completed by the British in 1869

StrategicStrategic WaterwaysWaterways• Many strategic waterways or Many strategic waterways or

narrow bodies of water that are narrow bodies of water that are important for trade or defenseimportant for trade or defense– Bosporus StraitBosporus Strait– Dardanelles StraitDardanelles Strait– Strait of HormuzStrait of Hormuz

Strait of HormuzStrait of Hormuz• ConnectsConnects the Persian Gulf with the the Persian Gulf with the

Arabian Sea. Arabian Sea. • Iran is on one side of the strait and Iran is on one side of the strait and

the U.A.E. and Oman are on the the U.A.E. and Oman are on the other side.other side.

• The strait is important because The strait is important because most of the oil in the world must be most of the oil in the world must be transported from the Persian Gulf to transported from the Persian Gulf to world markets world markets

Persian GulfPersian Gulf• is also known as the Arabian Gulf.is also known as the Arabian Gulf.

• The term Arabian Gulf is used by The term Arabian Gulf is used by Arab countries near the Persian Arab countries near the Persian Gulf such as Saudi Arabia, Oman, Gulf such as Saudi Arabia, Oman, and the U.A.E. but it is not and the U.A.E. but it is not recognized by the United Nations.recognized by the United Nations.

Red SeaRed Sea• is connected to the Mediterranean is connected to the Mediterranean

Sea by the Suez Canal.Sea by the Suez Canal.• The Suez Canal does not have The Suez Canal does not have

locks like the Panama Canal or the locks like the Panama Canal or the St. Lawrence Seaway because St. Lawrence Seaway because there is no change in elevation.there is no change in elevation.

The Tigris & Euphrates

River System

Mesopotamia: ”Land Between the

Two Rivers”

Mesopotamia: ”Land Between the

Two Rivers”

Marsh Arabs, So. Iraq

Marsh Arabs, So. Iraq

Dust Storms Along the Tigris-Euphrates Flood Plains

Jordan River Syste

m

Dead Sea: Lowest Point on Earth

HighestSalt

Content(33%)

HighestSalt

Content(33%)

2,300’ below sea level

2,300’ below sea level

Wadis – Instant Springs

Mountains & Plateaus

Atlas Mts.

El

burz

Mts

.

Taurus

Mts. Zagros

Mts.

Iranian Plateau

AnatolianPlateau

Caucasus Mts.

Heja

z Mts.

Mountain Ranges in Mid-East

Elburz Mts., IranElburz Mts., Iran Zagros Mts., IranZagros Mts., Iran

Lebanese Mts.Lebanese Mts. Taurus Mts., TurkeyTaurus Mts., Turkey

Deserts

Sahara Desert

ArabianDesert

NegevDesert

SinaiDeser

tLibyan Desert

Rubal-Khali

Desert Bedouins (pastoralism)

Breeding Areas of Desert Locusts

Swarms of Desert Locusts!

Locusts Swarm the Pyramids Complex at

Giza!

Locusts Swarm the Pyramids Complex at

Giza!

Israel Hit By Worst Locust Plague

Since the 1950s!

Israel Hit By Worst Locust Plague

Since the 1950s!

Rub al-Khali:“The Empty Quarter”

Desert Oases: Water at a Premium!

Fresh Groundwater Sources

Water…Water…

• Critical for life, food productions, & Critical for life, food productions, & industrial processesindustrial processes

• 9 out of 14 SW Asia countries face water 9 out of 14 SW Asia countries face water shortage conditionsshortage conditions

• N. African countries have natural N. African countries have natural increase above 2.0%, increasing stress increase above 2.0%, increasing stress on water sourceson water sources

Desalinization

Plants

Fertile Crescent (Mesopotamia)

The Fertile Crescent

Completed Map

TigrisRiver

Nile River

Euphrates

RiverJordan River Persian Gulf

ArabianSea

Mediterranean Sea

IndianOcean

Red Sea

Black Sea

Gulf of Aden

Strait ofHormuz

Suez Canal

Dardanelles Strait

Atlantic

Ocean

Gulf of

Oman

Caspian

Sea

ArabianDesert

NegevDesert

SinaiDese

rt

Rubal-Khali

Atlas Mts.

El

burz

Mts

.

Taurus

Mts. Zagros

Mts.

Iranian Plateau

AnatolianPlateau

Caucasus Mts.

Heja

z Mts.Sahara Desert

Libyan Desert

ClimateClimate• The most common climates in The most common climates in

this area are desert (arid) and this area are desert (arid) and semiarid.semiarid.

A.A. The Sahara Desert covers North The Sahara Desert covers North Africa.Africa.

B.B. The Rub al-Khali is located on the The Rub al-Khali is located on the Arabian Peninsula.Arabian Peninsula.

Middle East: Climate Regions

Middle East: Population Density

POPULATION DISTRIBUTION

• The majority of the population in this The majority of the population in this realm lives not in the dry arid realm lives not in the dry arid regions, but around water resources.regions, but around water resources.

- The Nile- The Nile

- Mediterranean Sea- Mediterranean Sea

- Euphrates and Tigris Basin - Euphrates and Tigris Basin

- Lower mountain slopes of Iran, - Lower mountain slopes of Iran, south of the Caspian Seasouth of the Caspian Sea

Cairo, Egypt: Most Populated City in the Middle East

17,000,000+

People!

17,000,000+

People!

The Middle East:Natural Vegetation

The Natural Resources of the

Middle East

World Oil Reserves

Persian Gulf Oil Exports (2003)

Saudi Oil Fields & Refineries

Kuwait: An Island Floating on a Sea of Oil

Kuwait

City

Kuwait

City

Leading U. S. Oil Suppliers

The U. S. imports 30% of its oil needs from the Middle East.

The U. S. imports 30% of its oil needs from the Middle East.

The Middle East vs. the U. S.

Latitude Lines