Geography of the Middle East At a Glance

Vocabulary

Complete the Natural Resources and Environmental Issues vocabulary

chart on the next slide on pg. 9 in your notebook….

Term Definition What I think….

Aquifer

Underground rock layer that water flows through

Drought

A long period of extreme dryness in a region.

Groundwater

Water that fills tiny cracks and holes in the rock layer below the Earth.

Irrigation

Farming practice followed in dry areas to collect and bring it to meet their needs.

Natural Resource Product of the Earth that people use to meet their needs

Petroleum

A thick, flammable, yellow-to-black mixture of gaseous, liquid, and solid hydrocarbons that occurs naturally beneath the Earth's surface.

Desalination Process used to make sea water drinkable.

Geography At a Glance Activity Instructions

• Using the information on the following slides, complete the “Geography of the Middle East At a Glance” graphic organizer on pg. 10 in your notebook.

• Read each slide carefully and watch each video. This will help you in our discussion of the Middle East Environmental Issues.

Middle East Landforms

Landforms

Questions to Answer…

1. What are the major landforms of Southwest Asia? Give at least 5 examples.

There are various types of landforms found in Southwest Asia. Here are just a few that your should know….

Landforms

Peninsula

Arabian Peninsula: Largest sand desert in the world.

Sinai Peninsula: Barren, rocky and mountainous land the connects Egypt to the Middle East.

Landforms

RiversTigris and Euphrates Rivers: Longest rivers in the region. Begins in the mountains of Turkey and flows south through Iraq. They join in southern Iraq and is known as the Fertile Crescent.

Jordan River: One of the main sources of water for Israel, Jordan, and parts of Syria.

Landforms

Gulf & StraitPersian Gulf: One of the main waterways oil is shipped from the rich fields of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Strait of Hormuz: The waterway that connects the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea. It is a major passage for oil.

Landforms

Desert• The Middle East has a number of very large

deserts. Syrian Desert between Syria and Iraq Rub al Khali in Saudi Arabia

Middle EastClimate & Vegetation

Climate and VegetationQuestions to Answer…

• What 3 climates and vegetation dominate the Middle East? List them from the Most dominant to the least.

• How do people deal with the harsh climate of the Middle East? List at least 3 things they do to survive?

Check out the next slide to learn more about the climate and vegetation of this region….

Middle East Climate & Vegetation Map

Climate & Vegetation

• The climate varies, but the Middle East is mostly arid with hot, dry summers and cool winters.

• If you live along the Caspian Sea coast of Northern Iran, you might have 80 inches of rain a year.

• If you live in Saudi Arabia, the most rainfall you could expect in a year would be nine inches.

Climate & Vegetation

• People do various things to help them survive the harsh climate of the Middle East.

People are leaving the nomadic life and settling in and around cities with a source of water.

Canals are built to use water for irrigation

Middle East Location

LocationQuestions to Answer…

• Geographers often say that the Middle East is located at a crossroads. What crossroads do they refer to?

• What role did the location of the Middle East play in the region’s history and economic activities?

Location

• The Middle East is often called the “crossroads of the world” because it lies at the intersection of three continents– Europe, Africa, and Asia.

Role of Location in Middle East history and Economy

• The location of the Middle East along the Persian Gulf has been positive and negative.

Positive• The oil found in the Persian Gulf has brought

wealth to many countries.Negative• Location has been a source of many conflicts in

the region

Middle East Water

Let’s Watch a Brainpop

• Watch the Brainpop on the Water Supply…

Login: hullmsPassword: rory

http://www.brainpop.com/science/earthsystem/watersupply/

WaterQuestions to Answer….

• Describe the water situation in the Middle East.• What rivers are in the Middle East? List 3 major

rivers.• Where do most people in the Middle East settle

as a result of their water situation.• Give an example of technology that developed

in the Middle East because of the lack of water.

WaterA Shrinking Supply

• Fresh water is a precious resource• Less than 1% of the world’s fresh water is

available in the Middle East.• Throughout the Middle East, water shortages,

unequal distribution of water, and pollution further decrease the amount of water available.

Middle EastWater Shortage Video

• http://gpb.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/ess05.sci.ess.earthsys.israel/water-conservation-israel/

WaterMajor Rivers

• The 3 major rivers of the Middle East are:

Tigris: Pollution is a growing problem

Euphrates: Conflicts between Turkey, Iraq & Syria over this river. Water used for hydroelectric power and irrigation.

Jordan River: Israel has been involved in military battles over water rights to the Jordan River.

WaterWhere People Settle

• Because water is in short supply people have to move to where they have access to water…

Cities are built near rivers to take advantage of water source.

Port cities along the Persian Gulf and Mediterranean Sea have huge populations because of job opportunities.

Middle East Population Density Map

WaterTechnology

• Technology that has been developed in the Middle East because of the lack of water include:

Desalination: The process of removing salt from salt water.

AND Drip Irrigation: Using computers to measure

out how much water each plant receives.

Natural Resources

Natural ResourcesQuestions to Answer…

• Where in the Middle East is most of the petroleum located? What body of water is used most often to export the oil out of the Middle East?

• What natural resources does the Middle East have? What is considered to be the most precious resource?

• How has petroleum affected SW Asia?

Natural ResourcesWhere is the Oil

• Most of the oil of the Middle East is found in countries located along the Persian Gulf.

• The Persian Gulf and The Strait of Hormuz is used most often to export oil out of the Middle East.

Middle East Natural Resource Map

Natural Resourcesof the Middle East

• Two of the most important natural resources are natural gas and petroleum

• There are two precious resources:

Oil: because it brings in money

Water: because it is scarce and is needed for survival.

Affect of Petroleum in Middle East

• Oil has brought lots of wealth to the region. • Oil-rich countries have become influential

across the world.• Oil has also brought lots of conflict to the

region as countries try to get control of the oil.

Brainpop on Gas and Oil

Watch a short Brainpop on Gas and Oil…Login: hullms

Username: rory

http://www.brainpop.com/technology/energytechnology/gasandoil/