iran
DESCRIPTION
Bulgaria. Georgia. Black Sea. Kyrgistan. Turkey. Greece. Pontic. Mt. Ararat. Armenia. Azerbaijan. Uzbekistan. Turkmenistan. Anatolia. Turkey. Azerb. China. Caspian Sea. Taurus. Tajikistan. Kopet. Fertile Crescent/ Mesopotamia. Tigris R. Khyber Pass. Elbruz. Syria. Cyp. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Sinai Pen.
Tigris R.
Euphrates R.
Nile R.
Jordan R.
Arabian Peninsula
Rub al-Kahli
(Empty Quarter)
Khyber Pass
Fertile Crescent/
Mesopotamia
Mt. AraratAnatolia
Pontic
Taurus
ElbruzKopet
Zagros
Hindu Kush
Sahara Desert Sinai Pen.
Nile
NubianDesert
The Middle East and Northern Africa
LandformsMountains• Cover Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan
−Turkey: Source of Tigris and Euphrates• Mt. Ararat (Eastern Turkey) – Possible location of
Noah’s Ark?−Afghanistan/Pakistan: Hindu Kush & Khyber
Pass−Big enough to limit movement and weather
• N. Africa−Atlas Mountains: ‘Extension’ of the
Appalachian Mountains−Ahaggar Mountains: Middle of Sahara
Desert
Rivers• Tigris and Euphrates
−Area known as the “Fertile Crescent” and “Mesopotamia”• Origins of modern civilization• Origins of domesticating cattle, sheep, goats
and pigs• Jordan River
−Border of Israel and Jordan• Main water source for both
−Feeds the Dead Sea• Lowest point on Earth (1,339 ft. below)• High salt content; water is 30% salt!! (no fish)• No outlet (endorheic lake: dead end)
• Nile River−World’s longest = 4160 miles (NY LA = 2462)−Fed by Lake Victoria and Ethiopian
Highlands• Flows S N
−95% of Egyptians live along Nile• Transportation, water source, soil deposits for
farmland−Floods with winter rain and snow melt
• Aswan High Dam = stops flooding, makes electricity
• BUT…Stops new soil deposits• Creates Lake Nasser = World’s 2nd largest man-
made lake−Hippos and crocodiles= dangerous to
humans
11 – 16 ft., 1100 lbs21.4 ft., 2400 lbs
Deserts• General facts:
−Very little rain: <1.5 inches per year−Shifting sand; sandstorms−Temp swings: 30° - 120°−Water usage limited to rivers or
desalinization• Some oases
• Sahara Desert−World’s largest desert (bigger than US!)−Some sandstorms blow sand across the
Atlantic!
• Arabian Peninsula−Desert covers Peninsula up into Iraq−Southeastern part = Empty Quarter (Rub’ al
Khali)
• Depressions and basins−Some 400 ft. below sea level; 5000 ft.
below surrounding area
Libya
Libya
Oman
ResourcesFarming• Only in river valleys, or near rivers
−Jordan River Valley, Nile River, Fertile Crescent
−Saudi Arabia = center pivot irrigation• Most is personal farming
−Commercial farming is biggest in Israel & Egypt• Figured out a way to irrigate large land areas
• Soil is very sandy: not good for growing
Oil• #1 resource• Found along the shores of the Persian Gulf and
up into Iraq• Most is sold for export
− U.S. is one of their biggest customers• OPEC: Organization of the Petroleum
Exporting CountriesIran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Algeria,
Libya− Controls the amount of production and sale of oil− On 75% of world’s total oil; ~40% of world’s output− Also includes Venezuela, Nigeria and Indonesia
How much oil?Saudi Arabia• Produces up to 8.5 million barrels of oil
per day• 1 barrel = 42 gallons
= 357,000,000 gallons! $83.80/barrel
= $712,300,000
Water• Most important natural resource• Limited supplies:
−Aquifers• Very old (145 million years ago)• Limited: not renewable once they are tapped out• Used for agriculture and human consumption
−Rivers• Tigris, Euphrates, Jordan, Nile
−Desalinization• Only used for human consumption
Water in Saudi Arabia• Surface water = 10% of total used• Groundwater in aquifers = 84% of total
used• Water from deep wells (~3000 ft. deep!)
• 70% of drinking water is desalinized−27 desalinization plants
• Plants also generate electricity−Pipe desalinized water 290 miles to Riyadh
• Other sources for Riyadh = rainwater dams
