How Geography affects Population

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How Geography affects Population

• Middle East
• GPS SS7G6 SS7G7

How do the deserts and rivers of Southwest Asia
(Middle East) affect the population in terms of
where people live, the type of work they do, and
how they travel? How does the distribution of
oil affect the development of Southwest Asia
(Middle East)?

2

• Geography plays an important role in determining
  where people live, what type of work they do,
  what they depend on for survival, how much access
  they have to the outside world and so on.
• In the Middle East, water is a precious item.
• Areas accessible to water tend to be more
  populated.

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• Cities lie along the Jordan, Tigris, and
  Euphrates Rivers because they provide fresh water
  for wells and irrigation.
• The rivers are also used for trade and travel.
• Many of these areas are used for ports
  (shipping), so they are very populated.

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• Areas in the Middle East that have fertile soil
  and milder temperatures tend to have more people
  than the desert and remote areas.
• Fertile regions offer farming communities, while
  coastal areas offer fishing, shipping, and
  tourism.
• People in cities also have access to airports,
  major highways, and rely on water to travel.

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Impact of Climate on the Middle East

• Much of the Middle East is desert and not many
  people can live there.
• As a result, water is very important. Water is
  important for people, animals, and crops.
• Therefore, most people live close to water
  supplies.
• Keeping the rivers clean is a big issue in the
  Middle East.

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Agriculture

• Climate also affects agriculture.
• Farmers live near fertile regions or they grow
  things that require less water.
• Farmers often grow crops near rivers,so they can
  irrigate.
• Agriculture remains a major source of survival
  for people in the rural areas of the Middle East.

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Desalination

• In a effort to grow more food, nations with
  limited farmland, have invested in desalination.
• Desalination removes salt from sea water.
• Desalination would increase the amount of water
  suitable for irrigation within the Middle East.

8
Environmental Issues

• Millions of people in the Middle East rely on the
  same rivers and sources of water.
• The Jordan River, Tigris River, and the Euphrates
  River provide needed water to more than one
  country.
• So there is a lot of water pollution.

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Water Rights

• Water Rights are agreements about how countries
  can use the water in a region.
• Water rights often cause political problems.
• Ways have to be found to make sure that everyone
  has access to enough water.

10
Oil

• The largest source of oil in the world is in the
  region bordering the Persian Gulf.
• Extraction of oil and other natural resources
  also affects the environment.
• Drilling for oil takes its toll on the landscape.
  Methods used to extract oil leaves the land
  damaged and unusable.

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• Many wars have been fought over oil in the Middle
  East.
• Oil has been used as a pollutant in the Persian
  Gulf water.
• Oil has also been burned as a pollution tactic.
• Oil is the basis of most of the economy of the
  Middle East, but pollution from the oil industry
  is one of the biggest threats to its environment.

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• Oil pollution endangers the water supply. Since
  there is not much fresh water in the region,
  these environmental problems directly affect the
  lives of Middle Easterners.

13
Government Environmental Policies

• Developing environmental policies in the Middle
  East is difficult, because crucial water supplies
  are often shared by several countries.
• The interests of one nation are often different
  from those of another nation.
• Some countries are also more developed than
  others in the Middle East.

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• As a result, what is a practical policy for one
  nation is not for another nation.
• Policies that restrict how oil and other
  resources are extracted and used can hurt nations
  that rely on these resources for revenue.
• Too many regulations can slow economic
  development.

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Ticket out the door.

• 1. Describe why water is so precious in the
  Middle East.
• 2. What are some of the environmental issues
  facing the Middle East?
• 3. What is one challenge to passing government
  policies to deal with environmental policies in
  the Middle East?
• 4. Which do you think is more important to the
  Middle East- oil or water? Why?

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• 5. Which statement BEST explains why the Tigris
  and Euphrates rivers have been a source of
  conflict for many years?
• A. They both form borders between Iraq and Iran.
• B. They are the quickest routes to the
  Mediterranean Sea in the Middle East.
• C. They make up most of the water supply for
  Turkey, Syria, and Iraq.
• D. They are frequented by pirates.

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• 6. Which statement BEST defines the term water
  rights?
• A. laws that say who can use the water in a
  region.
• B. laws that tell which side of a river ships can
  sail on.
• C. laws that protect the natural environment from
  abusers.
• D. laws concerning the bottling and distribution
  of bottled water.

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• 7. Which statement BEST describes many of the
  Persian Gulf countries today?
• A. They are overcrowded.
• B. They lack adequate housing.
• C. They have major oil deposits.
• D. They are agricultural centers.

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• 8. Which phrase below BEST defines the term
  desalination?
• A. taking salt out of salt water.
• B. taking minerals out of the Earth.
• C. taking people out of their homelands.
• D. taking a nap.

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• 9. Kuwaits main source of water is
• A. desalination
• B. the Nile River
• C. the Sea of Galilee
• D. the Euphrates River

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• 10. Which war was caused by a dispute over oil?
• A. The Gulf War
• B. Operation Iraqi Freedom
• C. Invasion of Afghanistan
• D. Israeli-Egyptian conflict