THE MIDDLE EAST (SOUTHWEST ASIA)

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Physical Geography of N. Africa, SW Asia,
Central Asia
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• How does the region of North Africa, Southwest
  Asia, and Central Asia compare to the size of the
  United States?
• -twice the size of the U.S.

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• What 3 major peninsulas are found in the Middle
  East (SW Asia) North Africa? List the bodies
  of water that surround each.
• 1. Anatolia
• -bordered by Black Sea,
• Mediterranean Sea, and
• Aegean Sea
• -makes up 90 of
• country of Turkey

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• 2. Arabian Peninsula-
• -bordered by Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and Persian
  Gulf
• -oil-rich region (about 25 of the worlds oil
  lies underneath)

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• 3. Sinai Peninsula-
• bordered by Gulf of Suez, Gulf of Aqaba, and
  Mediterranean Sea
• currently Egyptian territory (was also part of
  Israel historically)

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Dead Sea
Israel
Nile Delta
Gulf of Suez
Gulf of Aqaba
Saudi Arabia
Egypt
Red Sea
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• 3. Name the 3 landlocked bodies of salt water
  located in this region.
• Dead Sea
• Is the Dead Sea really a sea?
• What does the Dead Sea separate?
• What is its source?
• What 3 things make it so unique?
• Why is the Dead Sea so salty? How does it impact
  life in and around it?
• What religious association do Christians have
  with the Dead Sea?

Jordan River
Israel
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Salt evaporation pans for collecting minerals
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Mud considered therapeutic and beneficial for skin
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Salt deposits in Dead Sea
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• 2. Aral Sea
• began to dry up due to irrigation from the Soviet
  Union evaporation, now being replenished

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• 3. Caspian Sea
• largest inland body of water
• not as salty as ocean includes some freshwater
  fish
• currently, water levels are lowering due to
  evaporation irrigation (much like the case of
  the shrinking Aral Sea, just not as extreme)

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• 4. What sea separates North Africa from Europe?
  What is its significance to this region?
• The Mediterranean Sea
• Links Europe Africa to the east

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• 5. What sea separates the Middle East (Southwest
  Asia) from North Africa?
• The Red Sea

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• 6. What 2 straits separate Europe from Southwest
  Asia (Middle East)? What sea links the two?
• 1. The Bosporus-
• Strait connecting the Sea of Marmara to the Black
  Sea
• 2. The Dardanelles-
• Strait connecting the Sea of Marmara to the
  Aegean Sea

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• 7. What strait separates the closest pieces of
  land of North Africa and Europe?
• Strait of Gibraltar-
• Choke-point connecting Mediterranean Sea to the
  Atlantic Ocean

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Europe
Mediterranean Sea
Atlantic Ocean
North Africa
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• 8. What man-made waterway connects the
  Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea?
• The Suez Canal
• When was it built?
• 1858-1869
• Who built it?
• Mostly French-financed and designed using
  Egyptian forced labor
• Significance connect Mediterranean to the
  greater Indian Ocean for trade

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Nile Delta
Sinai Peninsula
Red Sea
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Suez Canal
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• 9. What major rivers flow through the Middle
  East (Southwest Asia) North Africa?
• 1. The Tigris-
• 2. The Euphrates-
• Both rivers flow out of Turkey through Iraq and
  come together before flowing into Persian Gulf
• Mesopotomia (early river valley civilization)
  located between the rivers (literally means land
  between two rivers)

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• 3. The Nile River
• -worlds longest river at 4,160 miles
• -supported the early Egyptian civilization
• alluvial soil (rich soil made up of
  sand and mud deposited by moving water)
  allowed Egyptians the ability to farm

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Valley of the Kings
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• 10. What man-made lake was created by damming
  the Nile River?
• Lake Nasser
• Began in 1958 completed in 1970, when Aswan High
  Dam was finished
• 80 in Egypt

Aswan High Dam
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Aswan High Dam -pros supplies ½ of Egypts
electric power water to crops -cons
sediments from river get trapped behind dam
floods no longer wash away parasites
Aswan High Dam
Air Strip
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Lake Nasser
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• 11. Why is the Nile River Delta so important?
• 90 of people of Egypt live along banks of (only
  fertile areas in Egypt)
• Pollution a serious problem.

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• 12. Name the only major mountain range in North
  Africa. How does its physical presence impact
  the people that live in areas surrounding the
  mountain?
• The Atlas Mountains
• Precipitation on coastal (N) side agricultural
  activities
• named after Greek god who held up the heavens.

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• 13. What mountain range separates the countries
  of Iran and Iraq?
• The Zagros Mountains

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• 14. Which tectonic plates come together in this
  region? List 3 ways the regions landscape has
  been impacted by plate tectonic activity.
• -African, Arabian, and Eurasian plates -built
  Zagros and Taurus Mountains widened the Red
  Sea

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• 15. What of worlds know oil natural gas
  reserves are found in this region?
• -66 oil reserves 33 natural gas reserves
• -see Black Gold activity for more information

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• What physical reason do you believe makes this
  region so economically dependent on oil and
  natural gas?
• -harsh terrain (mountainous desert) leaves
  little hope for agriculture