physical geography of north africa, southwest asia and central asia chapter 17

Physical Geography of North Africa, Southwest Asia and Central Asia

Chapter 17

1. The LandThe vast region of North Africa, Southwest

Asia and Central Asia spans portions of Africa and Asia

Early civilizations thrived here thousands of years ago in fertile river valleys

Today, ancient rivers such as the Nile remain vital to the people of the region

LandformsIn NA, SWA and CA, dramatic landforms can

be found It is a region dominated by deserts and

mountainsTectonic activity responsible for shaping

the landscape in many parts of NA, SWA and CA.

EarthquakesThe African, Arabian, Anatolian and Eurasian

plates come together in NA, SWA and CAAs the plates move they:build mountainsshift landmassescause earthquakesTectonic activity built Atlas Mtns. of Morocco and

Algeria, the Zagros of southern Iran and the Taurus of Turkey

Earthquakes occur regularly in the regionIn 1999, Turkey experienced an earthquake

measuring 7.4 on the Richter scale

MountainsPhysical Map on p. 412Africa’s longest mountain range, the Atlas

Mountains, extends across Morocco and AlgeriaIn Southwest Asia, two mountain ranges, the Hejaz

and Asir, stretch along the western coast of the Arabian Peninsula

Precipitation received by the Asir region makes it the most agriculturally productive on the Ariabian Peninsula

Turkey possesses the Pontic Mountains and the Taurus mountains, and in between the two sits the Anatolian Plateau (2000 to 5000 ft above sea level)

MountainsMount Ararat (almost 17000 ft), near

Turkish/Iranian boderThe Caucasus Mountains, located N of Mount

Ararat between the Black Sea and Caspian SeaWest of Tian Shan range, the Turan Lowlands,

made up by irrigated farmlandTo the south are dune-covered kums, or desertsThe Kara-Kum, or black sand desert, covers most

of TurkmenistanThe Kyzl Kum, or red sand desert, blankets half

of Uzbekistan

Coastal Plains, Seas and PeninsulasRegions agricultural base are the fertile

plains along the Mediterranean Sea, the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf

To the E, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden separate Arabian Peninsula from Africa

The northwest, the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aquaba flank the Sinai Peninsula

Coastal Plains, Seas and PeninsulasTo the N, the peninsula of Anatolia points west

to the Aegean SeaBlack and Mediterranean Seas lie at the

peninsula’s north and southThree landlocked bodies of salt water E of the

Mediterranean Sea:Smallest – Dead Sea, near mouth of Jordan RiverIn CA, the Caspian Sea, largest inland body of

water on EarthEast of the Caspian Sea is the Aral Sea, used to

be fourth largest inland sea before Soviet irrigation

Water SystemsFor thousand of years, people have

depended on the region’s rivers and fertile river valleys’ where early civilizations thrived

Rivers are the lifeblood of this region, which on the whole is quite dry or arid

Major Rivers: Cradles of CivilizationEgypt’s Nile River, world’s longest river at

4,160 miles longThe Nile, provided one of the world's

earliest civilizationsToday, more than 90 percent of Egypt’s

population live on only 3 percent of Egypt's land, located along the Nile River

The Aswan High Dam and others now control the river’s flow

Major Rivers: Cradles of CivilizationEarly civilizations also thrived in the Tigris-

Euphrates River Valley, fertile farming valley in SWA

Known by ancient peoples as Mesopotamia, Greek word for ‘land between two rivers’

Today the Tigris and Euphrates help irrigate Turkey, Syria and Iraq

The Euphrates is the longer river of the two (2,335 m), versus the Tigris (1,180m)

StreambedsMany streams in the region flow only

intermittentlyIn the region’s deserts, runoff from

infrequent rainstorms creates wadis, or streambeds that remain dry until a heavy rain

Rainstorms often produce flash floodingDuring a flash flood, wadis fill with so much

sediment they become mud flows, or moving masses of west soil, which are dangerous to humans and animals

Natural ResourcesSome of NA, SWA and CA’s most abundant

resources are important to the world economy

Include petroleum and natural gas

Oil and Natural Gas Over 60 percent of the world’s known oil

reserves are beneath this regionAbout 50 percent of known natural gas

reserves are here as wellPetroleum exports have enriched the

regionHowever, reliance on oil exports is risky,

due to fluctuation in oil prices

MineralsTurkmenistan, worlds’ largest deposits of

sulfurlargest deposits of sulfate, used in

paperboard, glass and detergentsMorocco – a leading producer in

phosphate, chemical used in fertilizers

Building Diverse EconomiesSome countries are diversifying to reduce

reliance on oil and mineral exportsUnited Arab Emirates is investing oil wealth

in banking, information technology and tourism

Libya is investing in infrastructure, agriculture and fisheries

2. Climate and VegetationLarge expanses of North Africa, Southwest

Asia and Central Asia have an average annual rainfall of 10 inches or less

As a result, much of the region arid, unfertile, desert

Water and ClimateLack of water affects climate, natural

vegetation, and human activities in these regions

Water scarcity defines the region's climatesAncient cave paintings in North Africa,

show us this part of Africa was once wet and green

Desert ClimateScientific definition of desert: an area which averages 10

inches or less precipitation per yearDeserts make up almost 50 percent of North Africa,

Southwest Asia and Central AsiaSahara Desert – largest desert in the world, 3.5 million

square miles, covers most of North Africa, expanded by recent droughts

Desert weather patterns tend to be extreme, with relatively cold winters with freezing temperatures, and summers that are long and hot

A traveler crossing any of the region's deserts would probably see only a few Ergs, but man Regs

Ergs – sandy, dune covered areaRegs - stony plains covered with rocky gravel (desert

pavement) and hamada, a flat sandstone plateau

Desert ClimateSand covers less than 10 percent of the Sahara.

Mountains, barren rock and desert pavement cover the rest

Rub’ al-Khali Desert – largest area of sand in the region, 250,000 square miles, covers almost the entire southern quarter of the Arabian Peninsula

The Sahara and other deserts support some vegetation , such as cacti and shrubs.

Small-scale farming is possible in an oasis, or place in the desert where underground water surfaces.

Oases such as these are often the sites of villages, towns and cities in the Sahara

Steppe ClimateSteppe is the second largest climate region in

the regionSteppe borders the Sahara to the north and

southPrecipitation in this semi-arid climate region

usually averages less than 14 inches per yearSupports short grasses, providing pasture for

sheep, goats and camels, as well as shrubs and some trees

Pastoralism, the raising and grazing of livestock, is a way of life for people who live in a steppe climate

Midlatititude RegionsCountries within the region’s mid-latitudes

benefit from rainfall in the Mediterranean highland, and humid subtropical climates

Mediterranean climates have cool, rainy winters and hot, dry summers

Exports and TouristsMorocco, Tunisia, Syria boost their

economies by exporting citrus fruits, olives and grapes

Some Mediterranean countries benefit from tourism

Moroccan city of Agadir has 360 days of sunshine per year

Higher area, like the Caucasus Mountains, are generally wetter and colder

Highland climate varies with elevation and exposure to wind and sun

RainfallCoastal and highland areas near mountain

ranges usually receive the most rainfallNorth African coast near the Atlas Mountains

averages more than 30 inches of rain/yearMore than 60 inches of rain falls each year

at the foot of the Elburz Mountains in northern Iran

Batumi, in the Republic of Georgia, receives more than 100 inches of rain per year

In areas where more than 14 inches of rain falls yearly, farmers can raise cereals, such as barley, oats and wheat, without irrigation