North Africa, Southwest Asia, and Central Asia

Physical GeographyMr. Marston

Dominion Christian High SchoolFall 2009

Chapter Objectives

• 1. Major landforms and natural resources• 2. Climate and Vegetation

Maghreb and the Middle East

PersiaGulf

Gulf of Aden

Arabian Sea

Red Sea

Divisions

• 1. Maghreb: area of North Africa between the Atlas Mountains and the Mediterranean Sea.

• Maghreb means “western” in Arabic.• The Countries have similara. Climatesb. Landformsc. Populationsd. Economiese. history

Maghreb Union• The joining together of the North African

countries in 1989.To:Promote economic cooperationEconomic integrationMoroccoAlgeriaTunisiaLibyaMauritania

Central Asia

Divisions II

• 2. Middle Easta. Arabian Peninsulab.Iran and Turkey3. Central Asia

Key Geographic Points

• Bosporus Strait: separates Asia and Europe• Dead Sea: forms Israeli-Jordanian border• Caspian Sea: largest inland body of water on

earth• Aral Sea: once the 4th largest inland sea, it is

now drying up.

Bosporus Strait: separates Europe from Asia

Dead Sea: 1400 feet below sea level

Location of Dead Sea

Floating in the Dead Sea: Aaaaahhh. High Salt content contributes to

buoyancy.

Caspian Sea: largest lake on earth. Oil and gas and sturgeon.

The shrinking Aral Sea

Aral Sea Shrinkage

• Shrinkage

Rivers

Nile River: Egypt. World’s longest river.

Nile River Delta

Nile River Delta

• 90% of Egypt’s people live in Nile River Delta• They live on 3% of Egypt’s land• Aswan High Dama. Controls river flowb.Reduces floodingc. Alluvial soil: rich soilmade up of sand and mud deposited by moving

water.

Aswan High Dam

Aswan High Dam

Mesopotamia: “The land between two rivers”

• Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in Iraq• The two rivers join to form the Shatt al Arab,

which empties into the Persian Gulf

Shatt al Arab

Wadis

• Wadis: streambeds that remain dry until a heavy rain and often become dangerous after a heavy rain.

Plains, Plateaus, and Mountains

• Coastal plains: fertile plains along the Mediterranean Sea (Moroccan and Algerian coasts and along the Caspian Sea and Persian Gulf)

• Highlands:Atlas Mountains:50% of Moroccan people engage in agriculture and produce,

barley, oats, and wheat)Hejaz: mountain range on western coast of Arabian PeninsulaAsir: area more agriculturally productive on Arabian peninsula

because it gets more rainfall than the Hejaz

Other mountain ranges

• Pontic (Turkey• Taurus (Turkey)• Caucasus• Zagros: southern Iran

Caucasus Mountains

Russian Caucasus

Lowlands

• Kums: dune covered deserts of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

• Garagum (black sand)• Qizilqum (red sand)

Earthquakes

• African, Arabian, and Eurasian plates come together in the region.

• As they clash:a. Build mountainsb.Shift landmassesc. Cause earthquakesTurkey: experiences regular earthquakes

Natural Resources

• Petroleum: 70% of world’s oil reserves• Natural Gas: 33% of natural gas

• Other:• Sulfate: (Paperboard, glass, detergents)• Phosphates: used in fertilizers• Chromium, gold, lead, manganese, and zinc• Iron ore

Potential for diversification

• UAE: banking, information technology, and tourism.

• Libya: invested in infrastructure, agriculture, and fisheries.

Climate and Vegetation

Water scarcity defines the region’s climates

Climates:Desert: predominatesSteppeMediterraneanHighland

Sahara

• Largest desert in the world• 3.5 million square miles• Desert: average less than 10 inches of rain per

year• Sand covers less than 10% of the Sahara (barren

rock, mountains, and desert pavement cover the most)

• Desert encompasses about 50% of the lands in North Africa, Southwest Asia, an Central Asia.

• Sahara

Sahara Desert

Weather Patterns in the Desert

• Central Asia/northern Sahara: cold winters with freezing temperatures

• Southern Sahara/Arabia: winters are milder• Summers are long and hot.

• Ergs: Sand dune covered areas• Regs: stony plains covered with rocky gravel called

“desert pavement”• Hamada: flat, sandstone plateau

Rub al Khali

• “Empty Quarter”• Located on the Arabian Peninsula

• Some vegetation grows: cacti and drought resistant shrubs.

“Empty Quarter”

Oasis: a place where water can be found in a desert

Steppe Climate

• Second largest climate in the region of North Africa, Central Asia, and Southwest Asia

• Steppe borders the Sahara to the north and runs from Turkey to eastern Kazakhstan

• Precipitation averages less than 14 inches per year.

Steppes

Steppes in Kazakhstan

Pastoralism: the raising and grazing of livestock is a way of life

for people in the steppes.• Bedouin Pastoralists

Climatic Variations

• Mediterranean Climate zones:• Cool, rainy winters alternate with hot, dry

summers.• Ideal for tourism• Export citrus fruits, olives and grapes to

Europe and North America

Rainfall

• Coastal and highland areas near mountain ranges receive the most rainfall as moist, warm air is driven off the sea by prevailing westerly winds

• Ex: North African coast• Elburz Mountains in Georgia

• Cereals (food grains such as barley, oats and wheat) can be grown without irrigation if area gets more than 14 inches of rain per year.

Desertification

• Grassy plains turn into desert, especially where small shrubs and trees are used for firewood.

• desertification over time in Libya

Highland Climate

• Caucasus MountainsWetter and colder than other climates in the

region