sharon westerholm la vernia hs sharon westerholm la vernia hs
TRANSCRIPT
Sharon Westerholm
La Vernia HS
Sharon Westerholm
La Vernia HS
The Middle East Today:Political Map
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Middle East? OR Near East?OR Southwest Asia? OR….?
Bodies of Water
TigrisRiver
Nile River
Euphrates
RiverJordan River Persian Gulf
ArabianSea
Mediterranean Sea
IndianOcean
Red Sea
Black Sea
Gulf of Aden
Strait ofHormuz
Suez Canal
Dardanelles Strait
Atlantic
Ocean
Gulf of
Oman
Caspian
Sea
Egypt: The “Gift of the Nile”
Annual Nile Flooding
Annual Nile Flooding
Nile DeltaNile
Delta
95% of the Egyptian people live on 5% of the
land!
95% of the Egyptian people live on 5% of the
land!
Aswan High Dam, Egypt
Hydroelectric
Power Plant
Hydroelectric
Power Plant
Suez Canal
Completed by the British in 1869
Completed by the British in 1869
StrategicStrategic WaterwaysWaterways• Many strategic waterways or Many strategic waterways or
narrow bodies of water that are narrow bodies of water that are important for trade or defenseimportant for trade or defense– Bosporus StraitBosporus Strait– Dardanelles StraitDardanelles Strait– Strait of HormuzStrait of Hormuz
Strait of HormuzStrait of Hormuz• ConnectsConnects the Persian Gulf with the the Persian Gulf with the
Arabian Sea. Arabian Sea. • Iran is on one side of the strait and Iran is on one side of the strait and
the U.A.E. and Oman are on the the U.A.E. and Oman are on the other side.other side.
• The strait is important because The strait is important because most of the oil in the world must be most of the oil in the world must be transported from the Persian Gulf to transported from the Persian Gulf to world markets world markets
Persian GulfPersian Gulf• is also known as the Arabian Gulf.is also known as the Arabian Gulf.
• The term Arabian Gulf is used by The term Arabian Gulf is used by Arab countries near the Persian Arab countries near the Persian Gulf such as Saudi Arabia, Oman, Gulf such as Saudi Arabia, Oman, and the U.A.E. but it is not and the U.A.E. but it is not recognized by the United Nations.recognized by the United Nations.
Red SeaRed Sea• is connected to the Mediterranean is connected to the Mediterranean
Sea by the Suez Canal.Sea by the Suez Canal.• The Suez Canal does not have The Suez Canal does not have
locks like the Panama Canal or the locks like the Panama Canal or the St. Lawrence Seaway because St. Lawrence Seaway because there is no change in elevation.there is no change in elevation.
The Tigris & Euphrates
River System
Mesopotamia: ”Land Between the
Two Rivers”
Mesopotamia: ”Land Between the
Two Rivers”
Marsh Arabs, So. Iraq
Marsh Arabs, So. Iraq
Dust Storms Along the Tigris-Euphrates Flood Plains
Jordan River Syste
m
Dead Sea: Lowest Point on Earth
HighestSalt
Content(33%)
HighestSalt
Content(33%)
2,300’ below sea level
2,300’ below sea level
Wadis – Instant Springs
Mountains & Plateaus
Atlas Mts.
El
burz
Mts
.
Taurus
Mts. Zagros
Mts.
Iranian Plateau
AnatolianPlateau
Caucasus Mts.
Heja
z Mts.
Mountain Ranges in Mid-East
Elburz Mts., IranElburz Mts., Iran Zagros Mts., IranZagros Mts., Iran
Lebanese Mts.Lebanese Mts. Taurus Mts., TurkeyTaurus Mts., Turkey
Deserts
Sahara Desert
ArabianDesert
NegevDesert
SinaiDeser
tLibyan Desert
Rubal-Khali
Desert Bedouins (pastoralism)
Breeding Areas of Desert Locusts
Swarms of Desert Locusts!
Locusts Swarm the Pyramids Complex at
Giza!
Locusts Swarm the Pyramids Complex at
Giza!
Israel Hit By Worst Locust Plague
Since the 1950s!
Israel Hit By Worst Locust Plague
Since the 1950s!
Rub al-Khali:“The Empty Quarter”
Desert Oases: Water at a Premium!
Fresh Groundwater Sources
Water…Water…
• Critical for life, food productions, & Critical for life, food productions, & industrial processesindustrial processes
• 9 out of 14 SW Asia countries face water 9 out of 14 SW Asia countries face water shortage conditionsshortage conditions
• N. African countries have natural N. African countries have natural increase above 2.0%, increasing stress increase above 2.0%, increasing stress on water sourceson water sources
Desalinization
Plants
Fertile Crescent (Mesopotamia)
The Fertile Crescent
Completed Map
TigrisRiver
Nile River
Euphrates
RiverJordan River Persian Gulf
ArabianSea
Mediterranean Sea
IndianOcean
Red Sea
Black Sea
Gulf of Aden
Strait ofHormuz
Suez Canal
Dardanelles Strait
Atlantic
Ocean
Gulf of
Oman
Caspian
Sea
ArabianDesert
NegevDesert
SinaiDese
rt
Rubal-Khali
Atlas Mts.
El
burz
Mts
.
Taurus
Mts. Zagros
Mts.
Iranian Plateau
AnatolianPlateau
Caucasus Mts.
Heja
z Mts.Sahara Desert
Libyan Desert
ClimateClimate• The most common climates in The most common climates in
this area are desert (arid) and this area are desert (arid) and semiarid.semiarid.
A.A. The Sahara Desert covers North The Sahara Desert covers North Africa.Africa.
B.B. The Rub al-Khali is located on the The Rub al-Khali is located on the Arabian Peninsula.Arabian Peninsula.
Middle East: Climate Regions
Middle East: Population Density
POPULATION DISTRIBUTION
• The majority of the population in this The majority of the population in this realm lives not in the dry arid realm lives not in the dry arid regions, but around water resources.regions, but around water resources.
- The Nile- The Nile
- Mediterranean Sea- Mediterranean Sea
- Euphrates and Tigris Basin - Euphrates and Tigris Basin
- Lower mountain slopes of Iran, - Lower mountain slopes of Iran, south of the Caspian Seasouth of the Caspian Sea
Cairo, Egypt: Most Populated City in the Middle East
17,000,000+
People!
17,000,000+
People!
The Middle East:Natural Vegetation
The Natural Resources of the
Middle East
World Oil Reserves
Persian Gulf Oil Exports (2003)
Saudi Oil Fields & Refineries
Kuwait: An Island Floating on a Sea of Oil
Kuwait
City
Kuwait
City
Leading U. S. Oil Suppliers
The U. S. imports 30% of its oil needs from the Middle East.
The U. S. imports 30% of its oil needs from the Middle East.
The Middle East vs. the U. S.
Latitude Lines