Middle East? OR Near East? OR Southwest Asia? OR….?

Countries of the Middle East Egypt – A country in northeastern Africa Kuwait - A country of the northeast Arabian Peninsula at the head of the Persian Gulf Iran - country SW Asia bordering in N on Caspian Sea & in S on Persian Gulf & Gulf of Oman

Countries of the Middle East Iraq - a republic in SW Asia, N of Saudi Arabia and W of Iran, centering in the Tigris-Euphrates basin of Mesopotamia Saudi Arabia - a kingdom in SW Asia, occupying most of the Arabian peninsula between the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea

Countries of the Middle East Afghanistan - a republic in central Asia, NW of India and E of Iran Lebanon - a republic at the E end of the Mediterranean, N of Israel Israel - a republic in SW Asia, on the Mediterranean Syria - A country of southwest Asia on the eastern Mediterranean coast. a republic in SW Asia, on the Mediterranean

Major Cities of the Middle East Jerusalem Bethlehem Cairo Palestine Mecca Medina

Cairo, Egypt: Most Populated City in the Middle East 17,000,000+ People!

The Middle East Today: Political Map

The Mighty Nile River: “Longest River in the World”

Egypt: The “Gift of the Nile” Annual Nile Flooding Nile Delta 95% of the Egyptian people live on 5% of the land!

Suez Canal Once in the Arabian Sea, ships can sail east into the Red Sea, which is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the east and Egypt to the west. At the northern end of the Red Sea, ships can enter the man-made Suez Canal, which will allow then to get to the Mediterranean Sea without having to sail all around the continent of Africa.

Suez Canal Completed by the British in 1869

The rivers of Southwest Asia (Middle East) are important because much of this region of the world is dry and desert or semi-desert. One of the longest rivers in the region is the Euphrates River which begins in Turkey, and flows through Syria and Iraq. In southern Iraq, the Euphrates River joins with the Tigris River to form one waterway called the Shaat al-Arab, which then flows along the border between Kuwait and Iran before emptying into the Persian Gulf.

The Tigris & Euphrates River System Mesopotamia: ”Land Between the Two Rivers” Marsh Arabs, So. Iraq

Dust Storms Along the Tigris-Euphrates Flood Plains

Jordan River The Jordan River is a much smaller river than either the Tigris or the Euphrates, but it is still very important. The waters that form the Jordan River began in the mountains of Lebanon and Syria and flow down into the Hula Valley in northern Israel before reaching the Sea of Galilee. The Jordan River begins at the southern end of the Sea of Galilee and flows south until it reaches the Dead Sea. This river is one of the main sources of water for Israel, Jordan, parts of Syria, and many of those living in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

The Jordan River System: Israel & Jordan--A Fight Over Water Rights?

The Dead Sea Because so much water is taken out of the Jordan River by the different groups that depend on it, less and less water reaches the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea has no outlets. Water that flows in stays there and because so much evaporates in the desert air, the water remaining is high in salts and other chemicals. There are no fish living in the Dead Sea, and that is the reason for its name. The Jordan River is also important because it is the political boundary between Israel and the West Bank, and Jordan.

Dead Sea: Lowest Point on Earth Highest Salt Content (33%) 2,300’ below sea level

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land:

Red Sea The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia.

Wadis – Instant Springs

Mountain Ranges in Mid-East Elburz Mts., Iran Zagros Mts., Iran mountain range in N Iran, along the S coast of the Caspian Sea. A range of western Iran forming the western and southern borders of the central Iranian plateau

Negev Desert Negev Desert The Negev is a desert and semi desert region of southern Israel. The region's largest city and administrative capital is Beersheba, in the north. At its southern end is the Gulf of Aqaba and the resort city of Eilat.

Desert Bedouins

Fertile Crescent The Fertile Crescent is a crescent- shaped region containing the comparatively moist and fertile land of otherwise arid and semi-arid Western Asia, and the Nile Valley and Nile Delta of northeast Africa

The Fertile Crescent