Middle East: Crossroads of the World

How would you describe the relative location of the Middle East?

What conclusions might you draw about the Middle East / Southwest Asia from the following satellite images?

MidEast Language Groups

Why has the Middle East often been called the “crossroads of the world”?

Ancient Trade Routes

Cultural Diffusion Arabic numerals Iron making Religions- Which ones began in the Middle East?

Important Water Bodies Suez Canal- Where is it located? How is it important to trade?

Strategic Military and Economic Importance What percent of the world’s oil comes from the Middle East? Who is the biggest producer?

Who are the greatest oil consumers?

The Five Major Regions the Northern Tier (Turkey and Iran) the Arabian Peninsula the Fertile Crescent (Mesopotamia) the Nile Valley the Maghreb

The Northern Tier Anatolian Plateau Plateau trekking The mountains of Turkey

Zagros Mountains Iranian Plateau Central Iran A rice field in northern Iran

The Arabian Peninsula One-third the size of the US

Hail- city around an oasis City of Mecca Desert oil production Saudi Arabia

Oman Located along?

The Fertile Crescent Name the two rivers that flow into the Persian Gulf.

Ancient Hittite city Mesopotamia means? Irrigation An Israeli kibbutz

The Nile Valley

Along the Nile River On the banks of the Nile

A Nile Delta farm The Nile flows in what direction?The Nile Delta

The Maghreb What does the word Maghreb mean?

Atlas Mountains- Morocco The Sahara

Moroccan Coast North African wetlands Amilcar Beach in Carthage, Tunisia

Rock of Gibraltar Straight of Gibraltar as seen from the top of the rock