The Geography of the Middle East

The Middle East vs. the U. S. Latitude Lines

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

Bodies of Water Caspian Sea Black Sea Dardanelles Strait Atlantic Ocean Tigris River Mediterranean Sea Euphrates River Jordan River Suez Canal Strait of Hormuz Persian Gulf Nile River Gulf of Oman Red Sea Arabian Sea Gulf of Aden Indian Ocean

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

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

Hydroelectric Power Plant Aswan High Dam, Egypt Hydroelectric Power Plant

Completed by the British in 1869 Suez Canal Completed by the British in 1869

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

Dust Storms Along the Tigris-Euphrates Flood Plains

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

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

Wadis – Instant Springs

Mountains & Plateaus Caucasus Mts. Elburz Mts. Anatolian Plateau Taurus Mts. Iranian Plateau Zagros Mts. Atlas Mts. Hejaz Mts.

Mountain Ranges in Mid-East Elburz Mts., Iran Zagros Mts., Iran Lebanese Mts. Taurus Mts., Turkey

Deserts Negev Desert Sinai Desert Libyan Desert Arabian Desert Rub al-Khali Sahara Desert

Desert Bedouins

Rub al-Khali: “The Empty Quarter”

Desert Oases: Water at a Premium!

Fresh Groundwater Sources

Desalinization Plants

Fertile Crescent

The Fertile Crescent

Completed Map Caucasus Mts. Black Sea Caspian Sea Dardanelles Strait Anatolian Plateau Elburz Mts. Atlantic Ocean Mediterranean Sea Tigris River Euphrates River Taurus Mts. Iranian Plateau Jordan River Zagros Mts. Atlas Mts. Negev Desert Sinai Desert Suez Canal Strait of Hormuz Arabian Desert Persian Gulf Libyan Desert Nile River Gulf of Oman Rub al-Khali Red Sea Hejaz Mts. Sahara Desert Arabian Sea Gulf of Aden Indian Ocean

Middle East: Climate Regions

Middle East: Population Density

The Middle East: Natural Vegetation

The Natural Resources of the Middle East