Physical Geography of SW & Central Asia, and N. Africa Ch. 17

Seas & Peninsulas Arabian Peninsula –Separated from Africa by Gulf of Aden & Red Sea –Sinai Pen. & Suez Canal separate the land to the north/west –Persian Gulf is on the east side Gulf of Aden

Seas & Peninsulas Anatolia Pen. –Black Sea to N –Aegean Sea to W –Mediterranean Sea to S –Many straits connecting seas ($$) Aegean Sea ANATOLIA Bosporus Strait

Seas & Peninsulas Strait of Gibraltar –Separates Africa from Iberian Pen. –Only a dozen miles or so wide ‘gateway to Africa’

Seas & Peninsulas Dead Sea –On Jordan River (border w/ Israel) –8X saltier than any ocean- How come? –In the 50s L= 262 m, W= 57 m –Today L= 42 m, W= 11 m

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

Seas & Peninsulas Caspian Sea –Largest inland/landlocked body of water (lake) –But it is salt water!! (remnants of larger sea) –Facing evaporation increases, decrease in flow from feeder rivers, and increase in irrigation/industry uses

Seas & Peninsulas Aral Sea –Use to be lg & have productive fishing –Shrunk drastically due to USSR draining it for irrigation –Ppl build sm. dams to create basins of freshwater from rivers

Rivers Nile River –Longest in world –Flows NORTH to Med. Sea –90% of Egyptians live in delta or along river (= 3% of land) –Faces great flood seasons  built Aswan High Dam for control Aswan High Dam

Egypt: The “Gift of the Nile” Annual Nile Flooding Nile Delta 90% of the Egyptian people live on 3% of the land!

Rivers Tigris & Euphrates –Mesopotamia or ‘land b/w two rivers’; aka Fertile Crescent –Join to form Shatt al Arab Border of Iraq & Iran Wars & treaties over it

Rivers Wadis- dry streambeds that will fill with heavy rain  flash floods (seasonal) –Since they are typically arid, creates mud quickly  dangerous mud flows Wadi in Oman

Plains, Plateaus, & Mtns. Since most is desert/steppe  agricultural base = coastal areas of Med. Sea, Caspian Sea, & Persian Gulf Atlas Mtns –Longest mtn range Stretches from Morocco to Algeria –Northern side of Atlas allows for lots of agric. (farms, fishing, livestock) Rainy side, Med. climate

Plains, Plateaus, & Mtns. Hejaz & Asir –West coast of Arabian Pen. –Rainshadow effect to Central Plateau Caucasus Mtns –b/w Black & Caspian Sea –Seen as border b/w European Russia & Asia

Plains, Plateaus, & Mtns. Garagum (Karakum)- –Black sand desert, covers 70% of Turkmenistan Qizilqum (Kyzyl Kum)- –Red sand desert in Uzbekistan & Kazakhstan Use wide spaces for livestock

Tectonic Activity Meeting point of the African, Arabian, & Eurasian plates –Reason for mountainous terrain –Many earthquakes Turkey 1999 Iran has 90% of land on faults –Landforms still Δing Red Sea

Natural Resources Oil (petroleum) & nat. gas are region’s most abundant resources –70% of world’s oil –33% of world’s nat. gas Reserves are still being discovered! –WWII sparked production as we moved to modern industry/reliance

World Oil Reserves

Persian Gulf Oil Exports (2003)

Leading U. S. Oil Suppliers The U. S. imports 30% of its oil needs from the Middle East.

Natural Resources Why might such heavy dependence on oil be risky? –Many countries are now diversifying UAE  banking, info. tech, tourism Libya  infrastructure, fisheries Completed Dubai Tower, Monday night

Homework Complete the Guided Reading for Ch. 17 Sec. 2