SOUTHWEST ASIA THE MIDDLE EAST

BODIES OF WATER 1.What are the seven bodies of water we will locate and study in SWA? 2.What are the two major rivers in SWA? Together what are they called?

 The Middle East is called the “Crossroads of the World” because it lies at the intersection of three continents- Europe, Africa, and Asia,and is involved in international trade. CROSSROADS OF THE WORLD

 Christianity, Islam, and Judaism all have their roots in the Middle East.

THE FERTILE CRESCENT  The Fertile Crescent is a crescent- shaped region containing the moist and fertile land of Western Asia,the Nile Valley, and the Nile Delta of northeast Africa.crescentWestern AsiaNile ValleyNile DeltaAfrica  The region is often called the cradle of civilization; it saw the development of many of the earliest human civilizations.cradle of civilization

FERTILE CRESCENT ssetGuid/F47F6B5E-73EB-474E-9C F2

The major nation in this region is Iraq, with portions of Iran near the Persian Gulf, Kuwait to the south and Turkey in the north.IraqIranPersian GulfKuwait Turkey

TIGRIS AND EUPHRATES RIVERS  Tigris river begins in the mountains of Turkey and flows south through Iraq where it joins the Euphrates river.  Both rivers provide water for both drinking and farming.  Water disputes between countries that share rivers.

Tigris River Euphrates River com/watch?v=XPEGR _XVc4Q

Persian Gulf  The Persian Gulf is one of the main ways oil is shipped from the rich fields of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the other countries that line its shores.  Surrounding countries depend upon the Persian Gulf as a shipping route.  Ships coming out of or into the Persian Gulf must navigate through the narrow Strait of Hormuz.  This waterway connects the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea.

Red Sea & Suez Canal:  Ships sail WEST into the Red Sea.  Ships enter the man-made Suez Canal, which allows them to get to the Mediterranean Sea without have to sail ALL AROUND THE CONTINENT OF AFRICA.

SUEZ CANAL (MAN-MADE WATERWAY)

SUEZ CANAL  The Suez Canal is a source of income for the area.  Ships use the canal to avoid long trips around southern Africa. Makes the canal one of the worlds busiest water way. Port_Said_Port_Said_Governorate.html Port_Said_Port_Said_Governorate.html (Suez Canal BBC Documentary)

 Smaller than the other rivers in SWA.  The waters that form the Jordan River begin in the mountains of Lebanon & Syria, then flow south until it reaches the Dead Sea.

 The Jordan River is one of the main sources of water for Israel, Jordan, parts of Syria, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip.

 The Strait of Hormuz is a strait between the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf. It is the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean and is one of the world's most strategically important choke points ( a point of congestion or blockage). Sentence: The tunnel is a choke point at rush hour.straitGulf of Oman Persian Gulf choke points  About 20% of the world's petroleum, and about 35% of the petroleum traded by sea, passes through the strait making it a highly important strategic location for international trade.petroleum STRAIT OF HORMUZ

VIEW OF THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ FROM SPACE

STRAIT OF HORMUZ

1.Gaza Strip 2.West Bank 3.Golan Heights

GAZA STRIP  7-mile wide finger of land along the Mediterranean  Has been involved in POLITICAL tug-of-wars for its entire existence.

Gaza Strip  Best known in ancient times for its STRATEGIC LOCATION as an important trading center for Asian, European and North African markets.  Many countries have fought for CONTROL of this territory.

THE WEST BANK  Israel conquered the West Bank.  Egypt closed the Strait of Tiran to Israeli shipping which caused a war.

GOLAN HEIGHTS  Has been OCCUPIED by Israel since 1967 during the SIX-DAY WAR. Israel

GOLAN HEIGHTS  The US considers the Golan Heights to be Syrian territory held under Israeli occupation.

 The heights give Israel an excellent VANTAGE POINT for monitoring Syrian movements.  The topography provides a NATURAL BUFFER against any military thrust from Syria.