2.  The Middle East is extremely arid… meaning that it receives little or no rain and stays mostly dry during the year.  Large portion of the land is covered in ___Deserts_- made up of rough, dry terrain such as sand dunes, salt flats.  Rivers do not flow year round, but vegetation/animals living in desert can survive w/ little water & extreme temperatures.  Use irrigation to create productive farmland.

3.  Deserts reduce travel & limit almost all human-environment interaction.  2 Kinds of Desert in Middle East: 1. __Sandy Deserts_____________ 2. __Salt Deserts_______________ Rub al-Khali Desert

4. 1. Rub al-Khali aka: “place where no one comes out”. Located on the Arabian Peninsula One of the largest sandy deserts in the world Dunes as high as 800 feet Temperatures up to 150º F

5. 2. An-Nafud Desert – red sand desert in the North  Occasional oasis--- an oasis is an area on the desert where vegetation grows due to presence of water  Severe sandstorms common in this desert.

6.  Salt Deserts are created when… Land dries out because of a mountain range blocks moisture The water evaporates and leaves salt chemicals in the soil  _Dasht-e Kavir (central Iran) & _Dasht-e Lut_ (eastern Iran).  Salt-encrusted lands surrounded by quicksand-like salt marshes.  Extremely hot. Rugged & no one lives there.

7.  Sandy Deserts:

8.  Salt Deserts:

9.  __On the edges of the deserts_ in the Middle East are _regions with a semi-arid climate_______.  ___Have warm to hot summers_____ w/ _enough rainfall to support growth of grass & some low-growing shrubs. Also, good pasture for animals.  Jordan has semi-arid climate.

10.  Most areas of Middle East are arid or semiarid, but… some areas have adequate rainfall. Along the Mediterranean Coast and in most of Turkey  Hot summers & rainy winters (similar to climate in southern California).  Grow citrus fruits, olives, & vegetables. Can grow crops year round (mild in winter & heavy irrigation in dry summers).  _Mediterranean climate is comfortable to live in so, these areas are highly populated.