1. Southwest Asia: Climate and Vegetation

2. Deserts
Rub al-Khali: desert located on the Arabian Peninsula, approximately the size of Texas
The local name is “the place where no one comes out”
During the summer, temperatures on the surface of the sand can exceed 150˚
As many as 10 years can pass without rainfall

4. Semiarid Lands Located on the fringes of deserts
Summers are warm-to-hot and enough rain falls to sustain grass and low-growing shrubs
Crops like cotton and wheat can be grown
Also suitable for pasture grazing for animals
In Turkey, mohair goats graze on these lands

5. Mohair goats

6. Coastal Areas
Along the Mediterranean coast and most of Turkey, hot summers and rainy winters create a good climate for growing citrus fruits, olives, and vegetables
Farmers are able to grow crops year round

7. Southwest Asia: Human-Environment Interaction

8. Scarcity of Water
Drip Irrigation: small pipes slowly drip water just above the ground to conserve water used for crops
Used by several countries in the Middle East
Desalinization: removal of salt from ocean water
Can be an extremely expensive process, can’t provide enough water to meet the needs of all people

9. Oil Oil and natural gas do not exist in large pools below ground
The oil and natural gas are actually trapped inside rocks

11. Oil Crude oil: petroleum that has not been processed
Refinery: where crude oil is transformed into useful products like gasoline
Pipelines transport crude oil to either refineries or ports where the oil is picked up by tankers and moved to other places for processing