1. Southwest Asia Geography
SS7G5: The student will locate selected features in Southwestern Asia; SS7G7: The student will explain the impact of location, climate, physical characteristics, distribution of natural resources and population distribution on Southwestern Asia; SS7G6: The student will discuss environmental issues across Southwest Asia
Southwest Asia Geography

2. ELEMENTS
Locate on a world and regional political-physical map: Euphrates River, Jordan River, Tigris River, Suez Canal, Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, Arabian Sea, Red Sea, and Gaza Strip
Locate on a world and regional political-physical map the nations of Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey
Explain how water pollution and the unequal distribution of water impacts irrigation and drinking water
Explain how the distribution of oil has affected the development of Southwest Asia (Middle East).
Describe how the deserts and rivers of Southwest Asia (Middle East) have affected the population in terms of where people live, the type of work they do, and how they travel.

3. ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
Where are the Euphrates River, Jordan River, Tigris River, Suez Canal, Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, Arabian Sea, Red Sea, and Gaza Strip?
Where are Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey?
How does the distribution of oil affect the development of Southwest Asia (Middle East)?
How do the deserts and rivers of Southwest Asia (Middle East) affect the population in terms of where people live, the type of work they do, and how they travel?
How do water pollution and the unequal distribution of water impact irrigation and drinking water in Southwest Asia?

4. THE PHYSICAL FEATURES OF SOUTHWEST ASIA
Southwest Asia lies between Eastern Asia, Africa and Europe
SW Asia contains many key physical features:
Rivers
Tigris River and Euphrates River
Jordan River
Bodies of Water
Suez Canal
Persian Gulf
Strait of Hormuz
Arabian Sea
Red Sea
Landforms
Gaza Strip

5. KEY COUNTRIES OF SW ASIA
Afghanistan
Iran
Iraq
Israel
Saudi Arabia
Turkey
Other countries include Kuwait, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Bahrain, Palestine, Yemen, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates

6. MAP OF SOUTHWEST ASIA

7. WATER POLLUTION AND IRRIGATION
Water is a very scarce resource in SW Asia
Lack of fresh water for citizens
Leads to an unequal distribution of water
Countries fight over water boundaries
Countries have agreements for water called water rights
Water supplied by Tigris, Euphrates and Nile rivers
To get water, citizens practice desalination
Removing the salt from water for drinking and farming
Irrigation is also practiced, which is purifying water to use for farming
Water pollution is a serious issue
Countries pollute water through war damaged facilities, petroleum drilling, open sewers and oil spills
WATER POLLUTION AND IRRIGATION

8. THE PROBLEM OF OIL DISTRIBUTION
Most of the people in SW Asia stay near some source of oil, the major resource in the region
Countries of Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran contain the most oil reserves
Oil is a major cause of water pollution, but also provides most of the money to the region’s economy
Oil is unevenly distributed throughout the region
Iraq and Iran have fought wars over the money oil brings
Turkey trades their oil with Europe, while Afghanistan looks to trade oil with Central Asia

9. OIL ISSUES IN SOUTHWEST ASIA

10. LIFE IN THE DESERT
Desert covers most of the 2.8 million square miles in Southwest Asia
Some people live as nomads in the desert and travel
Nomads are those who move from place to place and do not permanently settle
They move to follow work near the cities
They must move because of little to no resources in the desert

11. THE SAHARA DESERT

12. LIFE NEAR THE RIVERS Many cities in SW Asia are built near rivers
Allows for goods to be transported in and out and to be near water for farming
Most of the areas are populated heavily
Tigris and Euphrates Rivers contain the Fertile Crescent
A very rich and useful soil area
Canals are built here for irrigation
Port Cities
The area’s population grows near port cities
Ports are harbors near rivers where ships come to load and unload
Cities are hotspots for job opportunities
Port cities are located in Turkey and Saudi Arabia

13. FERTILE CRESCENT AREA

14. MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION
There are many means of transportation in SW Asia
Cars
Most people do not have cars, but those that do face traffic issues and air pollution
Public transportation is also a major weakness
Railroads
Very little tracks run through the region
Airplanes
Turkey has the most airports, with 127
Others walk, take camels, or ride on top and inside buses