1. How Geography affects Population
Middle East
GPS: SS7G6 & SS7G7
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 does the distribution of oil affect the development of Southwest Asia (Middle East)?

2. Geography plays an important role in determining where people live, what type of work they do, what they depend on for survival, how much access they have to the outside world and so on.
In the Middle East, water is a precious item.
Areas accessible to water tend to be more populated.

3. Cities lie along the Jordan, Tigris, and Euphrates Rivers because they provide fresh water for wells and irrigation.
The rivers are also used for trade and travel.
Many of these areas are used for ports (shipping), so they are very populated.

4. Areas in the Middle East that have fertile soil and milder temperatures tend to have more people than the desert and remote areas.
Fertile regions offer farming communities, while coastal areas offer fishing, shipping, and tourism.
People in cities also have access to airports, major highways, and rely on water to travel.

5. Impact of Climate on the Middle East
Much of the Middle East is desert and not many people can live there.
As a result, water is very important. Water is important for people, animals, and crops.
Therefore, most people live close to water supplies.
Keeping the rivers clean is a big issue in the Middle East.

6. Agriculture Climate also affects agriculture.
Farmers live near fertile regions or they grow things that require less water.
Farmers often grow crops near rivers,so they can irrigate.
Agriculture remains a major source of survival for people in the rural areas of the Middle East.

7. Desalination
In a effort to grow more food, nations with limited farmland, have invested in desalination.
Desalination removes salt from sea water.
Desalination would increase the amount of water suitable for irrigation within the Middle East.

8. Environmental Issues
Millions of people in the Middle East rely on the same rivers and sources of water.
The Jordan River, Tigris River, and the Euphrates River provide needed water to more than one country.
So there is a lot of water pollution.

9. Water Rights
Water Rights are agreements about how countries can use the water in a region.
Water rights often cause political problems.
Ways have to be found to make sure that everyone has access to enough water.

10. Oil
The largest source of oil in the world is in the region bordering the Persian Gulf.
Extraction of oil and other natural resources also affects the environment.
Drilling for oil takes its toll on the landscape. Methods used to extract oil leaves the land damaged and unusable.

11. Many wars have been fought over oil in the Middle East.
Oil has been used as a pollutant in the Persian Gulf water.
Oil has also been burned as a pollution tactic.
Oil is the basis of most of the economy of the Middle East, but pollution from the oil industry is one of the biggest threats to its environment.

12. Oil pollution endangers the water supply
Oil pollution endangers the water supply. Since there is not much fresh water in the region, these environmental problems directly affect the lives of Middle Easterners.

13. Government Environmental Policies
Developing environmental policies in the Middle East is difficult, because crucial water supplies are often shared by several countries.
The interests of one nation are often different from those of another nation.
Some countries are also more developed than others in the Middle East.

14. As a result, what is a practical policy for one nation is not for another nation.
Policies that restrict how oil and other resources are extracted and used can hurt nations that rely on these resources for revenue.
Too many regulations can slow economic development.

15. Ticket out the door.
1. Describe why water is so precious in the Middle East.
2. What are some of the environmental issues facing the Middle East?
3. What is one challenge to passing government policies to deal with environmental policies in the Middle East?
4. Which do you think is more important to the Middle East- oil or water? Why?

16. 5. Which statement BEST explains why the Tigris and Euphrates rivers have been a source of conflict for many years?
A. They both form borders between Iraq and Iran.
B. They are the quickest routes to the Mediterranean Sea in the Middle East.
C. They make up most of the water supply for Turkey, Syria, and Iraq.
D. They are frequented by pirates.

17. 6. Which statement BEST defines the term “water rights”?
A. laws that say who can use the water in a region.
B. laws that tell which side of a river ships can sail on.
C. laws that protect the natural environment from abusers.
D. laws concerning the bottling and distribution of bottled water.

18. 7. Which statement BEST describes many of the Persian Gulf countries today?
A. They are overcrowded.
B. They lack adequate housing.
C. They have major oil deposits.
D. They are agricultural centers.

19. 8. Which phrase below BEST defines the term “desalination”?
A. taking salt out of salt water.
B. taking minerals out of the Earth.
C. taking people out of their homelands.
D. taking a nap.

20. 9. Kuwait’s main source of water is
A. desalination
B. the Nile River
C. the Sea of Galilee
D. the Euphrates River

21. 10. Which war was caused by a dispute over oil?
A. The Gulf War
B. Operation Iraqi Freedom
C. Invasion of Afghanistan
D. Israeli-Egyptian conflict