1. North Africa and Southwest Asia (Middle East)

2. Leading countries according to GDP
Kuwait
United Arab Emirates
Qatar
Israel

3. Leading countries according to Land size
Algeria
Saudi Arabia
Libya

4. Leading countries according to population
Iran
Turkey
Egypt

5. Physical Characteristics
Area is the crossroads of Europe, Africa, and Asia
It has a primarily desert or semi-arid climate
Sahara, Sahel, and steppes are the primary vegetation region

6. Sahara--world’s largest desert, it stretches over most of North Africa and is growing
Sahel--area separating the Sahara from the tropical rainforest of Africa.

7. The Sahel is an area of temperate grassland (steppe) moving into sparse desert scrub-like vegetation

8. Three main mountain ranges
1. Atlas Mountains in northern Algeria and Morocco
2. Taurus Mountains in southern Turkey
3. Zagros Mountains in western Iran

9. Even though this is a dry area, water plays a very large role
There are several large bodies of water which play a major role in world politics

10. Examples :
Persian Gulf/Arabian Gulf
Strait of Hormuz
Arabian Sea
Red Sea

11. Other important bodies of water
Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, Bosporus Strait, Dardanelles Strait, Nile River (longest in the world), Tigris and Euphrates (home to the world’s first civilization) and the Jordan River

12. The area is also subject to seasonal flooding, alluvial soils, delta regions, oases, and wadis

13. Seasonal flooding--several of the rivers flood regularly (Nile) which deposit rich alluvial soil for farming

14. The desert regions are home to many oases (a place where fresh water makes it possible for life to exist in a dry area) and wadi (a gully or usually dry river bed cut by running water after a downpour)

15. Economic Characteristics
The area has a heavy reliance on primary economic activities such as oil drilling, agriculture and herding/grazing

16. The area is the home of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
Many countries in the area still belong today
Major producers of the world’s oil
Provide large oil revenues

17. Positive effects--jobs, revenue, position of power
Negative effects--reliance on one industry, pollution, unequal distribution of wealth

18. Water is the region’s MOST PRECIOUS resource
Aswan High Dam has had positive and negative effects on the region.
Suez Canal enhanced shipping routes in the region

19. Positive effects of the Aswan High dam
Controls flooding, recreation areas, power
Negative effects of the Aswan high Dam
land losing fertility, lost homes when dam built,

20. There is a great variation in the standard of living in the region.
It ranges from the relatively high to the poverty stricken.
There is also a wide range of per capita income and differing levels of development

21. Trade has been important to the region from the earliest time.
Today regional conflicts and political unrest have affected trade and tourism
The area today has contemporary trade routes (sea lanes)

22. Cultural Characteristics
The area has experienced rapid urbanization
Most modernization has centered around urban areas and more traditional life has continued in the rural areas

23. Large percentage of the population is under the age of 15 due to conflict, disease and the hardships associated with the region.
The population is generally unevenly distributed due to the environment and resources

24. All but three of the countries are Arab nations and they use the Arabic language.
Turkey, Iran and Israel are the non-Arab countries

25. North Africa and Southwest Asia are the birthplace to three major monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
All three claim similar holy places and the dominant group has changed over the years.

26. Since 1949, the region has been in conflict over the area known as PALESTINE. This area is present day Israel.

27. Much of the region has a nomadic lifestyle
NOMADIC-to wander from place to place behind a food source or for other reasons

28. The art of the region reflects the diversity of the religions;
stained glass, geometric tiles, calligraphy, mosaics, and prayer rugs

29. Cities as centers of trade and culture
Baghdad, Iraq
Cairo, Egypt
Istanbul, Turkey
Jerusalem, Israel
Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Tehran, Iran

30. Church of the Holy Sepulcher Hagia Sophia bazaars, sugs
Cultural Landscape
Mosques, minarets
Church of the Holy Sepulcher
Hagia Sophia
bazaars, sugs
Western Wall (of Jerusalem)

31. Dome of the Rock
Kaaba
Pyramids
Oil rigs
walled cities

32. The End of the Notes

33. Sahara desert

34. Oasis

35. Stained Glass/Mosaics

36. Prayer Rugs

37. Oil Rigs

38. Kaaba

39. Dome of the Rock

40. Hagia Sophia

41. Church of the Holy Sepulcher

42. Pyramids

43. Western Wall

44. Western Wall