The Middle East

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The Middle East

• Crossroads of the World

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What is the Middle East?

• Region in Southwest Asia

• Crossroads of 3 continents
• Europe
• Asia
• Africa
• Extends from
• Morocco to Iran

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What is the Middle East?

• Its people share common traits
• language
• history
• religion
• Access to many
• major waterways

The Tigris River
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Climate

• Short period of rainfall
• Rains wash away topsoil
• Temperature extremes
• Hot and dry
• Deserts and green coastal lands

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Natural Resources

• Oil is the Middle Easts most important natural
  resource
• 70 of the worlds known oil reserves are located
  in the Middle East

• Middle Eastern countries produce 2/3 of the
  worlds oil

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Natural Resources

• Saudi Arabia is the worlds largest oil producer

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Natural Resources

• Other natural resources include
• gold, iron, and copper
• Water is scarce and difficult to harness
• Fertile river valleys and coastal lands

Aswan High Dam in Egypt
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Geographic Features

• Desert an area that has less than 10 inches of
  annual rainfall
• Arabian Desert
• Syrian Desert
• Oasis fertile place in a desert where water is
  available through an underground spring

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Five Physical Regions

1. Northern Tier
2. Arabian Peninsula
3. Fertile Crescent
4. Nile River Valley
5. Maghreb

Beach in Lebanon
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1. The Northern Tier

• Stretches across present-day Turkey and Iran

• Anatolian Peninsula
• fertile soil and moisture available for
  farming to support a large population
• Iranian Plateau
• Elburz and Zagros Mountain ranges
• dry region with a small population

A bazaar in Turkey
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2. Arabian Peninsula

• A plateau that borders the Red Sea, Arabian Sea,
  and the Persian Gulf
• Mostly barren desert
• Beneath the desert is a huge amount of oil, which
  supports the country
• Small population because of lack of water
• Most of the population lives around the oases

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2. Arabian Peninsula

• Birthplace of Islam

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3. Fertile Crescent

• Arc-shaped region that stretches from the eastern
  Mediterranean along the Tigris and Euphrates
  Rivers to the Persian Gulf
• Rich soil and abundant water have led to a large
  population

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3. Fertile Crescent
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Mesopotamia

• land between two rivers
• Part of the Fertile Crescent
• Between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
• Located in modern-day Iraq
• Land is very fertile
• Some of the earliest civilizations began here

Ancient Babylon
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4. Nile River Valley

• Located in northeastern Africa
• Nile River supports the population of this region

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5. Maghreb

• North African nations of Algeria, Tunisia, and
  Morocco
• Lies west of the Arabian Peninsula
• Isolated land surrounded by water, mountains, and
  deserts

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5. Maghreb

• Sahara Desert and Atlas Mountains
• Few people live here because of scarcity of water
• Major crossroad of the southern rim of
  Mediterranean
• Gateway to the Atlantic Ocean

Mosque in Morocco
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Review Questions

• 1) The Middle East is at the crossroads of which
  3 continents?
• 2) Describe the climate of the Middle East.
• 3) What country produces the most oil?
• 4) Define oasis.
• 5) Which 2 rivers make up the region called
  Mesopotamia?