Sinai Pen.

Tigris R.

Euphrates R.

Nile R.

Jordan R.

Arabian Peninsula

Rub al-Kahli

(Empty Quarter)

Khyber Pass

Fertile Crescent/

Mesopotamia

Mt. AraratAnatolia

Pontic

Taurus

ElbruzKopet

Zagros

Hindu Kush

Sahara Desert Sinai Pen.

Nile

NubianDesert

The Middle East and Northern Africa

LandformsMountains• Cover Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan

−Turkey: Source of Tigris and Euphrates• Mt. Ararat (Eastern Turkey) – Possible location of

Noah’s Ark?−Afghanistan/Pakistan: Hindu Kush & Khyber

Pass−Big enough to limit movement and weather

• N. Africa−Atlas Mountains: ‘Extension’ of the

Appalachian Mountains−Ahaggar Mountains: Middle of Sahara

Desert

Rivers• Tigris and Euphrates

−Area known as the “Fertile Crescent” and “Mesopotamia”• Origins of modern civilization• Origins of domesticating cattle, sheep, goats

and pigs• Jordan River

−Border of Israel and Jordan• Main water source for both

−Feeds the Dead Sea• Lowest point on Earth (1,339 ft. below)• High salt content; water is 30% salt!! (no fish)• No outlet (endorheic lake: dead end)

• Nile River−World’s longest = 4160 miles (NY LA = 2462)−Fed by Lake Victoria and Ethiopian

Highlands• Flows S N

−95% of Egyptians live along Nile• Transportation, water source, soil deposits for

farmland−Floods with winter rain and snow melt

• Aswan High Dam = stops flooding, makes electricity

• BUT…Stops new soil deposits• Creates Lake Nasser = World’s 2nd largest man-

made lake−Hippos and crocodiles= dangerous to

humans

http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEAWIFS/BACKGROUND/Gallery/nile_040698.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5e/Hippo_pod.jpg

11 – 16 ft., 1100 lbs21.4 ft., 2400 lbs

Deserts• General facts:

−Very little rain: <1.5 inches per year−Shifting sand; sandstorms−Temp swings: 30° - 120°−Water usage limited to rivers or

desalinization• Some oases

• Sahara Desert−World’s largest desert (bigger than US!)−Some sandstorms blow sand across the

Atlantic!

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/75/Sandstorm.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/Sandstorm_big.jpg

• Arabian Peninsula−Desert covers Peninsula up into Iraq−Southeastern part = Empty Quarter (Rub’ al

Khali)

• Depressions and basins−Some 400 ft. below sea level; 5000 ft.

below surrounding area

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Libyen-oase2.jpg

Libya

Libya

Oman

ResourcesFarming• Only in river valleys, or near rivers

−Jordan River Valley, Nile River, Fertile Crescent

−Saudi Arabia = center pivot irrigation• Most is personal farming

−Commercial farming is biggest in Israel & Egypt• Figured out a way to irrigate large land areas

• Soil is very sandy: not good for growing

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/49/Saudi_arabia_irrigation.jpg

Oil• #1 resource• Found along the shores of the Persian Gulf and

up into Iraq• Most is sold for export

− U.S. is one of their biggest customers• OPEC: Organization of the Petroleum

Exporting CountriesIran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Algeria,

Libya− Controls the amount of production and sale of oil− On 75% of world’s total oil; ~40% of world’s output− Also includes Venezuela, Nigeria and Indonesia

How much oil?Saudi Arabia• Produces up to 8.5 million barrels of oil

per day• 1 barrel = 42 gallons

= 357,000,000 gallons! $83.80/barrel

= $712,300,000

Water• Most important natural resource• Limited supplies:

−Aquifers• Very old (145 million years ago)• Limited: not renewable once they are tapped out• Used for agriculture and human consumption

−Rivers• Tigris, Euphrates, Jordan, Nile

−Desalinization• Only used for human consumption

Water in Saudi Arabia• Surface water = 10% of total used• Groundwater in aquifers = 84% of total

used• Water from deep wells (~3000 ft. deep!)

• 70% of drinking water is desalinized−27 desalinization plants

• Plants also generate electricity−Pipe desalinized water 290 miles to Riyadh

• Other sources for Riyadh = rainwater dams