8/4/2019 physical-middle-east-1204750367646327-4

1/18

The Middle EastThe Middle EastPhysical Landscape and The

People

8/4/2019 physical-middle-east-1204750367646327-4

2/18

Physical Middle EastPhysical Middle East

Also known as Southwest Asia

Sometimes also includes North Africa Islam

Arabic language

Oil

8/4/2019 physical-middle-east-1204750367646327-4

3/18

Physical Middle EastPhysical Middle East

8/4/2019 physical-middle-east-1204750367646327-4

4/18

A crossroads of civilization

Africa, Asia, and Europe are connected

through trade routes Migrating people spread ideas, inventions, etc.

Culture originating in the Middle East Iron making

Alphabet

Judaism, Christianity, Islam

Physical Middle EastPhysical Middle East

8/4/2019 physical-middle-east-1204750367646327-4

5/18

Physical Middle EastPhysical Middle East

8/4/2019 physical-middle-east-1204750367646327-4

6/18

The Middle East is also important to the

world for economic reasons Control of important sea routes

Control of large oil reserves

Physical Middle EastPhysical Middle East

http://www.zarzora.com/gallery/maps/Sinai_Roads_Network?full=1

8/4/2019 physical-middle-east-1204750367646327-4

7/18

Five major regions

1. Northern Tier

2. Arabian Peninsula

3. Fertile Crescent

4. Nile Valley

5. The Maghreb

Major RegionsMajor Regions

8/4/2019 physical-middle-east-1204750367646327-4

8/18

1. Northern Tier Turkey to Iran (pg. 552)

Mountains and plateaus

Diverse:

Anatolian Plateau in

Turkey: fertile soil, large

population

Iranian Plateau: dry,small population

Major RegionsMajor Regions

8/4/2019 physical-middle-east-1204750367646327-4

9/18

2. Arabian Peninsula Large plateau

Largest country: Saudi

Arabia

Small population:

Lack of water

Oasis: fertile desert area

that has enough waterto support life

Large amounts ofoil

Birthplace of Islam

Major RegionsMajor Regions

8/4/2019 physical-middle-east-1204750367646327-4

10/18

3. Fertile Crescent Eastern Mediterranean

to the Persian Gulf

Rich soil, abundantwater

Major population center

Hotspot for early

civilizations Tigris and Euphrates

Rivers

Major RegionsMajor Regions

8/4/2019 physical-middle-east-1204750367646327-4

11/18

4. Nile Valley Important historical

connections between the

people of Egypt and the

people of the FertileCrescent

Judaism

Major RegionsMajor Regions

8/4/2019 physical-middle-east-1204750367646327-4

12/18

5. The Maghreb North Africa: Algeria,

Tunisia, Morocco

Arab armies carried Islato North Africa in the

600s AD

Sahara Desert, Atlas

Mountains Most people live along

the coast, where there

is more rain

Major RegionsMajor Regions

http://www.travelago.com/generaldst.asp?r_id=7&country_id=MAR&s_id=http://www.travelago.com/generaldst.asp?r_id=7&country_id=MAR&s_id=

8/4/2019 physical-middle-east-1204750367646327-4

13/18

Climate and Resources

Nearly all of the region is desert

Lack of water caused some adaptations Building of irrigation systems

Desalination: taking the salt out of sea water to

make it drinkable

8/4/2019 physical-middle-east-1204750367646327-4

14/18

Climate and Resources

Oil

Most valuable resource in the Middle East

Problem: unevenly distributed

8/4/2019 physical-middle-east-1204750367646327-4

15/18

8/4/2019 physical-middle-east-1204750367646327-4

16/18

The People Ethnic diversity

Arab: anyone whose native language is

Arabic

Majority of people in Middle East are Arab

Turks, Iranians, Kurds

8/4/2019 physical-middle-east-1204750367646327-4

17/18

The People Religious Diversity

Islam is the majority religion

MostArabs are Muslim

Christianity, Judaism

Judaism is the most ancient of the three

religions from the region

8/4/2019 physical-middle-east-1204750367646327-4

18/18

Review

The Middle East is a crossroads

Five Major Regions:

Northern Tier, Arabian Peninsula, FertileCrescent, Nile Valley, The Maghreb

Resources: Oil

Vocabulary: Southwest Asia, oasis, desalination, Arab,