Chapter 21
Harsh and Arid Lands
Section One
Landforms and Resources
Unit Seven - Southwest Asia
Golan Heights
Looking into Israel from the
Golan Heights.
Landforms Divide the Region

Southwest Asia forms a land bridge
connecting Asia, Africa, and Europe.
Peninsulas and Waterways

The most
distinctive
landform in
Southwest Asia
is the Arabian
Peninsula, which
is surrounded by
the Red Sea on
the southwest
and the Persian
Gulf on the east.
Peninsulas and Waterways

Also, on the
southwest side
of the Arabian
Peninsula is a
strategic opening
to the
Mediterranean
Sea – the Suez
Canal.
Suez Canal
Plains and Highlands

Most of the land
on the Arabian
Peninsula is
barren with some
low hills, ridges,
and wadis,
which are
riverbeds that
remain dry
except during the
rainy seasons.
Wadi Zen in Jordan
Plains and Highlands

The heart
of Iran is a
plateau
surrounded
by
mountains.
Mountains

The Hindu
Kush
Mountains of
Afghanistan
are linked
with other
ranges of
mountains
that frame
southern Asia
Hindu Kush Mnts.
Water Bodies
Euphrates River

Because much
of Southwest
Asia is arid,
there are few
rivers that flow
the entire year.
Two of the most
important rivers
– the Tigris and
the Euphrates –
supported
several ancient
river valley
civilizations.
Water Bodies

The Jordan
River has
no outlet to
the sea, but
its waters
mingle with
the salty
waters of the
Dead Sea, a
landlocked
salt lake.
Jordan River
An Oil-Rich Region

The most
abundant
resource
in
Southwe
st Asia is
oil.
Other Resources

In parts of
Southwest
Asia, water
is a scarce
resource
that must be
constantly
guarded and
carefully
used.