Introduction
 North Africa/Southwest Asia
(also known as
the Middle east) is an excellent example of
a region: although is made up of countries
on two continents, it is still considered a
region because the people in the area share
many things, especially religion
Ten Geographic Qualities

1. World’s great
ancient culture
hearth

2. Source region
or hearth for
several religions
(Judaism,
Christianity,
Islam)
Ten Geographic Qualities

3. Islam Predominates (main
culture and religion of the area)

4. Arab World
– Semitic- family of languages
native to West Asia but are
know through out southwest
Asia and North Africa

5. Population is clustered
around water
Ten Geographic Qualities

6. Desert denominates
Environment and the way
people live

7. Central Area between 3
continents (Asia, Africa,
Europe)

8. Volatile area with conflicts –
disputes religion & boundary
frictions
Ten Geographic Qualities

9. Center of
superpower chess
game

10. Petroleum (Oil)
- a key economic
resource
Relative Location of Northern
Africa & Southwest Asia
Centrally located
between Europe,
Asia & Africa
 East of the Atlantic
ocean, west of the
Indian ocean and
southeast of
Mediterranean sea

Physical Geography of Northern Africa &
Southwest Asia
Main Physical features Include
 Plate Tectonics
 Plateaus and Peninsula's
 Deserts
 Mountains
 Rivers, Seas, and Gulfs
Physical Geography

Plate Tectonics
– Clashing Plates
 Arabian Plate into
Eurasian Plate
– Separating Plates
 Arabian Plate
pulling apart from
African Plate
– Red Sea
spreading
Physical Geography

Plateaus Anatolian Highland

Peninsula's –
Arabian peninsula,
Physical Geography of Northern
Africa & Southwest Asia

Deserts
– The Sahara Desert
– North Africa
– The Saudi Arabian
Desert- Arabian
Peninsula
– The Libyan Desertin-between Libya,
Egypt and Sudan
Physical Geography of Northern Africa &
Southwest Asia

Mountains
– Atlas Mountains
– Zagros Mountains.
– Taurus Mountains
– Ahagger Mountains
– Pontic Mountains
– Elburz Mountains
Physical Geography of Northern Africa &
Southwest Asia

Rivers & Sea
– The Nile River
– The Tigris & Euphrates Rivers
– The Jordan River
– The Red Sea

Gulfs – Persian Gulf,
– Gulf of Suez,
– Gulf of Aden
– Gulf of Oman
Physical Geography of
Northern Africa & Southwest
Asia
Climate of Northern Africa &
Southwest Asia

Climates
– Desert
– Semiarid
– Mediterranean
– Humid subtropical
– Highland
Cultural Geography of
Northern Africa & Southwest
Asia
– Population
– Languages
– Religion
– Agriculture
– Economics/
– Urban
Cultural Geography of Northern
Africa & Southwest Asia

Population
– 300 million
– concentrations along
the Nile, Euphrates and
Tigris & Coasts
– low overall population
due to desert climate
– very high growth rates
in Gaza
Northern Africa
 Population
Characteristics
– Birth rates 29/1000
– Death rates 8/1000
– Natural Increase 2.2/1000
– Infant Mortality 59/1000
– Doubling Time 32 yrs
– Pop <15 39%
– Pop > 65 4 %
Southwest Asia
 Population
Characteristics
– Birth rates 28/1000
– Death rates 7/1000
– Natural Increase 2.2/1000
– Infant Mortality 54/1000
– Doubling Time 32 yrs
– Pop <15 37 %
– Pop > 65 5 %
Cultural Geography of Northern
Africa & Southwest Asia

Languages
– Unified by Arabic
Language - An AfroAsiatic Language
– Hebrew spoken in
Israel
– Tribal languages
spoken in remote
areas of North Africa
Cultural Geography of Northern
Africa & Southwest Asia

Religion
– Main religion in the
region: Islam
– Christianity, and
Judaism are also
found in the region.
– Religious landscapes
of mosques, minarets,
distinctive nonrevealing clothing
– Muslim - a follower of
Islam

Cultural Geography of Northern Africa &
Southwest Asia
Religion
– Islamic
Divisions
 Sunni
Islam
 Shite
Islam
(Iran)
Cultural Geography of Northern Africa &
Southwest Asia

Religion
– Three major monotheistic religions were founded in
Southwest Asia

Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
– All three Claim Jerusalem (capitol of Israel) as a Holy place
for different reasons
– Judaism

For Jews Jerusalem is the capitol of Israel and their modern and
ancient homeland
– Christianity

For Christians Jerusalem is the place where Jesus Christ was crucified
– Islam

For Muslims it is the 3rd holiest site for the faith because the Dome of
Rock is located their where Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad
ascended into Heaven
The Effects of Judaism, Christianity,
and Islam in North Africa and
Southwest Asia

How has the culture in North Africa and Southwest
Asia been affected by Judaism, Christianity, and
Islam?
– These religions are the main religions throughout
the region with Islam being the main religion
– Traditions and customs of these three religions
are carried out in everyday life of the people in the
region
– Religious conflicts are throughout the region
Cultural Geography of Northern Africa
& Southwest Asia

Agriculture
– commercial farming in Israel

Farming enough to sell crops
Mediterranean climate yielding citrus,
avocados & ranching
– Nomadic Herding dominates the region


Nomadic: Moving from place to place
Bedouins
– Desertification


An expansion of dry conditions to moist areas
that are next to areas, causing them to become
desert land
Cultural Geography of Northern
Africa & Southwest Asia

Economy
– oil dominated industry
– Regional Imbalances
 Oil and Non-oil states (“haves” versus
“have-nots”)
The Impact of Oil






Industrialization
Regional disparities
Foreign Investment
High Incomes
Modernization
The Creation on OPEC(Organization of Petroleum
Exporting Countries)
– eleven oil-producing and exporting countries, from
Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America
created in 1960 by oil producing countries to
create policies on selling petroleum products
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Regions of Northern Africa &
Southwest Asia





Egypt & the Nile River Basin
Maghreb
Arabian Peninsula
Middle East
The North
Egypt & the Nile Basin
- Egypt and
Sudan
- rely on the Nile
River
- 95% of Egypt’s
71 million
people live
within 12 miles
the Nile
The Maghreb (means west)
Western Mediterranean region of coastal North Africa,
includes Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, dominated by the
Atlas mountains main physical feature in area
Arabian Peninsula
 Includes
– Saudi Arabia,
Yemen, Kuwait,
Oman, United
Arab of Emirates
– Abundance of oil
in the area
Middle East

Includes
– Israel, Jordan, Lebanon,
Syria, Iraq, Palestine
territory
– North of Saudi Arabia,
south of Turkey, includes
Syrian desert
– Center of conflict
between Christians,
Jews, and Muslims,
– Sunni and Shi’ite Muslim
conflict (within Iraq and
throughout the region
The North
 Includes
Turkey
and Iran
 Northern most
countries in
Southwest Asia
Cultural Facts

Afghanistan – infant and maternal mortality rates are high.
Breastfeeding continues until the next pregnancy.

Egypt – female circumcision is viewed as the ultimate proof of virginity
and takes place at the age of seven or eight.

Iran – a woman’s making direct eye contact with a man implies
promiscuity and an interest in dating. Boys and girls no longer play
together after age five.

Iraq – a government-sponsored fertility campaign encourages families
to have at least five children.

Saudi Arabia – if a wife does not produce a son, her husband may
divorce her. Women may have fifteen or more children. Religious police
enforce the cultural laws governing segregation of sexes.