The student will locate selected
features in Southwestern Asia
(Middle East).
Locate the following places on your map:
Euphrates River (Turkey, Iraq, Syria)
Jordan River (Jordan, Israel)
Tigris River (Turkey, Iraq)
Suez Canal (Saudi Arabia, Egypt)
Persian Gulf (Iran, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait,
UAE, Qatar)
Strait of Hormuz (UAE, Oman, Iran)
Arabian Sea (Iran, Oman, Pakistan, India)
Red Sea (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Sudan)
Gaza Strip (Israel)
http://lizardpoint.com/geography/mideast-quiz.php
Euphrates River
The Euphrates River begins in the mountains of Turkey. It
flows southward through Syria and Iraq. It meets up with the
Tigris River in southern Iraq and empties into the Persian
Gulf. The Euphrates River is one of the most important rivers
in the world. The Tigris Euphrates valley was the birthplace of
ancient civilizations. The river is the source of political
tension between Turkey, Syria and Iraq because they all
compete for the use of its waters for irrigation and the
generation of hydroelectric power.
Picture of the Euphrates River
J
o
r
d
a
n
R
i
v
e
r
The Dead Sea is the lowest
point on the Earth’s surface
The Jordan River extends from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea. It is
considered to be one of the world's most sacred rivers to both Christians
and Jews. It is a major river in southwest Asia and provides crucial water
for Jordan and Israel.
Fun Fact: The Dead Sea
Tigris River
City of Baghdad
The Tigris River is 1,150 miles long and begins on the
Armenian plateau in Turkey. In Iraq, it receives
additional water from four other rivers. As a result, the
Tigris is a faster flowing river and is more subject to
catastrophic flooding than the Euphrates.
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal
is an artificial
sea-level
waterway in
Egypt,
connecting the
Mediterranean
Sea and the
Red Sea.
It is approximately 100 miles long.
It opened in November 1869,
allowing water transportation
between Europe and Asia without
navigating around Africa. The
northern terminus is Port Said, and
the southern terminus is Port
Tawfik at the city of Suez.
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf
Persian: ‫خلیج فارس‬,
Arabic: ‫الخلیج الفارسي‬
lies between the
Arabian Peninsula
and Iran.
This inland sea is connected to the Gulf of Oman in the east
by the Strait of Hormuz, and its western end is marked by
the major river delta of Arvand-Rud , which carries the
waters of the Euphrates and Tigris.
The Strait of Hormuz
Arabic: ‫ مضیق هرمز‬Persian: ‫تنگه هرمز‬
a narrow, strategically
important waterway
between the Persian
Gulf and the Gulf of
Oman, which leads into
the Arabian Sea and the
Indian Ocean.
40% of the world’s oil shipments go through the Strait
(approximately 17 million barrels a day). Because it is such
an important ocean trade route, nations have been willing to
go to war to keep the Strait open.
Arabian Sea
Arabian Sea is a
portion of the Indian
Ocean between the
Arabian Peninsula
on the west and the
subcontinent of
India on the east.
Bounded on the
north by Iran and
Pakistan, it merges
with the main body
of the Indian Ocean
in the south.
Gulf of
Oman
Gulf of
Aden
Among the principal arms of the Arabian Sea are the Gulf of
Aden, which links it with the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Oman,
which links it with the Persian Gulf.
Red Sea
A narrow, inland sea,
separating the Arabian
peninsula, from northeastern
Africa. The maximum depth of
the sea is 9,970 ft, and its
maximum width is 220 mi. The
Suez Canal connects the Red
Sea with the Mediterranean
Sea, and the Indian Ocean. The
Red Sea formed when the
Arabian Peninsula was torn
from Africa, 20 million years
ago. The Red Sea occupies an
area known as the Great Rift
Valley.
Arabic: ‫قطاع غزة‬
Hebrew: ‫רצועת עזה‬
A Palestinian territory
bordered on the south
by Egypt and on the
north and east by
Israel. Israel occupied
the area until 2005,
when the government
of the area was turned
over to Palestinian
authorities. Today it
controlled by Hamas
and the land is being
used by radical groups
to launch missiles
toward Israel.
Locate the following countries on your map:
Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey
Afghanistan
Landlocked
Capital – Kabul
Currency - Afghani (AFN)
Official languages: Dan (Persian) and Pashto
Afghanistan is east of Iran and north of Pakistan.
Mountains cover most of the country.
Women wearing Burqas
The climate is harsh; very
hot in the summer and
extremely cold in the
winter. The climate and the
landscape make farming
very difficult. Much of the
economy is based on
deposits of minerals and
precious stones.
Iran
Capital – Teheran
Official language: Persian
Currency - Iranian rial (‫( )لاير‬IRR)
Once known as Persia, Iran’s
government is a Theocratic Republic.
Iran is home to the world’s oldest
civilizations, dating back to 4,000 BC.
Oil serves as Iran’s
major source of
income. Most of the
population lives in
the west (desert to
the east).
Iraq
Capital – Baghdad
Currency - Iraqi dinar (IQD)
Official languages: Arabic and Kurdish
Modern Iraq was created after WWI. It covers a region
often referred to as the “cradle of civilization”.
Iraq, once known as
Mesopotamia, has
abundant oil and natural
gas reserves. Although it
is estimated that nearly
90% of these reserves
have not been tapped,
they are a major source
of Iraq’s income.
Kadhimain Mosque, Baghdad
Israel
Capital - Jerusalem
Official languages: Hebrew and Arabic
Currency - Israeli new sheqel (₪) (ILS or NIS)
The Wailing Wall or Western Wall is the
remains of the great Jewish temple,
which had stood for close to 500 years.
Herod began rebuilding and
adding on to the temple
around 19 B.C.E., and the total
work was not finished until
fifty years later. The temple
was destroyed by the Romans
in 70 C.E. It is thought by Jews
to be the most sacred of
places, because the temple
was thought to be the place
where God resides on earth.
Saudi Arabia
Capital – Riyadh
Currency - Riyal (SAR)
Official language: Arabic
Mecca is the holiest place in the Islamic religion.
Saudi Arabia exports
more oil than any other
nation in the world. Saudi
law is based on the Quran
and quite harsh according
to western standards. The
state will beat offenders
or cut off hands or feet for
crimes like stealing.
Women’s rights are
greatly restricted.
Turkey
Capital – Ankara
Currency - Turkish lira5 (TRY)
Official language: Turkish
Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey
Turkey, like Russia,
stretches into two
different continents;
Europe and Asia. It
was once the center
of the Ottoman
Empire. Turkey was
founded in 1923.
Created by:
Debra Harrington
Yeager Middle School
2009
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http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/middle_east_and_asia/sw_asia_pol96.jpg
http://schools-wikipedia.org/images/834/83425.png
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http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/willow/the-suez-canal1.gif
http://web.mst.edu/~rogersda/umrcourses/ge342/Suez%20Canal%20today.jpg
http://www.worldatlas.com/aatlas/infopage/hormuz.gif
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Arabian_Sea_map.png
http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761575387/Red_Sea.html
http://www.panasianbiz.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/gaza-strip-1.png
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