North Africa and Southwest
Asia (Middle East)
Leading countries according to
GDP
 Kuwait
 United
 Qatar
 Israel
Arab Emirates
Leading countries according to
Land size
 Algeria
 Saudi
 Libya
Arabia
Leading countries according to
population
 Iran
 Turkey
 Egypt
Physical Characteristics
 Area
is the crossroads of
Europe, Africa, and Asia
 It
has a primarily desert or
semi-arid climate
 Sahara,
Sahel, and steppes are
the primary vegetation region
 Sahara--world’s
largest
desert, it stretches over
most of North Africa and is
growing
 Sahel--area separating the
Sahara from the tropical
rainforest of Africa.
 The
Sahel is an area of
temperate grassland
(steppe) moving into sparse
desert scrub-like vegetation
 Three
main mountain ranges
1. Atlas Mountains in
northern Algeria and Morocco
2. Taurus Mountains in
southern Turkey
3. Zagros Mountains in
western Iran
 Even
though this is a dry
area, water plays a very
large role
 There are several large
bodies of water which
play a major role in world
politics
Examples
:
Persian Gulf/Arabian Gulf
Strait of Hormuz
Arabian Sea
Red Sea
 Other
important bodies of
water
 Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea,
Bosporus Strait, Dardanelles
Strait, Nile River (longest in the
world), Tigris and Euphrates
(home to the world’s first
civilization) and the Jordan
River
 The
area is also subject to
seasonal flooding, alluvial
soils, delta regions, oases,
and wadis
 Seasonal
flooding--several
of the rivers flood regularly
(Nile) which deposit rich
alluvial soil for farming
 The
desert regions are home
to many oases (a place
where fresh water makes it
possible for life to exist in a
dry area) and wadi (a gully
or usually dry river bed cut
by running water after a
downpour)
Economic Characteristics
 The
area has a heavy
reliance on primary
economic activities such as
oil drilling, agriculture and
herding/grazing
 The
area is the home of the
Organization of Petroleum
Exporting Countries
 Many countries in the area still
belong today
 Major producers of the world’s
oil
 Provide large oil revenues
 Positive
effects--jobs, revenue,
position of power
 Negative
effects--reliance on
one industry, pollution,
unequal distribution of wealth
 Water
is the region’s MOST
PRECIOUS resource
 Aswan
High Dam has had
positive and negative effects on
the region.
 Suez
Canal enhanced shipping
routes in the region
 Positive
effects of the Aswan
High dam
Controls flooding, recreation
areas, power
 Negative effects of the Aswan
high Dam
land losing fertility, lost
homes when dam built,
 There
is a great variation in
the standard of living in the
region.
 It ranges from the relatively
high to the poverty stricken.
 There is also a wide range of
per capita income and
differing levels of development
 Trade
has been important to
the region from the earliest
time.
 Today regional conflicts and
political unrest have affected
trade and tourism
 The area today has
contemporary trade routes (sea
lanes)
Cultural Characteristics
 The
area has experienced
rapid urbanization
 Most
modernization has
centered around urban areas
and more traditional life has
continued in the rural areas
 Large
percentage of the
population is under the age of
15 due to conflict, disease and
the hardships associated with
the region.
 The population is generally
unevenly distributed due to the
environment and resources
 All
but three of the countries
are Arab nations and they use
the Arabic language.
 Turkey,
Iran and Israel are the
non-Arab countries
 North
Africa and Southwest
Asia are the birthplace to three
major monotheistic religions:
Judaism, Christianity, and
Islam.
 All three claim similar holy
places and the dominant group
has changed over the years.
 Since
1949, the region has
been in conflict over the area
known as PALESTINE. This
area is present day Israel.
 Much
of the region has a
nomadic lifestyle
 NOMADIC-to
wander from
place to place behind a food
source or for other reasons
 The
art of the region reflects
the diversity of the religions;
 stained
glass, geometric tiles,
calligraphy, mosaics, and
prayer rugs
Cities as centers of trade and
culture
 Baghdad,
Iraq
 Cairo, Egypt
 Istanbul, Turkey
 Jerusalem, Israel
 Mecca, Saudi Arabia
 Tehran, Iran
Cultural Landscape
 Mosques,
minarets
 Church of the Holy Sepulcher
 Hagia Sophia
 bazaars, sugs
 Western Wall (of Jerusalem)
 Dome
of the Rock
 Kaaba
 Pyramids
 Oil
rigs
 walled cities
 The
End of the Notes
Sahara desert
Oasis
Stained Glass/Mosaics
Prayer Rugs
Oil Rigs
Kaaba
Dome of the Rock
Hagia Sophia
Church of the Holy Sepulcher
Pyramids
Western Wall
Western Wall