Physical Features of Southwest Asia
(*Adapted from Georgia CRCT Coach, GPS Edition, Social Studies, Grade 7, Triumph Learning
2011 and Georgia CRCT Test Prep 7th Grade Social Studies, Clairmont Press 2010)
Southwest Asia, also known as the Middle East, is located at the crossroads of
Europe, Asia and Africa. It is a large region located northeast of Africa,
southeast of Europe and to the west of eastern Asia. Geographers differ on
which countries make up the Middle East, therefor, maps of the region do not
always include the same countries. The region includes many types of
geographical features such as rivers, mountains and deserts. A large portion of
Southwest Asia lies near the Tropic of Cancer. The region’s climate varies based
on location and physical features.
Rivers located in Southwest Asia are important because the region is mostly
made up of desert or semi-desert features. The fresh water sources in the area
are widely disputed among the countries sharing in water rights. The Euphrates
River and Tigris River, which flow from Turkey, through Syria and Iraq, into the
Persian Gulf, offer drinking and farming water to the area. The Euphrates River
is the western most of the two rivers and joins with the Tigris River. The two
rivers meet near the Persian Gulf and form a waterway called the Shatt al-Arab
which acts as a natural border for the countries of Kuwait and Iran.
The Persian Gulf is used as a main waterway for transportation of oil. Ships
starting in the Persian Gulf must pass through the narrow Strait of Hormuz in
order to reach the Arabian Sea. If the ships were to travel west from the
Arabian Sea past the countries of Oman and Yemen respectively, they would
reach the Red Sea. The Red Sea is bordered to the east by Saudi Arabia and to
the west by Egypt. The man-made Suez Canal, found at the northern end of the
Red Sea, allows for sea passage between the Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea.
A small but important waterway, the Jordan River, flows from the mountains of
Lebanon and Syria into northern Israel. The river then flows into the Sea of
Galilee and ends in the Dead Sea. The Jordan River creates a natural political
boundary between Israel, the West Bank, Jordan and a small portion of Syria.
Turkey, the starting place for the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, is bordered to the
southwest by Syria and to the southeast by Iraq. The small island south of
Turkey is known as Cyprus. To the southeast of Cyprus is Lebanon. To the south
of Lebanon is Israel, and to the east of Israel is Jordan.
The Arabian Peninsula, which is located east of Africa and south of Turkey, is
made up of Yemen, Oman, United Arab of Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq and
Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is the largest country on the Arabian Peninsula.
Yemen is located to the southwest of Saudi Arabia while Oman is located to the
southeast. To the north of Oman is the United Arab of Emirates. Qatar is
located on the eastern border of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain is a small island off
the coast of Qatar. Kuwait is a small country located at the northern point of
the Persian Gulf. Iraq is directly north of Kuwait. Just east of Iraq is Iran.
Afghanistan, located at the eastern edge of the region, is a landlocked country
which shares its western border with Iran and is north of Pakistan. A large
portion of the country is covered in mountains. Mining is a main industry for
Afghanistan.
Southwest Asia is a meeting point for three of the world’s seven continents.
The region has a history of conflict for many reasons. It is geographically
covered in deserts and semi-deserts, is limited on fresh water sources, and has
a wide diversity amongst the populations.