THE FLOW OF OIL
Part 1 Directions: Plot each route on the world map provided.
Three Major Shipping Routes: Oil from the Persian Gulf is carried by tankers through the Gulf to the Arabian Sea to
states around the globe. The oil from the Gulf follows three main routes!
ROUTE 1: Locate the point at which the Persian Gulf joins the Arabian Sea. Draw a line from this point southwest to the
Red Sea. Continue the line through the Red Sea, northwest to the Mediterranean Sea. The Suez Canal, in Egypt,
connects these two seas. After leaving the canal, many tankers take their oil to ports in the Mediterranean such as
Naples, Italy; Marseilles, France; and Barcelona, Spain. Draw lines from the Suez Canal to these cities. Other tankers
continue westward across the Mediterranean and into the Atlantic Ocean. They deliver their oil to ports such as
Antwerp, Belgium and Hamburg, Germany. Continue your lines to these port cities.
ROUTE 2: Begin where the Persian Gulf joins the Arabian Sea. Draw a line southward along the east coast of Africa to
the Cape of Good Hope. Continue northward along the coast of Africa to the Equator. At the equator, split your line
into two branches. Draw the first as an arrow pointing toward Europe and the second as an arrow from the equator to
the east coast of the U.S.
ROUTE 3: Begin at the Persian Gulf. Draw a line toward Mumbai (Bombay) India, then toward the southeast to Malaysia
through the Strait of Malacca. Continue your line northeast to Japan and China.
Part 2 Directions: Write a short answer on 1-5 after reading the summary. Use the shipping route map for help on
answers.
Summary : More than one-half of the world’s oil is found near the Persian Gulf. Every tanker passes through the
strait that connects the Gulf and the Arabian Sea- the Strait of Hormuz. If this strait were blocked, the flow of oil from
the Gulf would stop. If the oil were stopped for long, all the countries that depend on it would be in trouble. “Choke
points” where the oil flow could be stopped are listed below. For each, decide which parts of the world would be most
affected if the oil were stopped there.
1) Strait of Hormuz (at the south end of the Persian Gulf)
2) Suez Canal (between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean)
3) The Strait of Gibraltar (between Spain and Morocco)
4) Bab el Mandeb (at the south end of the Red Sea)
5) Strait of Malacca (near Malaysia)