Here is an example of the geography essay from unit one. It has been scored using the
CAPT rubric.
What countries share common human and physical characteristics and therefore create a
region in the hub between Africa, Asia, and Europe.
The world is comprised of many different groups of people and studying each
group can be a daunting task. To organize this information, geographers created the
concept of region. A region is a number of countries that have common physical and
human traits. Physical traits focus on the land, the climate, and the resources available
while human traits are used to describe the people by language spoken and the religion
practiced. While grouping similar countries together allows for easier learning, creating
regions can be a very difficult task as nations often do not share all traits. Therefore,
decisions must be made about where a specific nation best fits and disagreements arise.
One such difficult region is the Middle East found in the crossroads of Europe, Africa,
and Asia. A unique region does exist and should include the countries of the angel south
of Turkey.
The countries of the angel south of Turkey share many physical characteristics
with the countries of North Africa, especially climate and resources. Deserts stretch
across most of this region. The Sahara, the world’s largest desert, covers most of North
Africa. Egypt, for example, is 86% desert. The Arabian Peninsula is home to 400,000
square miles of desert land so arid and barren that it is known as the Rub al-Khali, or
“Empty Quarter.” The reason for this desert landscape is the lack of rain—most of the
Middle East receives less than twenty inches of rain a year , most of which falls during
the winter months. Cairo, Egypt, receives eight inches a year ; Baghdad, Iraq, receives
six inches . In addition, the region’s climate is characterized by extremes of
temperature, from below freezing to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit . The natural resources
of the angel and North Africa also serve as a unifying factor. Significant oil reserves are
found in several countries within this region. Saudi Arabia alone accounts for over 25%
of the world’s oil reserves ; Iran, Iraq and Kuwait for another 25% . Significant oil
fields can also be found across North Africa, in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and Algeria. The
region is also unified by a lack of fertile soil, with the exception of irrigated farmland
along major river valleys. As a result, the land is largely non-productive, although
herding takes place in some of the higher elevations; and vegetation is limited in most
areas to desert shrub. However, one country traditionally included in the Middle East
does not share these characteristics. Turkey receives enough rainfall to avoid the desert
conditions of the rest of the region. Coastal regions receive 20 to 40 inches of rain a
year , a total high enough to allow for more extensive agriculture and the growth of
woodland vegetation. Temperatures are also cooler than in North Africa or the Arabian
Peninsula. In addition, Turkey lacks the petroleum reserves of many other countries in
the region, but does have metal resources (chromium, manganese) that the rest of the
region lacks.
The human characteristics of religion and language unite these countries into one
region despite some significant variety. Islam is the predominant religion in this area of
the world. The key languages are united in the Semitic language family. The Semitic
family includes both Arabic, spoken widely in the Middle East and Hebrew. Because of
this language tie, Israel should be kept in the Middle East despite its distinctive practice
of Judaism. Persian speaking Iran is also an exception to the Arabic rule. But this
language does not unite them with Europe or Asia so they remain in the Middle East
where they are united by Islam.
In conclusion, thirteen countries make up the region. They practice Islam and
speak Arabic. They live in a hot, dry region and have oil.
An alternative conclusion recommending a course of action:
With thirteen countries sharing geography, religion and language, a region can be
created. Geographers should agree to consider the countries of North Africa and the angel
south of Turkey a single region. However, geographers should also agree that Turkey,
which has traditionally been included in the Middle East region for historical reasons,
should be excluded from the Middle East if the region is to be defined strictly by its
geography.
An alternative conclusion focusing on a lesson:
Creating a region out of so many countries makes a lasting impression. The work
of geographers to create regions is a difficult task finding a number of countries that
share each human and physical trait important in describing societies seems impossible.
A region needs to be large enough to include several nations in order to be useful, but the
more countries that are included, the more likely it is that differences will develop.
Therefore, it is important to remember to look for the similarity that unites countries into
a region but also to be aware of diversity even within a region.
An alternative conclusion predicting the future:
Geographers need to periodically revisit the decision over which countries to
include in a region. Physical and human features can change over time; desertification is
causing the Sahara desert to expand, for example, and Islam and Arabic are spreading
into Africa and Central Asia. It may be necessary for geographers to expand the
boundaries of the Middle East as new countries come to share its geographic features.