Transcript Physical Geography of SW & Central Asia, and N. Africa

Physical Geography
of SW & Central
Asia, and N. Africa
Ch. 17
Seas & Peninsulas
• Arabian Peninsula
– Separated from
Africa by Gulf of
Aden & Red Sea
– Sinai Pen. &
Suez Canal
separate the land to
the north/west
– Persian Gulf is on
the east side
Gulf of Aden
Seas & Peninsulas
• Anatolia Pen.
Bosporus
Strait
Aegean
Sea
ANATOLIA
–Black Sea to N
–Aegean Sea to
W
–Mediterranean
Sea to S
–Many straits
connecting seas
($$)
Seas & Peninsulas
• Strait of Gibraltar
–Separates Africa from Iberian Pen.
–Only a 8-9
miles wide
• ‘gateway to
Africa’
–Britain owns city
of Gibraltar
Strait of
Gibraltar
Seas & Peninsulas
Strait of
Hormuz
• If sanctions put on Iran oil cut
off strait (some deny threat)
• ~ 30% of world’s oil trade
Seas & Peninsulas
• Dead Sea
–On Jordan River (border w/ Israel)
–8X saltier than any ocean- How
come?
–In the 50s
• L= 262 m, W= 57 m
–Today
• L= 42 m, W= 11 m
Dead Sea: Lowest Point on Earth
2,300’ below sea level
Highest
Salt
Content
(33%)
The Jordan
River
Israel &
Jordan (and others in area)
fight over
water rights
Seas & Peninsulas
• Caspian Sea
–Largest inland/landlocked
body of water (lake)
–But it is salt water!!
(remnants of larger sea)
–Facing evaporation
increases, decrease in
flow from feeder rivers,
and increase in
irrigation/industry uses
Seas & Peninsulas
• Aral Sea
– Use to be lg & have
productive fishing
– Shrunk drastically due to
USSR draining it for
irrigation
– Ppl build sm. dams to
create basins of
freshwater from rivers
Rivers
• Nile River
–Longest in world
–Flows north to Med. Sea
–90% of Egyptians live in delta or
along river (= 3% of land)
–Faces great flood seasons  built
Aswan High Dam for control
Aswan High Dam
Aswan High Dam
Hydroelectric
Power Plant
Suez Canal
Completed by the British in
1869
Rivers
• Tigris & Euphrates
–Mesopotamia or ‘land b/w two
rivers’; aka Fertile Crescent
–Join to form Shatt al Arab
• Border of Iraq &
Iran
• Wars & treaties
over it
Rivers
Wadi in
Oman
• Wadis- dry streambeds that will fill
with heavy rain  flash floods
(seasonal)
–Since they are typically arid, creates
mud quickly dangerous mud flows
Wadis
Plains, Plateaus, & Mtns.
• Since most is desert/steppe agricultural
base = coastal areas of Med. Sea, Caspian
Sea, & Persian Gulf
• Atlas Mtns
– Longest mtn
range
• Stretches from
Morocco to Algeria
– Northern side of Atlas allows for lots of agric.
(farms, fishing, livestock)
• Rainy side, Med. climate
Atlas Mtns.
Plains, Plateaus, & Mtns.
• Hejaz & Asir
–West coast of Arabian Pen.
–Rain shadow effect to Central Plateau
• Caucasus Mtns
–b/w Black & Caspian Sea
–Seen as border b/w
European Russia
& Asia
Mountain Ranges in Mid-East
Elburz Mts., Iran
Lebanese Mts.
Zagros Mts., Iran
Taurus Mts., Turkey
Plains, Plateaus, & Mtns.
• Garagum (Karakum)– Black sand desert, covers 70% of Turkmenistan
• Qizilqum (Kyzyl Kum)– Red sand desert in Uzbekistan & Kazakhstan
Use wide
spaces for
livestock
Desert Bedouins
Swarms of Desert Locusts!
2004: Israel- Worst
Locust Plague Since
the 1950s!
Locusts Swarm
the Pyramids
Complex at Giza!
Fresh Groundwater Sources
Desalination
Plants
Tectonic Activity
• Meeting point of the African,
Arabian, & Eurasian plates
–Reason for mountainous terrain
–Many earthquakes
• Turkey 1999
• Iran has 90% of land on faults
–Landforms still Δing
• Red Sea
Natural Resources
• Oil (petroleum) & nat. gas are region’s
most abundant resources
–70% of world’s oil
–33% of world’s nat. gas
• Reserves are still being discovered!
–WWII sparked production as world
moved to modern industry/reliance
The Natural Resources of the
Middle East
World Oil Reserves
Persian Gulf Oil Exports (2003)
Kuwait:
An Island Floating on a Sea of Oil
Kuwait
City
Leading U. S. Oil Suppliers
The U. S. imports 30% of its oil needs from the
Middle East.
Natural Resources
Completed Dubai Tower, 2010
• Why might such
heavy dependence
on oil be risky?
– Many countries are
now diversifying
• UAE  banking,
info. tech, tourism
• Libya 
infrastructure,
fisheries
Climate Images
(17.2)
Sahara Desert
Ergs
Algeria
Morocco
Regs
Mauritania
Algeria
Empty Quarter
Oases
Siwah Oasis (Egypt) in Libyan Desert
Oasis in Saudi
In Algeria
Making a fire in a
wadi in Jordan
Bedouins
Tent in Jordan
Camel race
in Israel
Caucasus Mountains
Azerbaijan
Georgia