Transcript Chapter 17
Chapter 17 Physical Geography of North Africa, Southwest Asia, and Central Asia Middle East Central Asia The Land • Seas and Peninsulas – North Africa, Southwest Asia, and Central Asia feature numerous seas and Peninsulas • Mediterranean Sea • Red sea • Black Sea • Arabian Peninsula- separated from Africa by the Red sea and the Gulf of Aden • Sinai Peninsulas area flanked by the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba • Anatolian Peninsulas (A.K.A. Asia Minor)- points west to the Aegean Sea The Land • Landlocked bodies of Salt Water – Dead Sea (Israel) – Caspian Sea- Earth’s largest inland body of water – Aral Sea (Kazakhstan) • Began to dry up when the Soviet Union diverted river source waters for irrigation seems to be coming back The Land • What might people have done to revive the Aral Sea? Rivers • Major Rivers: Cradles of Civilization – The Nile river valley provides water and a lush, fertile living space for about 90 % of Egypt’s population, and is the worlds longest river – The Tigris and Euphrates rivers help irrigate farms throughout Syria, Turkey, and Iraq • Stream Beds – Runoff from infrequent, violent rainstorms creates temporary streams in arid North Africa and Southwest Asia Cradle of Civilization Streams and rivers…. • Why are streams from rainstorms only temporary? Plains, Plateaus, and Mountains • Coastal Plains – Although most of the region is made up of deserts and mountains, the coastal plains along the Mediterranean provide the agricultural base of the region • Highlands – Enough precipitation falls on the Atlas mountains to make them hospitable to settlement and farming. These mountains are Africa’s longest mountain range – The Caucasus Mountains between the Black sea and Caspian Sea are known for their grandeur and beauty – Desert covers much of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan • Garagum is the black sand desert in Turkmenistan • Qiziliqum is the red sand desert in Uzbekistan Plains plateaus and mountains • Which of the Above areas do you think are most heavily populated? Why do you think so? Earthquakes • The shifting tectonic plates of the region have built mountains, shifted landmasses, and caused earthquakes, and created the Mediterranean sea A 1999 earthquake in Turkey measured 7.4 on the Richter scale, killing nearly 20,000 people. Earthquakes… • What might be done to reduce the damage from earthquakes in heavily populated areas? Natural Resources • Oil and Natural Gas – About 70% of the world’s oil reserves and 33% of the world’s natural gas reserves • Minerals – Turkmenistan has the world’s largest deposits of sulfate. Morocco ranks third in the production of phosphate. The region may contain up to 10% of the world’s iron ore reserves • Building Diverse Economies – Many Countries in the region are diversifying their economies so that they are not so dependent on their oil and mineral exports. Natural Resources…. • What do these facts suggest about the region’s economy? YouTube Links • The Nile: River of Life Pt.1 • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayQijC oayo8 • About 10 minutes • Killing The Dead Sea-Jordan • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vL3yb LmK_DM YouTube Videos • Honey Badgers: Documentary • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0tyc mec1fw • About 8 minutes • Honey Badgers humor, rated R • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0tyc mec1fw • Stop @ 1 min. Too much swearing.