Transcript North africa

5=metal; 8=quik boys; 7=I split J
ASIA’S SOUTHWEST:
Includes part of Russia’s former satellite
nations and the Middle East
A. Physical Characteristics of
North Africa and Middle East
1.
Important Seas or
Lakes:
 Black Sea
•
north of Turkey
 Red Sea
•
b/w Egypt and Saudi
Arabia
 Mediterranean Sea
•
west of Turkey, Syria,
Lebanon, Israel and
Palestine’s Gaza Strip
1.
Important Seas or Lakes, Con’t
 Dead Sea
•
•
•
•
its salinity is 7 ½ times more than other saltwater seas
is so salty that only bacteria can live in the water and it’s
almost impossible to drown in it
it is 1,349 feet below sea level
it is the lowest place on the exposed crust of the earth
2.
Important Rivers
 Tigris and Euphrates
• both begin in Turkey
• both end in Iraq
(Mesopotamia)
• the Euphrates flows into
Syria before ending in
Iraq
 Nile River
• begins as two rivers, the
White and Blue Niles
• 2 rivers merge & form
The Nile in Khartoum,
Sudan
• The Nile runs from south
to north and ends at
Mediterranean
2.
Important Rivers (con’t)
 Jordan River
• begins at Lebanon Mtns
at north Israel and flows
south
• the river serves as a
natural boundary b/w
Israel & Jordan as it flows
south
• its mouth flows into the
salty waters of the Dead
Sea located b/w Israel &
Jordan
3.
Important Gulfs (con’t)
 Persian Gulf
• b/w Arabian Peninsula
(Saudi Arabia) and
ancient Persia, aka Iran
 Gulf of Suez
• On western side of
Sinai Peninsula, east
side of Egypt
 Gulf of Aqaba
• on eastern side of Sinai
Peninsula; b/w Sinai
Peninsula and Saudi
Arabia
4.
Mountain Ranges
 Caucus Mtns
• b/w Black and Caspian
Seas
• Russia to its north,
Georgia, Armenia &
Azerbaijan to south
 Zagros & Elburz
Mtns (both in Iran)
• Zagros between Iraq
and Iran; Elburz is south
of Caspian Sea and in
northern Iran
 Taurus Mtns (Turkey)
• southern Turkey
 Atlas Mtns (Morocco)
5.
Deserts
 Sahara
• in Africa & world’s largest
 Saudi Arabian Desert
•
Called Empty Quarter
and Rub al-Khali = “place
where no one comes out”
• approximately same size
as Texas
 The Libyan Desert
 The Negev Desert
of Israel
Kara Kum, Kyzyl Kum,
& Gobi
Climate N Africa and Middle East
Vegetation N Africa and Middle East
B. Human Geography of
North Africa and Middle East
 Population
 Languages
 Religions
 Agriculture
 Economics
 Urban
 HEInteraction
1.
Population Statistics
 Population Distribution
In which countries are the following highly
populated cities located?
• Casablanca,
• Ankara
• Tunis
• Tripoli
• Tel Aviv
Population Statistics,
1.
con’t

Young population
Advantages/Disadvantages?
• N. Africa and the MidEast:
The Youth Bulge
>20% of their population
between 15-24 (13% of US
population is 15-24)
• Extremely high
unemployment amongst
youth

High Birth Rates
•

Average 20 births for every
1000 people (US averages
13)
Life Expectancy
•
Averages early 70’s (US
averages late 70’s)
Source:
http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.CBR
T.IN
2.
Languages
 Arabic
• With notable exceptions
of Israel, Turkey, Iran and
the remote areas of North
Africa, Arabic is primary
language spoken in N
Africa and Middle East
 Other Languages
• Israel: Hebrew
• Iran: Farsi
• Turkey: Turkish
• Remote N Africa: Tribal
languages
3.
Religions
 World Distribution
3.
Religions
 Islam
• second largest-practiced
•
•
•
•
religion in world (how is this so?)
most N. African and Mid
Easterners are Muslims
(practice Islam)
begun in 7th C. in Mecca,
The Annual Hajj in Mecca, Saudi Arabia:
1 of 5 Pillars of Islam
Saudi Arabia, by Prophet
for all able bodies Muslims
Muhammad who was born
there
Qur’an (Koran) is sacred text
Main Sects of Islam
 Sunni
 Make up appx 90% of
world’s Muslims
 successor to prophet
Muhammad elected by
other Muslims
• Sects of Islam, con’t
 Sunni majorities
 Saudi Arabia
 Jordan
 Egypt
 Syria
 Turkey
 Shi’ite or Shia
majorities
10% of world’s Muslims
Major difference from
Sunnis: Shias believe
successor to Muhammad
to be descendant of
Muhammad
 Iran
 Iraq (but ruled by Sunni
minority)
NOTE: Clashes between
Sunnis and Shi’ites goes back
to 7th C. death of Muhammad,
the Prophet of Islam
3.
Religions, con’t
 Christianity
• Largest religion practiced in
world
• Begun in 33 A.D. in
Palestine (Middle East) after
death of Jewish Jesus
• Bible is sacred text
• Sects of Christianity
 Roman Catholic
 Greek Orthodox
 Protestant (includes
Anglicans and
Episcopalians)
 39% in Lebanon
 10% in Syria
 6% in Egypt & Jordan
 3% or less in Iran, Iraq,
Israel, & Turkey
 0% in Saudi Arabia
4.
Agriculture (http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/agr_ara_lan_hec-agriculture-arable-land-hectares)
Go to slide show,
5.
Economic Resources
 Black Gold
Go to slide show,
As of 2009, location of world oil supplies, as per wikipedia
Arab Spring
• Began in late
2010
• Response to:
1. Absolute Monarchy
2. High unemployment
3. Human rights
violations
4. Political corruption
5.
Cities and Settlements
 Ancient Egypt, since 3150 BC
•
•
Human movement resulted in Ancient Egyptian civilization
forming from the Mesopotamians
The Mesopotamians had the “Fertile Crescent” while the
Egyptians had The Nile
Islam
• Second-largest practiced religion in world (how is this so?)
Muslim % of population by region or ethnicity
Muslim % of population by country
Muslim % of population by continent