Transcript Chapter 21- Southwest Asia Notes (Middle East)

Chapter 21Southwest Asia
Notes (Middle
East)
Harsh & Arid Lands
Section 1Landforms
&
Resources
Sulemaniye Mosque
Turkey
Syria
Damascus
Umayyad Mosque
Parliament Square in Beirut
Beirut
Lebanon
Tel Aviv
Dead Sea Salt Beds
Negev Desert
Israel
Dome of the Rock
Jordan
Abdullah Mosque
Amman
One of the new 7
wonders of the
world
Petra
King Abdullah II
Saddam
Hussein
Iraq
Bombing of Baghdad
Tigris River
King Fahd
Empty Quarter
Saudi Arabia
Iran
Shahid Motahari
Mosque
Tehran
Sanaa
Yemen
Mosque
Oman
Sultan’s Palace
Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
Museum
Doha
Qatar
Desert
Kuwait
Water Towers
Kuwait City
Oil wells on fire
Section 1- Landforms &
Resources
• Peninsulas & Waterways– Peninsula- area of land that is
almost completely surrounded by
water, except for a small portion
connecting it to the mainland
– Strait- narrow body of water
connecting 2 larger bodies of water
Section 1- Landforms &
Resources
• Suez Canal- artificial waterway between
the Mediterranean Sea & the Red Sea
Section 1- Landforms &
Resources
• Arabian Peninsula- very dry, sandy, &
windy
– Wadis- riverbeds that remain dry except for
the rainy season.
Section 1- Landforms &
Resources
• Water is the most important resource in
this region
– Tigris & Euphrates river valleys supported
several ancient societies
Section 1- Landforms &
Resources
• Jordan River- provides a natural
boundary for Israel & Jordan
– Flows into the Dead Sea
Section 1- Landforms &
Resources
• Dead Sea- landlocked salt lake
– So salty that only bacteria lives in it
– Lowest place on the exposed
surface of the earth.
• 1349 feet below sea level
Section 1- Landforms &
Resources
• Oil– Largest reserves in the world (1/2 of
all known reserves)
– Most prominent resource
– Water is still most valuable resource
in SW Asia
Section 2- Climate &
Vegetation
• Rub Al-Khali (the empty
quarter)– Size of Texas
– One of largest sandy deserts
in world
– Surface temps, can reach
150°
– 10 years may pass w/out rain
Section 2- Climate & Vegetation
• Salt Flat- flat land made of chemical
salts that remain after winds evaporate
the moisture in the soil
– Common in Iran
– Usually uninhabited
Pamukkale is one of
the extraordinary
natural wonders of
Turkey.
The great attraction is
the white immensity
of the cliffs with
sculptured basins full
of water and
congealed waterfalls;
they seem done of
snow, cloud, or cotton.
The scientific explanation is the hot thermal
places that lie under the mount provoke the
calcium carbonate spill, that makes the forms
as solid as travertino marble.
One can bathe there; the Turks call this place
PAMUKKALE, which means "Castle of Cotton".
It is a protecting landscape that fascinates, as
the action of the mineral waters that contains
calcium oxides left fantastic marks in the
structures.
The resultant effect is spectacular: the
waters spill on a series of steps, forming
solid cascades and pools.
The cascades of calcium carbonate as well as
the water itself changes colors in accordance
with changes of the solar light that illuminates
them, and the effect is breathtaking.
At times white, others blue, or
green or other colors. The
spectacle is amazing.
The continuous dynamics of the erosion and
the transformation of the natural landscape
result in an unusual environment.
PAMUKKALE is one of the most unique
phenomena in nature.
Section 3- Human-Environment
Interaction
• Fresh water supplies are
available only in small
amounts
• Dams are very controversial in
this region as they affect
multiple countries at once.
Section 3- Human-Environment
Interaction
• Water Conservation is a major priority in
SW Asia
– Drip Irrigation- practice of using small pipes
that slowly drip water just above ground
Section 3- Human-Environment
Interaction
– Desalinization- removal of salt from ocean
water
• Very expensive
• Can’t meet all needs
Section 3- Human-Environment
Interaction
– Fossil Water- water pumped from
underground aquifers
– Little chance of being refilled in this area
because of little rainfall
Section 3- Human-Environment
Interaction
• Petroleum- remains of plants
& animals, formed from
pressure & heat over millions
of years.
– Oil is not in big pools under the
ground, it is trapped in the pores
of rocks.
– Taken out of ground by pressure
Section 3- Human-Environment
Interaction
• Crude Oil- petroleum that has not
been processed
• Refinery- converts crude oil into
useful products like gasoline &
kerosene
Section 3- HumanEnvironment Interaction
• Oil Spills are a risk
when transporting oil
in narrow straits or
around reefs
– Largest in U.S.
History is the Exxon
Valdez spill in 1989