Intro to SWACANA (Southwest Asia, Central Asia, and North Africa)
North Africa, Southwest Asia, and Central Asia
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Transcript of North Africa, Southwest Asia, and Central Asia
North Africa, Southwest Asia, and Central Asia
Physical GeographyMr. Marston
Dominion Christian High SchoolFall 2009
Chapter Objectives
• 1. Major landforms and natural resources• 2. Climate and Vegetation
Maghreb and the Middle East
PersiaGulf
Gulf of Aden
Arabian Sea
Red Sea
Divisions
• 1. Maghreb: area of North Africa between the Atlas Mountains and the Mediterranean Sea.
• Maghreb means “western” in Arabic.• The Countries have similara. Climatesb. Landformsc. Populationsd. Economiese. history
Maghreb Union• The joining together of the North African
countries in 1989.To:Promote economic cooperationEconomic integrationMoroccoAlgeriaTunisiaLibyaMauritania
Central Asia
Divisions II
• 2. Middle Easta. Arabian Peninsulab.Iran and Turkey3. Central Asia
Key Geographic Points
• Bosporus Strait: separates Asia and Europe• Dead Sea: forms Israeli-Jordanian border• Caspian Sea: largest inland body of water on
earth• Aral Sea: once the 4th largest inland sea, it is
now drying up.
Bosporus Strait: separates Europe from Asia
Dead Sea: 1400 feet below sea level
Location of Dead Sea
Floating in the Dead Sea: Aaaaahhh. High Salt content contributes to
buoyancy.
Caspian Sea: largest lake on earth. Oil and gas and sturgeon.
The shrinking Aral Sea
Aral Sea Shrinkage
• Shrinkage
Rivers
Nile River: Egypt. World’s longest river.
Nile River Delta
Nile River Delta
• 90% of Egypt’s people live in Nile River Delta• They live on 3% of Egypt’s land• Aswan High Dama. Controls river flowb.Reduces floodingc. Alluvial soil: rich soilmade up of sand and mud deposited by moving
water.
Aswan High Dam
Aswan High Dam
Mesopotamia: “The land between two rivers”
• Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in Iraq• The two rivers join to form the Shatt al Arab,
which empties into the Persian Gulf
Shatt al Arab
Wadis
• Wadis: streambeds that remain dry until a heavy rain and often become dangerous after a heavy rain.
Plains, Plateaus, and Mountains
• Coastal plains: fertile plains along the Mediterranean Sea (Moroccan and Algerian coasts and along the Caspian Sea and Persian Gulf)
• Highlands:Atlas Mountains:50% of Moroccan people engage in agriculture and produce,
barley, oats, and wheat)Hejaz: mountain range on western coast of Arabian PeninsulaAsir: area more agriculturally productive on Arabian peninsula
because it gets more rainfall than the Hejaz
Other mountain ranges
• Pontic (Turkey• Taurus (Turkey)• Caucasus• Zagros: southern Iran
Caucasus Mountains
Russian Caucasus
Lowlands
• Kums: dune covered deserts of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
• Garagum (black sand)• Qizilqum (red sand)
Earthquakes
• African, Arabian, and Eurasian plates come together in the region.
• As they clash:a. Build mountainsb.Shift landmassesc. Cause earthquakesTurkey: experiences regular earthquakes
Natural Resources
• Petroleum: 70% of world’s oil reserves• Natural Gas: 33% of natural gas
• Other:• Sulfate: (Paperboard, glass, detergents)• Phosphates: used in fertilizers• Chromium, gold, lead, manganese, and zinc• Iron ore
Potential for diversification
• UAE: banking, information technology, and tourism.
• Libya: invested in infrastructure, agriculture, and fisheries.
Climate and Vegetation
Water scarcity defines the region’s climates
Climates:Desert: predominatesSteppeMediterraneanHighland
Sahara
• Largest desert in the world• 3.5 million square miles• Desert: average less than 10 inches of rain per
year• Sand covers less than 10% of the Sahara (barren
rock, mountains, and desert pavement cover the most)
• Desert encompasses about 50% of the lands in North Africa, Southwest Asia, an Central Asia.
• Sahara
Sahara Desert
Weather Patterns in the Desert
• Central Asia/northern Sahara: cold winters with freezing temperatures
• Southern Sahara/Arabia: winters are milder• Summers are long and hot.
• Ergs: Sand dune covered areas• Regs: stony plains covered with rocky gravel called
“desert pavement”• Hamada: flat, sandstone plateau
Rub al Khali
• “Empty Quarter”• Located on the Arabian Peninsula
• Some vegetation grows: cacti and drought resistant shrubs.
“Empty Quarter”
Oasis: a place where water can be found in a desert
Steppe Climate
• Second largest climate in the region of North Africa, Central Asia, and Southwest Asia
• Steppe borders the Sahara to the north and runs from Turkey to eastern Kazakhstan
• Precipitation averages less than 14 inches per year.
Steppes
Steppes in Kazakhstan
Pastoralism: the raising and grazing of livestock is a way of life
for people in the steppes.• Bedouin Pastoralists
Climatic Variations
• Mediterranean Climate zones:• Cool, rainy winters alternate with hot, dry
summers.• Ideal for tourism• Export citrus fruits, olives and grapes to
Europe and North America
Rainfall
• Coastal and highland areas near mountain ranges receive the most rainfall as moist, warm air is driven off the sea by prevailing westerly winds
• Ex: North African coast• Elburz Mountains in Georgia
• Cereals (food grains such as barley, oats and wheat) can be grown without irrigation if area gets more than 14 inches of rain per year.
Desertification
• Grassy plains turn into desert, especially where small shrubs and trees are used for firewood.
• desertification over time in Libya
Highland Climate
• Caucasus MountainsWetter and colder than other climates in the
region