Download Southwest Asia Landforms and Resources

SOUTHWEST ASIA
LANDFORMS AND
RESOURCES
CH 21 SEC 1
I. LANDFORMS DIVIDE THE REGION
• The most distinctive landform
is the Arabian Peninsula,
surrounded by the Red Sea
and the Persian Gulf. The
Red Sea fills in a rift valley
between Africa and the
peninsula.
• The Anatolian Peninsula,
which contains Turkey, is
where Europe and Asia meet.
I. LANDFORMS DIVIDE THE REGION
• Important waterways in the
area include the Suez Canal,
which connects the Red Sea
and the Mediterranean Sea.
It is under the control of Egypt.
• The Bosporus and Dardanelles
Straits connect the
Mediterranean and Black
Seas. They control trade into
Russia and the interior of Asia.
I. LANDFORMS DIVIDE THE REGION
• The Arabian Peninsula is mostly
covered by plains, with a large
desert expanse bordered on
the south by the Hejaz
Mountains. People developed
a nomadic lifestyle in search of
water.
• Iran and Turkey have high
plateaus that are able to
produce some crops, and the
Northern Plain of Afghanistan
there is a very fertile plain.
I. LANDFORMS DIVIDE THE REGION
• There are many mountain
ranges that run throughout
the region, dividing up the
land. The Kush Mountains in
Afghanistan make the country
rugged and difficult to cross.
• The Zagros Mountains border
Iran, and the Taurus
Mountains separate Turkey
from the rest of the region.
I. LANDFORMS DIVIDE THE REGION
• The seas that surround the
region are not the only
important waterways. Two of
the most famous rivers in the
world, the Tigris and
Euphrates, run through Iraq
into the Persian Gulf.
• The Jordan River flows from
Lebanon through Israel into
the Dead Sea, providing
water to the arid region.
I. LANDFORMS DIVIDE THE REGION
• The Dead Sea has no outlet,
and is in the lowest place on
earth, so the water just
evaporates, leaving behind
the minerals in the sea. It is
so salty that nothing can live
in it.
II. RESOURCES FOR A MODERN WORLD
• The most abundant resource
in the region is oil, along with
natural gas. The economies of
almost all of the countries rely
on the sale of oil.
• The most needed resource for
the region is water, except in a
few regions. There are some
other resources in the region,
but oil is the most important.
IN YOUR NOTEBOOKS
• Answer questions 1 through 4 on page 490.