Download North Africa, Southwest Asia and Central Asia

NORTH AFRICA, SOUTHWEST
ASIA AND CENTRAL ASIA
WHAT MAKES THIS A REGION?
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Deserts and Mountains
Population that practices
one of the three major
monotheistic religions
Possession of more than
half of the worlds known
oil reserves
A need for freshwater
resources
A history of external
cultural influences
PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
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Tectonic activity responsible for shaping
landscape
4 tectonic plates converge in this region
Shifting plates have built mountains and
frequently cause earthquakes
Atlas mountains are found in North
Africa
Precipitation on northern side of
mountains makes this an agriculturally
productive region
Along the coast of the Arabian Peninsula
two mountain ranges, Hejaz and Asir,
Asir region the most agriculturally
productive region in Southwest Asia
Caucus Mountains are found between
the Caspian and Black Seas
PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
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Coastal Plains are the most fertile
regions and support agriculture
Major peninsulas- Arabian, Sinai,
Anatolian
Landlocked bodies of saltwater are
found in the region
Caspian Sea- largest inland body of
water on Earth
Dead Sea on the border of Israel
and Jordan is at the mouth of the
Jordan River
Aral Sea in Central Asia
1960’s fourth largest body of water
in the world
Dried up in the 1970’s to present
because of water used for irrigation
to grow cotton, split the sea north
and south
PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
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Water Systems
Region lacks abundant water resources
and rivers have always been important
and affected development
Nile River fertile land along river
home to one of the worlds earliest
civilizations
90% of population lives in Nile River
delta (3% of Egypt’s land)
Aswan High Dam on Nile provides
hydroelectric power and water for
agriculture
Tigris- Euphrates valley in
Southwest Asia was a cradle of
civilization
Today dams provide water for
agriculture and hydroelectric power for
Syria, Iraq and Turkey
PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
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Oil and natural gas are the
most important natural
resources in the region
Region contains over 60% of
the know world oil reserves
Oil exports have enriched the
region
Economy can rise or sink
because of fluctuation in
world oil markets
Many countries in the region
are trying to diversify their
economies away from reliance
on oil exports
CLIMATE
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Water scarcity affects the regions
climate
Deserts cover more than 50% of
the region
Sahara Desert largest desert in
the world, covers North Africa
Weather patterns in deserts are
extreme, cold nights and long hot
summers
Rub al-Khali in Saudi Arabia
largest area of sand in the world
Some nomadic herding and small
scale farming is possible in oasis
regions
Villages develop around oases
CLIMATE
Steppe is the second largest
climate region
 Supports livestock grazing
 Mediterranean climates
are found in coastal areas
 Countries rely on
Mediterranean climates to
export citrus fruits, olives to
Europe and North America
 These regions also benefit
from tourism
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CULTURAL GEOGRAPHY
NORTH AFRICA
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Indigenous cultures of North Africa
have mixed with Arab and European
cultures
Spanish, French, Roman, Jewish and
Muslim cultures have influenced the
region
European influence mainly in coastal
North Arica (Morocco, Algeria,
Tunisia)
Primary cultural mixture is Arab and
indigenous cultures
Arab invaders mixed with native
Berber people
Berbers exist today as farmers and
pastoral nomads
Arabs migrated to the region around
600
NORTH AFRICA
Availability of water has influenced settlement
 Most people settled along seacoasts and river
deltas
 Cairo, Egypt is one of the most densely populated
cities on the planet
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NORTH AFRICA
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Location near Europe and Southwest Asia has made the
region vulnerable to invasion over the centuries
Regions farmers were among the first in the world to
domesticate plants and animals
One of the world first great civilizations developed in the Nile
River Valley
In the 600’s Arab invasions and heavily influenced cultures of
the region
The Arabs brought their language, architecture and Islam
European colonial influence in the 1800’s helped develop the
regions geometric boundaries
NORTH AFRICA
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Egypt gained independence in 1922 from Great
Britain
Typically pro- Western in their views, country
has a large military
Their control of the Suez canal has made it a
key regional power
Egypt is also a center of Arab nationalism
Algeria gained independence from France in
1962
They have developed their natural resources
(oil) and raised their standard of living
Libya gained independence from Italy in 1951
Since 1969 they have been ruled by a military
dictator Muammar Kaddafi (until last year)
Morocco and Tunisia gained independence
from France in 1956
NORTH AFRICA
 Most
people in North Africa
practice Islam
 Most share the Arabic
language
 Literacy rates range widely
from 52% in Morocco to 82% in
Libya
 Health care is government run
in most countries, with urban
areas receiving better health
care than rural areas
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN
Countries in the region include: Israel, Jordan,
Syria, Lebanon
 Dry desert climate of the region causes majority
of population to live along coasts and Euphrates
River Valley
 Parts of region have highest population densities
in the region
 Eastern Mediterranean is 75% urban
 People from over 100 countries have settled in
Israel, makes an ethnically diverse country
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EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN
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Region is inhabited by Jews and Arabs
Most Jews live in Israel
Trace heritage to region that is today Israel
and Lebanon
Invasions led to exile and persecution, forced
many Jews to relocate to different countries
1948 Israel founded as an independent Jewish
state
Arabs in region did not want Jewish state that
had been their homeland for centuries,
brought a series of six wars to the region sine
1948
Palestinians are the Arab people that live
where Israel is today
Many have been displaced from their homes
and have been forced to become refugees
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN
Three major religions began in
region
 Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
 All three share similar beliefs,
especially monotheism
 Judaism is the oldest of the
monotheistic faiths
 Christianity was founded in the
land of Israel in AD 30
 Islamic tradition began on
nearby Arabian peninsula and
spread to the region by AD 700
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EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN
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Jews in the late 1800’s called Zionists ,
called for a return to Palestine and the
foundation of a Jewish state
After WWII the UN divided Palestine into
a Jewish state and an Arab state
1948 Jews proclaim the independent state
of Israel
Series of wars occurred over the next 50
years and caused many Palestinians to
become refugees
Many Palestinians today live in Israeli
controlled settlements in Israel
Palestinians want an independent state
of their own
Israel agreed to give the Palestinians
some self rule in the 1990’s, but have
since changed their position
The militant Palestinians group Hamas
has supported attacks on Israeli territory
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN
Most people in are Muslim
 Large groups of Christians live in Syria and
Lebanon
 Hebrew is spoken in Israel, while other countries
speak Arabic
 Literacy rates vary from 76% in Syria to 96% in
Israel
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