Download Middle East Geography and Climate Notes

Middle East Geography and
Climate Notes
1) Between the Tigris and Euphrates
rivers is an _______________; perfect
for farming due to its fertile soil.
• G- Alluvial Plain
• Alluvial plain- area built up by rich fertile soil
left by river floods.
2) After flooding this substance settled
on the land and made it fertile for
growing crops.
• Silt – K
• Silt- small particles of rich soil
3) This is formed when layers of
sediment are hardened by the intense
weight of more material piled on
above.
• Sedimentary Rock – J
• Sedimentary Rock- type of rock formed when
layers of sediment, or dirt from the ocean
floor, are compressed together and harden.
4) This resource collects in the gaps in
sedimentary rock.
• Oil – H
• AKA: Petroleum
• Oil- Black oily substance found far beneath the
earth’s surface. Often used for fuel.
5) Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia,
developed in this.
• Wadi – C
• Wadi- dry river bed that fills with water when
rare rains fall in a desert.
6) Many towns and cities have grown
around these fertile areas in the
desert.
• Oasis or Oases – L
• Oasis- fertile area in the desert wherever water is
regularly available.
• Where does the water come from?
7) These grassy plains are found in
Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan.
• Steppes –A
• Steppe- partly dry grassland often found on
the edges of a desert.
8) I live on the move. I am a follower. I
am a _______________.
• Nomad – F
• Nomad- person who lives by moving from place to
place to follow herd of migrating animals that they
hunt or to lead herds of grazing animals to fresh
pasture.
9) This is a method in which land is left
unplanted every few years so that is
can build up and store moisture.
• Dry Farming – I
• Dry farming- agriculture that conserves water
and uses crops and growing methods suited to
semiarid environments.
10) Some countries, such as Saudi
Arabia, draw their water from these
underground reserves.
• Aquifer – B
• Aquifer- underground layer of rock through
which water flows.
11) Southwest Asia is the world’s
leader in creating usable water from
seawater because they have built
many _______________ plants in the
oil-rich countries.
• Desalination- D
• Desalination- proces of treating seawater to
remove salts and minerals and make it
drinkable.
12) To control flooding and carry water
to their fields, farmers built walls,
waterways, and ditches. This
represents ___________________.
• Irrigation – E
• Irrigation- process of collecting water and
distributing it to crops.
Additional Questions pg 130-133
• 13. How have the bodies of water that surround the Southwest Asia
helped the people?
– Increased trade
• 14. What bodies of water does the Suez Canal connect?
– Red Sea and Mediterranean Sea
• 15. Why is the Strait of Hormuz important?
– Allows oil tankers to enter and leave the Persian Gulf
• 16. What still causes the earth to shake in Southwest Asia?
– Movement of tectonic plates
• 17. What is the Khyber Pass?
– Narrow gap in the Hindu Kush Mountains used as a trade route
• 18. Where and what is Mesopotamia?
– An alluvial plain between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
• 19. What resource, other than oil, is common in Southwest Asia? How is
it used?
– Phosphates to make fertilizer
• 20. Name three causes of pollution in Southwest Asia.
– Oil spills, misuses of water (make land unusable), and oil refineries cause air
pollution
Additional Questions pgs 134-138
• 21. What is known as the Empty Quarter?
– Rub al Khali
• 22. Describe the size and climate of this area.
– Size of Texas with temperature that range from 124° to 32°
• 23. What area of the Southwest Asia does not have a dry,
desert climate?
– Coastal areas near the Mediterranean Sea (Turkey)
• 24. What is difficult for the people who live in the highland
regions of Iran and Afghanistan? Why?
– Mountains make farming difficult
• 25. How are scarce water resources in the region leading to
conflict?
– Limits water and the building of dams cause