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Physical Geography North Africa and Southwest Asia ©2012, TESCCC World Geography Unit 8, Lesson 1 Factors of Settlement • Physical Factors- most settlements cluster near bodies of water such as rivers and gulfs. People also settle in areas that have access to fresh water. Low-lying areas near fertile soil also attracts settlement. Temperate and mild climate regions are also regions of large settlement. • Human Factors- people settle in areas where they have access to natural resources, economic activities, and along transportation routes. ©2012, TESCCC How do geographers study human settlement? • A number of tools are available for geographers to study settlement patterns. These include • GIS • Maps (atlas) • Government data (charts, graphs, reports) ©2012, TESCCC So where were the first settlements located in North Africa and Southwest Asia? • Fertile Crescent (Tigris and Euphrates River Valley) (Mesopotamia) • Nile River Valley ©2012, TESCCC Mesopotamia • The earliest cities have been uncovered in the Tigris and Euphrates River valleys. About 3500 B.C. civilizations began here due to the rich soil created by the rivers. • Mesopotamia is the land that is located between the two rivers. ©2012, TESCCC Nile River Valley • The annual flooding of the river brought nutrients to the soil and allowed farmers to grow crops in abundance. • Farmers were able to predict the time of the floods and farming became more reliable. • People relied less on nomadic ways of life. • Farmers learned to retain water for use later in the year by developing an irrigation system. ©2012, TESCCC The Nile Delta at Night ©2012, TESCCC Persian Gulf • The Persian Gulf is located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula. It is an extension of the Indian Ocean. • The discovery of oil, transformed the region to one of desolation to one of commercial wealth as the demand for oil globally exploded. ©2012, TESCCC Then…. Now Dubai in the mid 20th century ©2012, TESCCC Dubai today Sahara • The largest desert in the world. • It stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea. • Temperatures can rise to over 130 degrees. • The desert consists of sand, mountains, gravel, and rock formations. • Under ground water supplies-aquifers- can come to the surface. They can create an oasis. • In an oasis wildlife and vegetation can survive. ©2012, TESCCC Sahel • Sahel means shore of the desert. • The Sahel is a narrow band of dry grassland that runs east to west along the edge of the Sahara. It receives very little rainfall. • People use the Sahel for farming and herding. • The Sahara has spread into the Sahel leading to desertification. ©2012, TESCCC Population Distribution • The majority of the population in this realm lives not in the dry arid regions, but around water sources. • The Nile • Mediterranean Sea • Euphrates and Tigris Basin • Lower mountain slopes of Iran, south of the Caspian Sea ©2012, TESCCC Water- A Renewable or Finite Resource? • Water is critical for life, food production, and industrial processes. • 9 out of the 14 Southwest Asian states face water shortage conditions. The most concentrated region of water scarcity in the world. • The North African states all have rates of natural increase above 2.0%, increasing the stress on water sources. ©2012, TESCCC Other Noteable Physical Features of North Africa and Southwest Asia • • • • • • • • Atlas Mountains Nubian Desert Red Sea Gulf of Aden Strait of Hormuz Anatolia Black Sea Caspian Sea ©2012, TESCCC • Dead Sea • Arabian Sea • Suez Canal