Geographic Understandings of Southwest Asia The Middle East

GEOGRAPHIC UNDERSTANDINGS
OF SOUTHWEST ASIA THE MIDDLE

EAST
SS7G5,6,7,8
I. Physical Features and Nations of
S.W. ASIA
A. Israel
1. Crossroads between Asia and Africa.
2. Traders and armies going from Asia and
Africa have had to travel through this area.
3. Empires and nations throughout history have
sought to control the territory because of its
location.
A. Israel (continued)
4. Occupied Territories of Israel.
a. Areas taken from Arab
nations following a war.
b. In the north – Golan
Heights
1) Allows Israel to control
crucial high ground from
which they can defend
themselves from their enemy,
Syria.
c. West Bank- area along the west
bank of the Jordan River and
East Jerusalem.
d. Great tension between Arabs
and Israelis.
1) Arabs want land back.
2) Israelis say they won it when
Arab attacked them and Israel
won.
3) Israeli settlers moved into
these areas, Arabs often
respond with violent protests.
5. Capital of Israel is Jerusalem.
a. Sacred city
1) Jews- King Solomon’s temple
2) Christians- Jesus crucified and rose from dead
3) Muslims – Muhammad ascended to heaven
6. Christians and Muslims fought for Jerusalem
during the Crusades.
7. In 1948, Israel became an independent nation and
occupies all of Jerusalem especially after the Six
Day War.
B. The Gaza Strip
1. Israel oversees the Gaza Strip along the
Mediterranean coast between Israel and Egypt.
2. Most people who live here are Palestinians. They
resent Israel.
a. 38 yrs Israel’s military occupied the area.
b. In 2005, the Israelis pulled out and radical Palestinian
groups have used Gaza to launch attacks against
Israel.
B. The Gaza Strip (continued)
c. Israel has been accused of striking back and
hurting innocent civilians living there.
d. In 2008, Israel cut off fuel and electricity to the
Gaza Strip to end the Palestinian strikes.
C. Saudi Arabia
MECCA
1. Found in most of the Arabian Peninsula.
2. The Red Sea is to the west of Saudi Arabia and
the Persian Gulf is to the east.
3. Saudi Arabia exports more oil than any other
nation on earth.
MEDINA
4. Oil accounts for over 2/3 of the Saudi
government’s revenue.
5. It is the home of Mecca and Medina, the two
holiest cities in Islam.
C. Saudi Arabia (continued)
6. Mountain ranges run along the west.
7. Plateau of Nejd covers much of the nation’s
center.
8. Rocky and sandy lowlands on the eastern
side along the Persian Gulf.
9. South is covered by dry, harsh desert.
10. Climate is extremely hot and dry.
11. Saudi Arabia is a Muslim state.
12. The Qur’an, other Muslim writings, and
generations of tradition combine to form Saudi
Arabia’s laws.
13. These laws greatly restrict women’s rights.
14. The Saudis also practice a strict legal code, beat
offenders or cut off their hands or death for
crimes.
15. Most Saudis are Arabs.
16. 200,000 Palestinians live in Saudi Arabia.
17. Saudi Arabia will not give citizenship to these
Palestinians because it would lead to the loss of
Palestinian identity and the end of anti-Israeli
resistance.
18. Saudi Arabia hosts many foreign workers, in its
oil industry.
D. Iraq
1. Lies east of Syria,
Jordan, and Saudi
Arabia.
2. It is west of Iran.
3. Area is known as
“cradle of
civilization.”
4. Capital is Baghdad.
5. Country is mostly
desert.
D. Iraq (continued)
6. 2 of the world’s oldest and most important rivers
run through the country:
a. Tigris River
1) runs south out of Turkey and past
Baghdad then joins the Euphrates River.
b. Euphrates River
2) Empties into the Persian Gulf south
through Syria and Iraq.
D. Iraq (continued)
7. Mountains cover most of the northern Iraq.
8. Winters are mild an cool with summers being
extremely hot and dry.
9. In the higher mountain elevations, cold winter
produce snowfalls that can cause flooding in the
Spring.
10. Has abundant oil and natural gas reserves.
11. Experts say that close to 90% of Iraq’s oil is yet
to be drilled.
E. Iran
1. Once known as Persia, sits at the heart of the
Persian Gulf.
2. It is one of the largest countries in Southwest
Asia.
3. Most of Iran sits in the Iranian Plateau.
4. Very mountainous country with large populations
living in the west.
5. Eastward lie desert regions because of the western
mountains preventing rain from reaching them.
E. Iran (continued)
6. Persian (Farsi) is the official language not Arabic.
7. Various ethnic groups call Iran home:
a. Azeris
b. Turks
c. Kurds 8. Iran is home to the world’s
d. Arabs oldest civilizations.
9. Iran is abundant in oil and is
e. Persians
the major source of income
for the country.
F. Afghanistan
1. Sits directly east of Iran.
2. Crossroad of eastern and western Asia.
3. Has historically been an important area for trade
and is home to a diverse population.
4. It is extremely mountainous.
5. Has no borders on any bodies of water
6. Very dry, hot and extremely cold in winter.
7. Because of its location has lots of earthquakes.
G. Turkey
1. Covers the Anatolian Peninsula in Southwest
Asia.
2. It lies at the crossroad of Europe and Asia.
3. The modern Republic of Turkey was founded
after WWI and the fall of the Ottoman Empire.
II. Physical Features
A. Important bodies of Water
1. Rivers
a. Tigris River runs through Turkey,Iraq,Kuwait
b. Euphrates River runs through Turkey, Syria, Iraq,
Kuwait
c. Jordan River runs along the border between Jordan,
Syria, West Bank and Israel.
1) Considered a sacred river
a) Jews believe it is the river Joshua crossed in Biblical
records.
b) Christians recognize it as the river in which Jesus was
baptized.
A. Important Bodies of Water
2. Suez Canal
a. A man made waterway across part of Egypt.
b. It connects the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea.
c. It allows ships to travel back and forth between two
bodies of water without having to travel around the
south of Africa.
3. Red Sea
a. Sits between North Africa and the Arabian
Peninsula’s western shore.
b. It has long allowed Asia and Africa to engage in trade
with one another by water, while providing countries
like Egypt access to the Indian Ocean.
4. Persian Gulf
a. Separates the eastern shore of Arabian Peninsula and
Iran.
b. Nations around the world recognize its importance to
the world economy.
c. It provides trading access for the abundant oil exports
from Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.
d. This importance also makes it an area where many
wars are fought.
5. Strait of Hormuz
5. A narrow strait that connects the Persian Gulf to the
Arabian Sea.
B. Arabian Desert
 South-Rub’alKhali
(Empty Quarter)
 Middle-
Ad Dahna’
 North- An Nafud
and Syrian Desert

C. More Deserts
 Turkmenuistan-
Kara Kum
 Iran –
Dasht e-Kavir
&
Dash-e Lut
D. Mountains
 Turkey –
 Taurus Mts.
 Azerbaijan –
 Caucasus
 Iran –
 Elburt Mts
 Zagros Mts.
Mountains
 Afghanistan –
 Elburt Mts.
 Zagros Mts.
 Saudi Arabia –
 Hejaz Mts.
 Asir Mts.
 Yemen –
 Hadramawt
Turkey
Saudi Arabia
Afghanistan
Gaza Strip
Israel Iran
Iraq
Jordan River Tigris River
Persian Sea
Euphrates River
Suez Canal
Red Sea Strait of
Hormuz
Arabian Sea

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GEOGRAPHIC UNDERSTANDINGS

OF SOUTHWEST ASIA THE MIDDLE

and Syrian Desert

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