Southwest Asia

1. Southwest Asia

2. Landforms Divide the Region • Southwest Asia is mostly desert • The land ranges from coastal plains to snow peak mountains • Forms a land bridge between Asia, Africa and Europe • The region is situated on the edge of a huge tectonic plate • Part of the Arabian Peninsula is pulling away from the rest of Africa

3. Arabian Peninsula • Arabian Peninsula • Separated from Africa by Red Sea, on Southwest and rest of Asia by the Persian Gulf • Rea Sea is part of the Great Rift Valley • Rub Al-Khali is largest sand desert in the world • Much of the Arabian Peninsula is covered by plains. • People living on Arabian Peninsula adjusted by living nomadic lives in search of water

4. Anatolian Peninsula • Anatolian Peninsula– occupied by Turkey, marks beginning of the Asian continent • Much of Anatolia is a plateau, some areas for agriculture, some for livestock • Both the Arabian and Anatolians Peninsula are on strategic waterways • Red Sea-connected to the Mediterranean Sea by the Suez Canal • Bosporus Straitand Dardenelles Strait-connects the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea and Mediterranean Sea (important for trade with Russia) • Strait of Hormuz-connects the Persian Gulf with the Indian Ocean. This is important because this allows access to the oil fields of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq

7. Plains and Highlands • Arabian Peninsula is a plain • Few activates occur here • Most of the land is barren (empty) with some low hills, ridges and wadis – riverbeds that remain dry except during rainy seasons • Most of Iran is a plateau surrounded by mountains. • It is isolated and very high. • The land is very arid. • The surrounding the plateau can produce some crops. • Northern Plain of Afghanistan is a well-watered area that is surrounded by high mountains (which isolate it from other regions)

9. Mountains • Rugged mountains divide the land • Hindu Kush mountains (isolate Afghanistan from Pakistan) • Mountains have a series of caves • Zagros Mountains – Western Iran (isolate it from the rest of Southwest Asia) • Elburz mountains-northern Iran (separates Caspian Sea from Iran) • Taurus Mountains – separate Turkey from the rest of Asia • In spite of these barriers, people, ideas, goods still spread. • One of the ways they spread is water.

11. Water Bodies • Region is surrounded by bodies of water. • Important for trade and access to other parts of the world • The region is arid so few rivers flow the entire year • Tigris and the Euphrates • Called the “Fertile Crescent” • Worlds first civilizations developed here • Valleys are fertile, well- watered and good for agriculture • Jordan River • Forms the boundary between Israel and Jordan • Dead Sea – • Land locked salt lake. • Only bacteria can live there. • Lowest place on earth. It is 1,349 feet below sea level

14. Resources • Oil (most important resource) • Found on the Arabian Peninsula, Iran and Iraq • Also found along coast of Persian Gulf and in Persian Gulf itself • More than ½ of the world’s oil comes from the Middle East • OPEC • Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries • Regulate supply and prices of oil

15. Resources • Water • The most valuable resource in Southwest Asia • Turkey, Iran, Lebanon and Afghanistan water is plentiful • It is harnessed for hydroelectricity • Elsewhere water is a scarce resource that must be constantly guarded and carefully used • Other resources such as coal, copper, potash and phosphates

16. Arid Lands • Southwest Asia is extremely arid (dry) • Receive less than 18 inches of precipitation a year • Most of the land is covered in sand dunes and salt flats. • Rivers do not flow year-around • Vegetation and animals living in the desert can survive on little water and in extreme temperatures. • Irrigation is important

17. Other types of Climate • Mediterranean climate • Land is green and lush • Highland climates • Areas in the mountains of Southwest Asia have a cool climate

18. Deserts Limit Movement • Rub al-Khali (empty quarter) • Largest Sand desert in the world • Called “place where no one comes out,” is a vast desert • Size of Texas. • The temperature can exceed 150° degrees • Fahrenheit • Sand dunes up to 800 feet high • An–Nafud desert • Has several oasis • Has severe sandstorms and brutal heat • Syrian desert • separate coastal regions of Lebanon, Israel, and Syria from Tigris and Euphrates valleys • Negev desert • occupies Israel, produces crops through irrigation

19. Rub al-Khali

20. Salt Deserts • Lands in the rain shadow of a mountain range are usually arid • In Iran, mountains block rain and dry winds increase evaporation. So when winds evaporate the moisture in the soil, chemical salts remain creating salt flat • Past-e Kavir – central Iran • Past- e Luf –eastern Iran

21. Semiarid Lands • On the edge of the desert are semi-arid (partly dry) lands • Warm to hot summers with enough rain for shrubs and grasses • Cotton and wheat can be grown here • Good pasture for animals • In Turkey they herd mohair goats

22. Well-watered coast lands • Along the Mediterranean and across most of Turkey, hot summers and rainywinters create good climate for fruits, olives and vegetables • Farmers can grow crops year round • Tigris and Euphrates flood yearly • Site of intensive farming • Turkey and Iraq have created dams along rivers to provide irrigation all year.

23. Providing Precious Water • Critical resource is water • Fresh water is available only in small amounts and not consistently • To meet the needs of large farms and from growing population, countries must construct dams and irrigation systems (page 496)

24. 1. Drip irrigation places water just at the root zone, reducing evaporation of precious water. This system is located in the Negev Desert in Israel. 2. A bag of water is collected by using this pump. It is a part of a qanat—a system of underground brick-lined tunnels and wells that collect runoff water from the mountains. 3. This irrigation canal in Oman has delivered water for over a thousand years. The canals are carefully maintained to provide water for agriculture. 4. A noria—or waterwheel run by the flow of water or by animal power—is used to lift water from the river to the fields. These two are located in Syria on the Orontes River.

25. Dams and Irrigation systems • Ancient practices for providing water work well for small fields but are not efficient for large-scale farming • Dams and Irrigation systems must be constructed • Examples: • Turkey • is building a series of dams and a man-made lake using water from the Euphrates River • Countries downstream are mad because they will lose the use of water • Some countries even threaten war. • Israel • National Water Carrier Project in Israel carries water from the north to the south. It is used for drinking and irrigation. • Is a source of international conflict because water sources flow through many countries

26. Modern Water Technology • Drip irrigation – using small pipes that slowly drip water just above ground to conserve water • Desalinization-removing salt from water using sophisticated treatments • Not used for farming/used for waste water • Waste water is treated • Expensive • Fossil water – water from aquifers. But only 25-30 years of that supply remains.

27. Oil from the Sand • Fields discovered in Southwest Asia contain about ½ of all petroleum reserves in the world. • Petroleum is the source of gasoline for cars, heating oil, and used to make fertilizers and plastics. • Southwest Asia is a very important region economically.

28. Forming Petroleum • Dead plant and animal remains mingled with sand and mud on the bottom of the sea over time, pressure and heat transformed the material into hydrocarbons , which form the chemical basis of oil and natural gas • Oil and gas are trapped in rock • Engineers use sophisticated equipment to extract, or remove oil

29. Early Exploration • Industrialization and the invention of the automobile made petroleum a highly desired resource. • First oil discovered in Southwest Asia was in 1908 in Iran • In 1938, oil companies found more oil fields in the Arabian Peninsula and Persian Gulf • In 1948, oil companies discovered portions of what would become one of world’s largest oil fields at al-Ghawar. The field contains more than ¼ of Saudi Arabia’s reserves of oil

30. Transporting Oil • Crude oil- petroleum that has not been processed • Refinery – converts the crude oil into useful products • Pipelines transport the crude oil either to refineries or to ports where oil is picked up by tankers and moved to other places for processing (see diagram on page 498)

31. Risks of Transporting Oil • Oil spills • Largest oil spill was in 1991 • 240 million gallons spilled into the Persian Gulf during Gulf War • Pipes are monitored for drops in pressure to check for leaks • Ocean-going tankers are at a much higher risk for causing pollution. • Collisions or running aground

32. Southwest AsiaHuman Geography

33. Arabian Peninsula • Major intersection of three continents: Europe, Asia, and Africa • Important region for cultural convergence

34. Islam Change Desert Cultures • Town Changes Desert Culture • In the past towns served as trade centers for caravans moving across the desert

35. Islam Change Desert Cultures • Other cities were ports where goods were exchanged between Europe and East Asia (China and India) • Nomadic desert dwellers called Bedouins moved across the peninsula from oasis to oasis • Adapted to harsh conditions of the desert • Built strong family ties • Fought against other families and clans for pasture lands for livestock

36. Islam • By the early 600s, trade became an important activity in the Arabian peninsula. Merchants from the north brought spices and other goods. They also brought new ideas. • At this time, some Arab people believed in many gods. Religious pilgrims came to Mecca to worship at an ancient shrine called the Ka’aba

37. Who is Muhammad? • Around the year 570, Muhammad was born into this Arab society. At around age 40, he took religion as his life’s mission and became a prophet (someone who speaks the word of god). According to Muslim belief, the angel Gabriel visited Muhammad and told him to speak the word of God to his people.

38. Who is Muhammad? • Muhammad began to teach that there was only one god-Allah • It is a monotheistic religion. • The religion was based on the teachings of Muhammad • It is called Islam. • Its followers are called Muslims.

39. Who is Muhammad? • Gradually, Muhammad and his followers gained power. Many of the people of Mecca adopted Islam. They began to worship Allah as the only god. • When Muhammad died in 632, much of the Arabian peninsula was already united under Islam.

40. What do Muslims believe and practice? • Muslims have five duties to perform. The duties show a person’s acceptance of the will of Allah: • Faith • A Muslim must state the belief that, “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah” • Prayer • A Muslim must pray to Allah, facing Mecca, five times every day. This may be done at a mosque, and Islamic house of worship. • Charity • A Muslim must give alms, or money for the poor, through a tax. • Fasting • A Muslim must fast during the holy month of Ramadan. Muslims eat only one meal a day, after sunset, every day during this month. • Pilgrimage • A Muslim should perform the hajj-a trip to the holy city of Mecca-at least once in his or her life.

41. What do Muslims believe and practice? • The central ideas of Islam are found in the Qur’an. Muslims believe this book states the will of Allah as revealed to Muhammad. • Muslims believe that Allah is the same God that Jews and Christians worship. To Muslims, the Qur’an perfects the earlier teachings of God found in the Jewish Torah and the Christian Bible.

42. How did other leaders spread Islam? • Muslims conquered areas in East and North Africa, Southwest Asia, and parts of Eastern Europe • Many of the people conquered by the Muslims adopted Islam and Arabic (the language of Arabia).

43. Governments change hands • Governments controlled by Muslims were theocratic (theocracy). • Religious leaders controlled government • Rulers relied on religious law and consulted with religious scholars on running country • Ex. Iran

44. Colonial Powers take control • By end of 1600’s, the leaders of Muslims nations were weak. • England and France were establishing empires throughout the world • Middle East fell to France and Britain after WWII • Wanted to control Suez Canal and oil.

45. Abdul al-Aziz Ibn Saud • In the early 1920s a leader named Abdul al Aziz Ibn Saud came to power and united the Arabian Peninsula. This area became known as Saudi Arabia. • Today the country is a monarchy ruled by the Saud family.

46. Oil dominates economy • Region grew in global importance as oil became more important to the economies of all nations. • Profits from oil production allowed them to funnel money into other parts of their economy like water development • Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) – • The purpose is to control oil prices and production • Includes Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oatar, the United Arab Emirates, Iran , and Iraq

47. Modern Arabic Life • Changes during the 20th century were dramatic. • The region is now using western technology. (westernization/modernizing) • Camels replaced by automobile • Markets called bazaars or souks replaced by malls/supermarket

48. The change to Urban Life • Because of oil the middle east has urbanized. • There has been a shift from a nomadic life to an urban life. • 1968- region was 25% urban • 1990 – 58% urban • Saudi Arabia has 83% of population in cities • Riyadh has a population of 4 million • Oil has also caused a shift to more technical jobs. • Arabic nations have scrambled to upgrade education to meet the needs of the technological age. • They could not meet these needs • Foreign workers were brought in to fill these jobs • Qatar has one 1 in 5 workers who is native.

49. Religious duties shape lives • Women cover their heads, hair and faces • More Arabic women are becoming educated. • Family is viewed as important and many women stay at home to manage household affairs • Muslims stop activities and pray at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and before bed, sometimes, traffic stops during prayer times • On Fridays, Muslims gather for congregational prayer at mosques • Ramadan- fasting- do not eat or drink during day light hours