Physical Geography of SW & Central Asia, and N. Africa

1. Physical Geography of SW & Central Asia, and N. Africa Ch. 17

2. Seas & Peninsulas • Arabian Peninsula • Separated from Africa by Gulf of Aden & Red Sea • Sinai Pen. & Suez Canal separate the land to the north/west • Persian Gulf is on the east side Gulf of Aden

3. Seas & Peninsulas • Anatolia Pen. • Black Sea to North • Aegean Sea to West • Mediterranean Sea to South • Many straits connecting seas ($$) Bosporus Strait Aegean Sea ANATOLIA

4. Seas & Peninsulas • Strait of Gibraltar • Separates Africa from Iberian Pen. • Only a dozen miles or so wide • ‘gateway to Africa’

5. Seas & Peninsulas • Dead Sea • On Jordan River (border w/ Israel) • 7X saltier than any ocean • In the 50s • L= 262 m, W= 57 m • Today • L= 42 m, W= 11 m • What does this mean?

7. Seas & Peninsulas • Caspian Sea • Largest inland/landlocked body of water (lake) • But it is salt water!! (remnants of larger sea) • Facing evaporation & irrigation/industry uses, but in flow from feeder rivers

8. Seas & Peninsulas • Aral Sea • Use to be large & have productive fishing • Shrunk drastically due to USSR draining it for irrigation • Ppl build sm. dams to create basins of freshwater from rivers

9. Rivers • Nile River • Longest in world • Flows NORTH to Med. Sea • 90% of Egyptians live in delta or along river (= 3% of land) • Faces great flood seasons  built Aswan High Dam for control, but it limits alluvial soil Aswan High Dam

11. Rivers • Tigris & Euphrates • Mesopotamia or ‘land b/w two rivers’; aka Fertile Crescent • Join to form Shatt al Arab • Border of Iraq & Iran • Wars & treaties over it

12. Rivers • Wadis- dry streambeds that will fill with heavy rain  flash floods (seasonal) • Since they are typically arid, creates mud quickly dangerous mud flows Wadi in Oman

13. Plains, Plateaus, & Mtns. • Since most is desert/steppe agricultural base = coastal areas of Med. Sea, Caspian Sea, & Persian Gulf • Atlas Mtns • Longest mtn range • Stretches from Morocco to Algeria • Northern side of Atlas allows for lots of agric. (farms, fishing, livestock) • Rainy side, Mediterranean climate

14. Plains, Plateaus, & Mtns. • Hejaz & Asir • West coast of Arabian Pen. • Some rainshadow effect to Central Plateau • Caucasus Mtns • b/w Black & Caspian Sea • Seen as border b/w European Russia & Asia

15. Plains, Plateaus, & Mtns. • Garagum (Karakum)- • Black sand desert, covers 70% of Turkmenistan • Qizilqum (Kyzyl Kum)- • Red sand desert in Uzbekistan & Kazakhstan Use wide spaces for livestock

17. Tectonic Activity • Meeting point of the African, Arabian, & Eurasian plates • Reason for mountainous terrain • Many earthquakes • Turkey 1999 • Iran has 90% of land on faults • Landforms still Δing • Red Sea

19. Natural Resources • Oil (petroleum) & nat. gas are region’s most abundant resources • 70% of world’s oil • 33% of world’s nat. gas • Reserves are still being discovered! • WWII sparked production as we moved to modern industry/reliance

20. Natural Resources Completed Dubai Tower • Prob w/ oil dependence b/c economy stability fluctuates as oil prices fluctuate • Many countries are now diversifying • UAE  banking, info. tech, tourism • Libya  infrastructure, fisheries

21. The Climate!

22. Water! • Lots of rainfall in some areas; others do not get much at all • Caspian Sea: southern areas @ 78+ inches a year • Most areas in the Middle East are desert or steppe climates; do not get much rainfall • Water resources very scarce in many desert/steppe climate regions

23. Desert Climate • Sahara dominates North Africa • Sand = only 10 • Encompass 50% of Middle East areas • Definition: 10 inches or less of precip a year • Extreeeeeeme Climate! • Rub’al Khali, aka-Empty Quarter • Largest area of sand in the region • Characteristics: • Ergs: sandy-colored dunes • Regs: stony plains covered with “desert pavement” • Cities, villages built around Sahara oasis, or places in the desert where underground water surfaces

24. Steppe Climate • Second-largest climate region • Average rainfall @ less than 14 in/yr • Can support SOME vegetation, like short grasses, which provide pasture for animals • Bedouins, the people of the steppe climate • Way of life: pastoralism, or raising & grazing of livestock

25. Other climates • Mediterranean: Morocco, Tunisia • More moderate, loveable climate = MONEY!  • Boost economy by exporting grapes, citrus fruits, and olives to Europe & North America • Tourism! • Agadir = 360 days of sunshine a year  tourist  $$$$$$$ • Highlands: Caucasus Mountains • Generally wetter & cooler • Climate varies with elevation, exposure to wind & sun • C&H areas near mountain ranges tend to have abundant rainfall because of warm air from the seas from prevailing westerly winds

26. Landscape: Effects from Climate Change • Grassy plains  desert • (Desertification!!!!)

27. “Black Gold” Review

28. Dubai: Case Study • Dubai = 1/7 states in the UAE • Oil has shaped the way Dubai has developed over the past 50 years: • Before: a small town new to electricity, nomads (bedouins) in nearby desert • Now: one of the largest man-made harbors, modern, developed • Reason? • One of the world’s largest oil reserves, or area with underground oil that has been discovered, but not yet used!

29. Oil = trea$ure • More than ½ of the world’s crude oil reserves in Southwest Asia • Crude oil : petroleum as it is found on the ground • High demand for natural oil & gas • Energy needs in developed countries • Transportation • Plastics, medicines, etc. • Is a nonrenewable resource (a resource of limited amount)—can be run out! • Unevenly distributed • Saudi Arabia has the most • Kuwait still important; still has 10% of world’s oil reserves

31. How is it formed?

34. Effects on Development (GDP & HDI) • Quick Review: • GDP: value of all goods/services in a country • GDP Per capita: includes population; “value per person” • HDI: ranks countries based on economic, social and demographics (not just GDP!) • UAE & Kuwait have a high GDP AND a low population = high HDI! • Saudi Arabia & Iran: High GDP, but HIGH population = lower HDI

36. OPEC • Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries • Goals: • steady supply of oil flowing out of oil-producing companies • Steady flow of money for profit • Keep prices of oil steady  competition! • Too much oil for sale = prices too low, less competition • Too little oil for sale = prices too high, more competition • 11 Member countries, including seven Middle Eastern countries: • Iran • Iraq • Qatar • Kuwait • United Arab Emirates • Libya • Algeria

37. Issues with Oil: Persian Gulf War • 1990: Saddam Hussein (Iraq) orders troops to invade neighboring Kuwait, takes over oil fields • Alliance formed: • United States, others feared he would target another country (Saudi Arabia) & have even MORE control of oil supply  cut off sales  energy shortages • Ended in 1991, alliance wins! • Victory message: as long as oil was the main source of energy, countries that import oil will work to keep it flowing.

38. Changes in Production over Time • Issue: heavy reliance on NON-renewable resources, which will eventually run out • Solutions? • Increase use of renewable resources over the last 30+ years • Nuclear power • Hydroelectric power • Solar power • Natural gas • DECREASE use of non-renewable sources