North Africa, Southwest Asia and Central Asia

1. North Africa, Southwest Asia and Central Asia

2. What makes this A Region? • Deserts and Mountains • Population that practices one of the three major monotheistic religions • Possession of more than half of the worlds known oil reserves • A need for freshwater resources • A history of external cultural influences

3. Physical Geography • Tectonic activity responsible for shaping landscape • 4 tectonic plates converge in this region • Shifting plates have built mountains and frequently cause earthquakes • Atlas mountains are found in North Africa • Precipitation on northern side of mountains makes this an agriculturally productive region • Along the coast of the Arabian Peninsula two mountain ranges, Hejaz and Asir, • Asir region the most agriculturally productive region in Southwest Asia • Caucus Mountains are found between the Caspian and Black Seas

4. Physical Geography • Coastal Plains are the most fertile regions and support agriculture • Major peninsulas- Arabian, Sinai, Anatolian • Landlocked bodies of saltwater are found in the region • Caspian Sea- largest inland body of water on Earth • Dead Sea on the border of Israel and Jordan is at the mouth of the Jordan River • Aral Sea in Central Asia • 1960’s fourth largest body of water in the world • Dried up in the 1970’s to present because of water used for irrigation to grow cotton, split the sea north and south

6. Physical Geography • Water Systems • Region lacks abundant water resources and rivers have always been important and affected development • Nile River fertile land along river home to one of the worlds earliest civilizations • 90% of population lives in Nile River delta (3% of Egypt’s land) • Aswan High Dam on Nile provides hydroelectric power and water for agriculture • Tigris- Euphrates valley in Southwest Asia was a cradle of civilization • Today dams provide water for agriculture and hydroelectric power for Syria, Iraq and Turkey

7. Physical Geography • Oil and natural gas are the most important natural resources in the region • Region contains over 60% of the know world oil reserves • Oil exports have enriched the region • Economy can rise or sink because of fluctuation in world oil markets • Many countries in the region are trying to diversify their economies away from reliance on oil exports

8. Climate • Water scarcity affects the regions climate • Deserts cover more than 50% of the region • Sahara Desert largest desert in the world, covers North Africa • Weather patterns in deserts are extreme, cold nights and long hot summers • Rub al-Khali in Saudi Arabia largest area of sand in the world • Some nomadic herding and small scale farming is possible in oasis regions • Villages develop around oases

9. Climate • Steppe is the second largest climate region • Supports livestock grazing • Mediterranean climates are found in coastal areas • Countries rely on Mediterranean climates to export citrus fruits, olives to Europe and North America • These regions also benefit from tourism

10. Cultural Geography

11. North Africa • Indigenous cultures of North Africa have mixed with Arab and European cultures • Spanish, French, Roman, Jewish and Muslim cultures have influenced the region • European influence mainly in coastal North Arica (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia) • Primary cultural mixture is Arab and indigenous cultures • Arab invaders mixed with native Berber people • Berbers exist today as farmers and pastoral nomads • Arabs migrated to the region around 600

12. North Africa • Availability of water has influenced settlement • Most people settled along seacoasts and river deltas • Cairo, Egypt is one of the most densely populated cities on the planet

13. North Africa • Location near Europe and Southwest Asia has made the region vulnerable to invasion over the centuries • Regions farmers were among the first in the world to domesticate plants and animals • One of the world first great civilizations developed in the Nile River Valley • In the 600’s Arab invasions and heavily influenced cultures of the region • The Arabs brought their language, architecture and Islam • European colonial influence in the 1800’s helped develop the regions geometric boundaries

14. North Africa • Egypt gained independence in 1922 from Great Britain • Typically pro- Western in their views, country has a large military • Their control of the Suez canal has made it a key regional power • Egypt is also a center of Arab nationalism • Algeria gained independence from France in 1962 • They have developed their natural resources (oil) and raised their standard of living • Libya gained independence from Italy in 1951 • Since 1969 they have been ruled by a military dictator Muammar Kaddafi (until last year) • Morocco and Tunisia gained independence from France in 1956

15. North Africa • Most people in North Africa practice Islam • Most share the Arabic language • Literacy rates range widely from 52% in Morocco to 82% in Libya • Health care is government run in most countries, with urban areas receiving better health care than rural areas

16. Eastern Mediterranean • Countries in the region include: Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon • Dry desert climate of the region causes majority of population to live along coasts and Euphrates River Valley • Parts of region have highest population densities in the region • Eastern Mediterranean is 75% urban • People from over 100 countries have settled in Israel, makes an ethnically diverse country

17. Eastern Mediterranean • Region is inhabited by Jews and Arabs • Most Jews live in Israel • Trace heritage to region that is today Israel and Lebanon • Invasions led to exile and persecution, forced many Jews to relocate to different countries • 1948 Israel founded as an independent Jewish state • Arabs in region did not want Jewish state that had been their homeland for centuries, brought a series of six wars to the region sine 1948 • Palestinians are the Arab people that live where Israel is today • Many have been displaced from their homes and have been forced to become refugees

18. Eastern Mediterranean • Three major religions began in region • Judaism, Christianity, and Islam • All three share similar beliefs, especially monotheism • Judaism is the oldest of the monotheistic faiths • Christianity was founded in the land of Israel in AD 30 • Islamic tradition began on nearby Arabian peninsula and spread to the region by AD 700

19. Eastern Mediterranean • Jews in the late 1800’s called Zionists , called for a return to Palestine and the foundation of a Jewish state • After WWII the UN divided Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state • 1948 Jews proclaim the independent state of Israel • Series of wars occurred over the next 50 years and caused many Palestinians to become refugees • Many Palestinians today live in Israeli controlled settlements in Israel • Palestinians want an independent state of their own • Israel agreed to give the Palestinians some self rule in the 1990’s, but have since changed their position • The militant Palestinians group Hamas has supported attacks on Israeli territory

20. Eastern Mediterranean • Most people in are Muslim • Large groups of Christians live in Syria and Lebanon • Hebrew is spoken in Israel, while other countries speak Arabic • Literacy rates vary from 76% in Syria to 96% in Israel