North Africa & Southwest Asia

North Africa & Southwest Asia : 

North Africa & Southwest Asia

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North Africa & Southwest Asia

Goals For Today : 

Goals For Today Understand The: Physiographic Regions Of NASWA Difficulty in defining the region. Controversy over the term ‘Middle East’. TWO main unifying characteristics of the Region.

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North African & Southwest Asian Physiographic Regions

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The nations of North Africa are bordered to the south (with the exception of the Sudan) by the Sahara Desert: the largest desert in the world, > the lower 48!

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Morocco – The Sahara Desert

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Libya – The Sahara Desert

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Libya – The Sahara Desert (Tadrart Acacus, SW Libya)

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Egypt – The White Desert Chalk Rock formations are erosional features of sandstorms

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North African & Southwest Asian Physiographic Regions

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Stretch along the southern edge of the Mediterranean from Morocco to Tunisia

The Middle East??? : 

The Middle East??? geographic term Based on the tendency to lump all of Asia into a single mass and define it in terms of the distance from . East of Russia, India? Consequently, is a better description of the region.

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The Southwest reference is to the continent it sits upon: Asia. It is separated from Africa by the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, Egypt (Egypt is transcontinental).

Southwest Asia Boundary? : 

Southwest Asia Boundary? Not defined as a land mass. Largely defined by cultural and physical characteristics that transcend continental boundaries. As a whole, therefore, NASWA stretches “From The Maghreb To The Indian Subcontinent”

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The Red Sea Was Formed Millions Of Years Ago By The Of The Plates.

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The Red Sea

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The canal allows two-way water transportation, most importantly between Europe and Asia, without of Africa.

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North African & Southwest Asian Physiographic Regions

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________________________________________________Like the other mountain ranges of the region, the High Yemen Mountain chain is a crucial source of _____ in this otherwise arid area.

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North African & Southwest Asian Physiographic Regions

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Located in Turkey, these mountains form the headwaters of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. At 16,854 ft, Mt Ararat is Turkey’s Tallest Mountain (volcano)

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Primarily located in Iran, these mountains were formed (as with the Taurus & Anti Taurus) by a .

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Northern Iran At 18,406 ft, Mt Damavand is Iran’s Tallest Mountain (volcano)

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North African & Southwest Asian Physiographic Regions

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_________ – Syria ____________ North of Basra, beyond the confluence of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers.

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World’s longest river Starts in Ethiopia in the rift zone Flows north through Sudan, across the Sahara Empties into the Mediterranean, North of Cairo. These are the only major river basins in the entire region. Access to these rivers, in this otherwise ‘ ’ is critical to the growth of the NASWA countries, and, therefore, is a source of .

Political Water Struggles : 

Political Water Struggles Both Syria and Iraq have called upon Turkey to halt construction of a _______ on the Euphrates River Egypt threatened military intervention in the Sudan should that country limit downstream flow of the _______. Israel and Jordan routinely argue over access to the _________ River.

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_________ – Oman________ are isolated areas of vegetation in a desert, surrounding a spring or similar water source. Land Erosion, coupled with a high water table, permits the groundwater to percolate to the surface. Important nodes upon _________ routes.

Unifying Characteristics Of NASWA : 

Unifying Characteristics Of NASWA Dominance Of Dominance Of

Climate : 

Climate The ‘ ’ One of the prevailing characteristics that the North African and Southwest Asian region shares is its Aridity Why is it so dry?

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NASWA Climates

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NASWA Climates

Seasonal Pressure and Precipitation Patterns : 

Seasonal Pressure and Precipitation Patterns

Climate : 

Climate Dry Climates Deserts Libyan Nubian Steppe Dry Summer Subtropical

Climate : 

Climate Sparse to no vegetation Xerophytes Precipitation below 10 inches annually Rocky/sandy soil.

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The population of NASWA naturally around the available : the coastal plains and river systems

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Cairo

: 

Ecological changes that convert lands into . These changes include: Loss of soil moisture Loss of trees Replacement of species with species adapted to dry conditions (xerophytes)

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Cut forests Over cultivate Over graze animals (Tree Goats)

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Encroaching Arabian Desert

“Crossroads Location” : 

“Crossroads Location” “Crossroads” “Crossroads”

“Crossroads Location” : 

“Crossroads Location” Many Have Passed Through And Dominated This Location. Assyrian Persian Roman Macedonian (Alexander the Great) Byzantine Ottoman

Unifying Characteristics Of NASWA : 

Unifying Characteristics Of NASWA Dominance Of Dry Climates Dominance Of Islam of the NASWA population Except

: 

Monotheistic Religion Based On The Teachings Of The Began In The Arabian Peninsula 7th Century A.D. Mecca (Mohammad’s Birthplace) Adherents Of Islam are Muslims Means “Submission” Means “One Who Submits To God”

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Muslims believe that God revealed the Qur'an to Muhammad, God's final prophet. They do not regard Muhammad as the founder of a , but as the restorer of the original monotheistic faith of Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and other prophets.

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In the first 120 years following the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632, Islam spread primarily by conquest. Over the next several centuries, Islam was carried to distant lands by both traders and armies

Five Pillars Of Islam : 

Five Pillars Of Islam The five duties incumbent on every Muslim Monotheistic Daylight Hours Every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so is obliged to make the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in his or her lifetime.

Divisions Of Islam : 

Divisions Of Islam Majority 85% Minority – 15% (Except Iran – 90% – and Iraq – 60%) This Division Came About After The Prophet’s Death (632 Ad) : Believe that Muhammad died without appointing a successor. Follow Clergy : Believe that Ali was appointed by Muhammad to be his direct successor (first Imam). Follow Ali’s Bloodline

Other Characteristics Of NASWA : 

Other Characteristics Of NASWA Important Cultural Hearth , ,

Best Known Cultural Hearths : 

Best Known Cultural Hearths Valley Of Tigris/Euphrates River Eastern End Of The Mediterranean Sea

Cultural Hearth : 

Cultural Hearth Three Major Religions Chemistry Algebra

Agricultural : 

Agricultural Food Service Area of a Particular City or Region. : supplies food to city; City supplies market for food products and supplies other goods and services to the . Concept grew with the Agricultural Revolution.

Theory : 

Theory Government which maintains power and control through exclusive control over access to . Cities That Could Master Flood Control and Irrigation Over A Large Hinterland Held Power Oldest Surviving City = Damascus First ‘Million’ City = Baghdad

Other Characteristics Of NASWA : 

Other Characteristics Of NASWA Region Of Internal And External Islam and the West Israel and its Neighbors Arabs vs. Steppe Peoples (Kurd, Iranian, Turk) Gender roles in society/family life Public space vs. domestic space Family structure and values Islam and the nation/state Theocracy vs. Secular state (Turkey) Oil Conflicts (internal and external)

Six Day War Of 1967 : 

Six Day War Of 1967 Territories Occupied By Israel (Syria) (Jordan) (Egypt) (Egypt) Return Negotiated In 1979 (Camp David Accord) And Completed By 1982

OPEC : 

OPEC Organization For Petroleum Exporting Countries (1960) Members Are Countries Stated goal is the stabilization of prices on the international market, and Ensuring a steady income for the producing countries Operates As A Cartel Created 1970s ‘ ’ Response to the Six Day War of 1967 Lost Some Power Gulf of Mexico, North Sea, Russia