Middle East Unit One Study Guide

Location: Be able to locate the following countries on a map: Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Kuwait

Be able to locate the following physical features – Euphrates River, Tigris River, Jordan River, Suez Canal, Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, Arabian Sea, Red Sea, Gaza Strip

Section 1: Geography of the Middle East Vocabulary

Sinai Peninsula:Part of Egypt, north of the Red Sea and south of the Mediterranean Sea. Borders Israel

Dead Sea: Saltiest lake in the world and lowest elevation point on Earth (Borders Jordan and Israel

Arabian Desert: A desert located in the central portion of the Arabian Peninsula

Oasis: An area within a desert that has water and vegetation.

Strait: A narrow body of water that connects two larger bodies of water

Euphrates River: A river that begins in Turkey and runs south through Syria and Iraq)

Tigris River: A river that begins in Turkey and also runs south through Iraq

Persian Gulf: A very important water way that is a major shipping region for oil

Strait of Hormuz: A dangerous water way that connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman/Arabian Sea

Suez Canal: A man made feature that creates a short cut from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea.

Jordan River: A river that begins in Syria and flows south through Israel and Jordan

Rub al-Khali Desert: A desert in the southern portion of the Arabian Peninsula

Landlocked: A country that is surrounded only by land

Gaza Strip: An area in SW Israel that has been disputed by Palestinians and Israelis

  1. What is so unique about the Dead Sea?

Because so much water is taken out of the Jordan River by the different groups that depend on it, less and less water reaches the Dead Sea.

The Dead Sea has no outlets. Nothing lives in the Dead Sea because it is so salty.

  1. What country is in the Middle East is completely landlocked?

Afghanistan

  1. Why is water irrigation and farming a challenge in Southwest Asia?

Water is a natural resource that is distributed unevenly in the Middle East.

Some countries, like Turkey and Iraq, have major rivers that provide enough drinking water for farming communities. Can be expensive.

These two countries share the Tigris and Euphrates river systems.

  • Southwest Asian countries often get into disputes over their policies on water rights and other natural resources.

Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinians on the West Bank, all depend on many of the same scarce water resources, Jordan River.

  • Many types of irrigation can be found in Southwest Asia as farmers struggle to bring water to their fields from local rivers and from underground aquifers (layers of underground rock where water runoff from rains and streams is trapped.)
  • Some farmers use water from wells that tap into fossil water (water that has been underground for centuries). Rains and streams do not replace this water, and once it is used, is gone forever.
  • Many people in the Middle East practice subsistence agriculture, growing small amounts of crops, to take care of their local needs. Because the climate is so dry, agriculture nearly always depends on irrigation, directing water from small rivers and streams to the farmers’ fields. There is some commercial agriculture (growing crops for industrial markets), but even that is limited by lack of water.
  1. Why is the Strait of Hormuz an important waterway?

Any ships coming out of or into the Persian Gulf must navigate through the very narrow Strait of Hormuz, located at one end of the Persian Gulf.

This waterway connects thePersian Gulf to the Arabian Sea.

  1. How did the Suez Canal influence those who lived around the world? Before the Suez Canal ships had to travel Around Africa
  • The Persian Gulf is one of the main ways oil is shipped from the rich fields of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and other countries that line its shores.
  • All of the countries that produce oil in that region depend on the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Suez Canalas a shipping route.
  1. Describe the climate of the Middle East.

The countries of the Middle East generally have a very hot and dry climate.

Because there are coastal areas as well as a number of large rivers, other parts of this region have enough water to support agriculture and towns and cities of significant size.

Section 2 – Environmental issues and climate of the Middle East

Vocabulary:

Semi Arid---- hot, dry with some rainfall

Arid--- hot, dry with very little rainfall

Peninsula ---- a piece of land surrounded by water on three sides.

Oasis---– a place in a desert where water is available near the surface.

Desalination- the process of removing salt from sea water in order to make it usable water. Very expensive.

  1. Define some problems with water usage and rights in Southwest Asia?

Countries are fighting over water to use for irrigation to grow crops. Disagreements on who has the rights to the water? Countries upstream (Turkey)setting up dams or downstream upset about pollution or lack of water.

  1. Why is oil so important?

Two of the most important natural resources found in Southwest Asia are natural gas and oil.

These two resources bring wealth into the region because they are needed for much of the world’s economy. Also, oil increases a countries Standard of Living

  • Oil is the largest natural resource in Southwest Asia. Drilling oil from the ground requires skilled workers and heavy machinery that often endangers the environment with pollution and toxins.
  1. What is OPEC? Why is it important?

In the 1960s, several of these Southwest Asian countries joined with other oil-rich countries around the world to create the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in order to have more control over the supply and price of oil on the world market.

  • Nations with the greatest reserves of natural gas andoil are Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, and Kuwait.
  • Israel does NOT have oil or other natural resources forcing them to invest in technology.

Those countries without oil reserves have a much harder time improving living conditions for their populations.

Extended Response

  1. Describe the waterways in the Middle East that are important for the shipping industry? Be Specific. What are the waterways, why are they important, and why might they be dangerous.

The Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, Arabian Sea, Red Sea, and the Suez Canal. The Persian Gulf is one of the main ways oil is shipped from the rich fields of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iran and many other countries that line its shores. All of the countries that produce oil in that region depend on the Persian Gulf as a shipping route. Any ships coming out of the Persian Gulf must navigate through the very narrow Strait of Hormuz, located at the end of the Persian Gulf. This waterway connects the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea. The waterway can be dangerous because of the potential threat by pirates and Iran’s ability to close off the strait. The Suez Canal is also important because it connects the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea allowing ships to travel without going around Africa.

  1. The waterways that are most important for irrigation and farming in the Middle East are the Tigris, Euphrates, and Jordan Rivers. These waterways allow Middle Eastern countries to use different types of irrigation. These waterways are also a source of conflict because water is a scarce resource and is distributed unevenly throughout the Middle East.