1. The Geography of the Middle East

2. Why is the Middle East such a strategic location?

3. Middle East? OR Near East? OR Southwest Asia? OR….?

4. Crossroads of Continents: connects Europe, Africa and Asia Africa Europe Asia

5. The Natural Resources of the Middle East

6. World Oil Reserves

7. Persian Gulf Oil Exports (2003)

8. How do water resources in the Middle East promote both conflict and cooperation in the region?

10. Fresh Groundwater Sources

11. Desalinization Plants

12. How do the major geographic features of the Middle East dictate settlement patterns and population density?

14. The Arabian Peninsula is primarily steppe and desert climate

16. Rub al-Khali : “The Empty Quarter”

17. Wadis – Instant Springs

19. Desert Oases: Water at a Premium!

21. Breeding Areas of Desert Locusts

22. Swarms of Desert Locusts! Locusts Swarm the Pyramids Complex at Giza! Israel Hit By Worst Locust Plague Since the 1950s!

23. Desert Bedouins

24. The Mighty Nile River: “Longest River in the World”

25. *The Nile and its tributaries flow though nine countries.

26. The Nile River flows South to North, where accumulation of sediment forms a delta.

28. Egypt: The “Gift of the Nile” Annual Nile Flooding Nile Delta 95% of the Egyptian people live on 5% of the land!

30. The Fertile Crescent

31. Fertile Crescent

33. The Tigris & Euphrates River System Mesopotamia: “Land Between the Two Rivers” Marsh Arabs, So. Iraq

34. Dust Storms Along the Tigris-Euphrates Flood Plains

35. The Jordan River System: Israel & Jordan--A Fight Over Water Rights?

36. Dead Sea: Lowest Point on Earth Highest Salt Content (35%) 1,360’ below sea level

38. Dead Sea Floater

39. Mountain Ranges in Mid-East Elburz Mts., Iran Zagros Mts., Iran Lebanese Mts. Taurus Mts., Turkey

40. The Middle East vs. the U. S. Latitude Lines

41. Middle East: Climate Regions

42. Middle East: Population Density

43. How have humans changed their environment to suit their needs?

44. Cairo, Egypt: Most Populated City in the Middle East 17,000,000+ People!

45. Aswan High Dam, Egypt Hydroelectric Power Plant

50. Sinai Peninsula located between Egypt and the Arabian Peninsula

51. Suez Canal Completed by the British in 1869

53. What is OPEC? How have they historically controlled the price of oil? How do oil prices both reflect and influence events around the world?

54. Kuwait: An Island Floating on a Sea of Oil Kuwait City

55. Saudi Oil Fields & Refineries

56. Leading U. S. Oil Suppliers The U. S. imports 30% of its oil needs from the Middle East.

57. The Middle East: Natural Vegetation

58. Completed Map  Tigris River Nile River  Euphrates River  Jordan River  Persian Gulf Arabian Sea Mediterranean Sea Indian Ocean Red Sea Black Sea  Gulf of Aden Strait of  Hormuz Suez Canal  Dardanelles Strait  Atlantic Ocean  Gulf of Oman Caspian Sea Arabian Desert Negev Desert Sinai Desert Rub al-Khali  Atlas Mts.  Elburz Mts. Taurus Mts.  Zagros Mts. Iranian Plateau Anatolian Plateau Caucasus Mts. Hejaz Mts. Sahara Desert Libyan Desert