1. The Geography of the Middle East

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

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

6. Fresh Groundwater Sources

8. Desalinization Plants

10. The Arabian Peninsula is primarily steppe and desert climate

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

13. Wadis – Instant Springs

15. Desert Oases: Water at a Premium!

17. Breeding Areas of Desert Locusts

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

19. Desert Bedouins

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

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

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

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

26. Aswan High Dam, Egypt Hydroelectric Power Plant

31. Sinai Peninsula located between Egypt and the Arabian Peninsula

32. Suez Canal Completed by the British in 1869

34. The Fertile Crescent

35. Fertile Crescent

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

38. Dust Storms Along the Tigris-Euphrates Flood Plains

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

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

42. Dead Sea Floater

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

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

45. Middle East: Climate Regions

46. Middle East: Population Density

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

48. The Middle East: Natural Vegetation

49. The Natural Resources of the Middle East

50. World Oil Reserves

51. Persian Gulf Oil Exports (2003)

52. Saudi Oil Fields & Refineries

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

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

57. Tigris River Nile River Euphrates River Mediterranean Sea Indian Ocean Black Sea Gulf of Oman Caspian Sea Arabian Peninsula Iranian Plateau Sahara Desert Persian Gulf Arabian Sea Red Sea Strait of Hormuz