SW Asia Live, Work, and Trade DT#4 Re-performance Lesson

Southwest Asia Live, Work, and Trade Discovery Ticket #4 Re-performance Lesson

Durham Middle School

​Deserts in the Middle East

The most common landform in Southwest Asia (Middle East) is desert.​There are 2.8 million miles of land in the Middle East, and more than half of it is covered by large desert areas.

​Deserts continued

​The desert areas are not a favorable place to live due to the extremely hot and arid climate.

​Food and water is very difficult to find; however, oases provide a temporary water source.

​Deserts continued

​-People travel across the desert in camel caravans.

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-Some even use All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) to maneuver across the sand.

The Great Syrian Desert

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The Great Syrian Desert is located between Syria and Iraq.

​Rub al-Khali

​The Rub al-Khali (or “empty quarter”) is in southern Saudi Arabia.

​Bedoins

•Bedouins (desert nomads) have called the desert home for thousands of years. They live in tent camps and in huts. Many are sheep, camel, and goat herders.​

​Bedoins continued

​Many Bedoins are sheep, camel, and goat herders.

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-They trade animals and hand-made goods with people who live in towns along the desert’s edge.

​Bedoins continued

​Most nomadic people have left the desert behind and have moved to cities to find work (usually in the oil industry) and to get away from the harsh conditions from living in the deserts.

Multiple Choice

What is the most common landform in Southwest Asia?

• Deserts

• Beaches

• Mountains

• Rivers

Multiple Choice

What is the climate like in much of Southwest Asia?

• Hot and Humid

• Temperate and Rainy

• Hot and Arid

• Arid and Rainy

Multiple Select

Which of the following statements are true about Bedouins? (choose two)

• Desert Nomads

• Live in tent camps and hut

• Population is increasing

• 5% of the Middle East Population are considered Bedouin

Multiple Select

Why have so many nomadic people left the desert and moved to the urban areas? (More than one answer)

• Residential and commercial development is pushing them out.

• Work in Oil Industry

• Ethnic Conflict and war

• Less harsh environment

Multiple Choice

Which major desert is known as The Empty Quarter?

• Gobi Desert

• Great Syrian Desert

• Rub al-Khali

• Sahara

​Rivers in the Middle East

​Cities are built on or near rivers to take advantage of the scarce water sources in Southwest Asia. Access to water for bathing and drinking make the area much easier to live in.

​Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

• ​The Tigris River runs through Turkey and Iraq and joins with the Euphrates to become the Shatt al Arab, which empties into the Persian Gulf.

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• The Euphrates River runs through Turkey, Syria, and Iraq.

​Jordan River

​The Jordan River forms part of the border for Syria, Jordan, and Israel.

​Rivers in the Middle East

The Middle East is a trade hub between Asia, Africa, and Europe. Therefor, the rivers in this region provide important routes for transportation. Southwest Asia’s waterways are important to national economies because they have helped make the region a center for shipping and trade for hundreds of years.

​Rivers continued

​Rivers are also important trade routes for people living in nearby cities to help ship goods to other merchants. Cities and towns located on rivers have become major hubs of industry.

​City Living and Work

​Most people in the cities make a living working in industrial factories (example: oil industry related jobs).

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Farmers grow crops by rivers and in river valleys because they provide a source of irrigation.

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Fishing is also an important area of income for people who live near rivers.

​Port Cities in the Middle East

​In countries that have a deep-sea harbor, the population increases around port cities. Here, there are employment opportunities in transportation, shipbuilding, and repair.

​Port Cities in the Middle East continued

​•Turkey has major port cities along the Aegean, Black, and Mediterranean Seas.

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​•Saudi Arabia has port cities along the Red Sea and Persian Gulf.

Multiple Choice

Why are many of the largest cities in Southwest Asia located on or near rivers?

• Educational Opportunities

• Less water and air pollution

• Take advantage of scarce water resources

• More job opportunities

Multiple Choice

Why are the rivers in Southwest Asia important to the region’s national economies?

• The region is a center of shipping and trade between Asia, Africa, and Europe.

• They support the tourism industry.

• Fishing is the most important industry in the area.

• They are the only way to travel in the region.

Multiple Choice

Which river is not a main water source for Southwest Asia?

• Jordan River

• Amazon River

• Tigris

• Euphrates

Multiple Choice

An increased population and job opportunities in transportation, shipbuilding, and ship repair often exist because a city has ____________________.

• stable government

• diverse work force

• deep-sea ports

• airport

Multiple Choice

People who live in cities along the rivers, most likely work in (choose all that apply).

• agriculture industry

• fishing industry

• trade merchants

• sheep, camel, and goat herders