middle east Flashcards
location of the Middle East (compass points)
region of Asia bordered by Asia to the east, Europe to the northwest, Africa to the southwest and the Mediterranean sea to the west
main countries and capital cities of the Middle East
Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey
main physical features of the Middle East
- vast deserts
- mountains
- fertile lands
climate of the Middle East
- hottest months = July and August
- hot and dry climate
- arid and semiarid environment
three climate zones + why are they there
- mediterranean
- arid
- semiarid
tropic of cancer runs through the Middle East, it is near Equator, risen air loses moisture and cool dry air descending means no rain
physical characteristics of deserts
- dry, arid
- low vegetation (cactus, kangaroos)
- soil erosion
- extreme temperatures
adaptations of an animal/plant to desert
- cactus: can store large amounts of liquid in their stem, round shape of stem accumulates water, leaf spinescence -> evaporation reduced
- red kangaroo: urine more concentrated -> lose less water, look for food during nighttime so less sun, uses saliva to cool themselves down
how can people survive in desert environments
- wear clothing that minimizes sweat loss
- bring lots of water
- bring lots of food
- survival equipment
- become nocturnal
- find water resources
population distribution
how people are spread within the area
population density
average number of people per unit of area
sparsely populated
area that contains few people
densely populated
area that contains a large amount of people
how is population distribution in the Middle East
- Iran, in the center, has the highest population in the Middle East
- Iraq, to its west, has the second highest population
- Yemen is in third place by far
- other countries have quite low population
factors that influence the population distribution
- climate
- landforms
- soil
- energy
- mineral sources
- jobs + opportunities
- trade
why is oil important
- supplies energy to power industry
- heats homes
- provides fuel for vehicles
