Southwest Asia and North AfricaPhysical Geography

Location

Southwest Asia is also called the Middle East

It is called the crossroads of Europe, Africa, and Asia

People call Southwest Asia different names depending on who

you talk to!

Climate

Most of the area is desert or semiarid climate

Sahara Desert in North Africa is the largest desert in the world

Sahel is a region south of the Sahara (dry but not entirely desert)

Take it from me. The Sahara Desert

is hot!

Sahara Desert

Hazards

Desertification is when the desert expands due to human and natural conditions

A drought is a long period of time without rain

Droughts

Mountains

Atlas – located in northwest Africa

Taurus – located in southern Turkey

Zagros – located in Iran

Find them on your map!

Dudes, I didn’t make it across the

mountains!

Water Features

Mediterranean Sea Red Sea Black Sea Arabian Sea Persian/Arabian Gulf Strait of Hormuz

(connects Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea)

Bosporus Strait Dardanelles Strait Nile River (located in

Egypt) Tigris River (located in

Iraq) Euphrates River (located

in Iraq) Jordan River (located in

Israel)

Suez Canal

Human made waterway connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea

Owned by Egypt

Suez Canal

Bosporus/Dardanelles

These are narrow straits that connect the Black Sea with the Mediterranean Sea

Istanbul is located on the Dardanelles

Soil

Areas near the rivers will flood during the wet season

Some areas of alluvial soils

Deltas near the Nile and Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

Tigris and Euphrates Delta

Oasis/Wadi

An Oasis is an area in the desert that has water and vegetation can grow

A wadi is a dry riverbed in the desert that will fill with water when it rains

An oasis can save your life in

the desert!

Oasis/Wadi