North Africa and Southwest Asia

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North Africa and Southwest Asia

• Economic Geography

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Natural Resources

• Oil is the major resource in this region.
• Many countries in this region are members of OPEC
  (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries).
• OPEC sets the price and production of oil and has
  members all over the world.

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Countries With Oil
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Natural Resources

• There are positive and negative effects from oil
  revenues. Some countries have used oil money to
  build infrastructure such as schools,
  telecommunication systems, and hotels to attract
  tourists. However, oil fluctuates on the world
  market so it makes it difficult to plan for the
  future.

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Positive and Negative
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Natural Resources

• The most important resource in this region is
  fresh water. These countries need water to
  irrigate crops. Some countries have major rivers
  such as Turkey, Iraq, Israel, Syria, and Egypt.
• Other countries get fresh water by converting
  salt water from the ocean into fresh water in a
  process called desalinization. This process is
  expensive and requires capital investment.

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Natural Resources

• Other resources that are found in this area are
  phosphates, copper, coal, citrus products, and
  cotton.

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Economic Activity

• Primary - Resources are gathered (farming,
  hunting, fishing, timber falling, mining)
• Secondary - Resources are processed or
  manufactured into goods.
• Tertiary - The service industry (distributing,
  advertising, transportation, government
  employees, banking, retail sales)

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Economic Activity

• This region is highly dependant on primary
  economic activity.
• Oil drilling
• Agriculture (People grow foods in irrigated areas
  along rivers and on the Mediterranean Coast)
• Pastoralism (Nomadic Herding - People raise herds
  of goats, sheep, and cattle)

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Guest Workers

• Countries with oil have small populations. The
  labor shortage is filled by guest workers from
  south and east Asian countries such as India,
  Philippines, Pakistan, and Indonesia.

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Agriculture

• Agriculture in this region is limited to areas
  near rivers or areas that can be irrigated.
  Areas with significant agriculture are
• Near the Nile River in Egypt
• Near the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in Turkey
  and Iraq
• Heavily irrigated areas in Israel near the Jordan
  River

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Kibbutz in Israel
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Aswan High Dam

• The Aswan High Dam on the Nile River was
  completed in 1970. The dam was built to
• Stop seasonal flooding on the Nile River.
• Provide hydroelectric power for Egypt.
• Provide a steady source of water for irrigation.

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Trade Important to Region

• Trade has always been important to this region
  because it is halfway between Europe and Asia.
• The Silk Road linked China to Europe
• Trade routes crossed the Sahara Desert and linked
  Sub-Saharan Africa to Europe

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Contemporary Trade Routes

• This area has many important trade routes or
  sealanes such as
• The Bosporus and Dardanelles connect the Black
  Sea and the Mediterranean Sea
• The Suez Canal connects the Mediterranean Sea to
  the Red Sea
• The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf to
  the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean

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Suez Canal

• The Suez Canal connects the Mediterranean Sea to
  the Red Sea.
• The Suez Canal is owned by the Suez Canal
  Authority, a state owned company.
• The average toll for a ship passing through the
  canal is 150,000 dollars.

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Tourism

• Some countries in this region make money from
  tourism.
• People visit Egypt to see the pyramids
• People visit Jerusalem to see holy sites (Dome of
  the Rock, Western Wall, Church of the Holy
  Sepulchre)
• People visit Mecca (The Hajj)

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Developed or Developing?

• This region has a wide range of per capita income
  and levels of development.

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Developed or Developing?

• Countries are rated by economic indicators and
  standards of living. This area has some
  countries with relatively high standards of
  living and other countries that are very poor.
  Analyze the countries on the next slide based on
  standards of living.

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Standards of Living