Economic Geography in the Middle East

Mr. Broughman

Thursday, March 6, 2014

What is the most precious resource in the Middle East? Why?

• WATER!!!

• Little fresh water available, average temperature in most places is over 100 degrees, and arid climates

What is the Aswan High Dam? What are the effects of the dam?• Man-made dam located on the Nile

River in southern Egypt• Looks to regulate the annual flooding of

the Nile, provide water storage in Lake Nasser, and to generate hydroelectricity

• Resettled 200,000 southern Egyptians (Nubians), loss of soil fertility, increases in diseases like bilharzias

What is the most profitable resource in the Middle East?

• OIL!!!• 54% of the world’s oil is in the Middle East• Largest reserves on the Arabian Peninsula

What other economic activities are popular in the Middle East?

• Primary economic activities–Natural resource production and

extraction, farming and agriculture, herding, pastoral livestock

What is OPEC? How does it govern the production and sale of oil?

• Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries

• Collection of twelve oil exporting countries that control world oil prices by increasing/decreasing supplies

• Own 79% of reserves and 44% of production

Trade, Sea Trade, and the Suez Canal

• Suez Canal connects the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea; decreases shipping routes considerably

• Allows direct shipping from Asia to Europe without going around Africa

Suez Canal Time Lapse (1:20)

Economic Activity

• (I) Primary Economic Activities Dealing directly with resources (oil, mining, forestry, agriculture)

• (2) Secondary Economic Activities Manufacturing and processing (steel mills, automobile assembly line)

• (3) Tertiary Economic Activities Services (transportation, banking, retail trade)