Middle East's Physical Geography

click on each image to learn more

ar Rub al Khali

Sahara

Atlas Mountains

Zagros Mountains

Euphrates River

Tigris River

Sirte Basin

Sinai Peninsula

Red Sea

Persian Gulf

Sirte Basin

• geological rifting and subsidence created numerous hyrdocarbon traps
• home to the largest proven reserves of oil in all of Africa [within one country]
• despite the potential, Libya has been unable to fully exploit the oil

return home

Sinai Peninsula

• home to the Sharm el Sheikh, a popular tourist destination in Egypt
• was a strategic military location that would be seized by Israel
• it was later returned to Egype
• home to the Suez Canal, a major passageway for global shipping

return home

Red Sea

• historically was a major path for early explorers
• today, still a major thoroughfare for travel and shipping, connecting Europe to Asia
• also, a major tourist destination for Europeans
• according to the Bible, Moses parted this water body

return home

Persian Gulf

• a major shipping route for petroleum with approximately 40 percent of the world's oil passing through here daily
• countries that border it are among the wealthies in the world, thanks to oil
• potential flashpoint for conflict between Iran and the United States

return home

Tigris River

• one the rivers of Mesopotamia and the focal point of early settlements
• mainly of the largest "cities" during the agricultural revolution were found along this river
• today it is home to three major Iraqi cities -- Mosul, Baghdad, and Basra

return home

Euphrates River

• longest river completely contained within the Middle East
• historically significant and was one of the rivers that was a part of Mesopotamia
• much of the water is diverted thanks to the Southeastern Anatolian Project

return home

Zagros Mountains

• largest mountain range in Southwest Asia and is seismically active
• rugged northern range was location of Iran President's helicopter crash
• historically served as a natural boundary between Arab and Persian ethnicities
• location of much of Iran's oil reserves

return home

ar Rub' al Khali

• largest sand desert (erg) in the world
• its English name is "Empty Quarter" and is virtually uninhabitable
• it was one of the last places on earth to officially delineate borders between countries
• northern part is home to the Ghawar oil field, which is the largest in the world

return home

Atlas Mountains

• only major mountain range in Africa
• created when the European landmass collided with Africa
• creates a rainshadow that is partially responsible for the formation of the "great desert"
• climate on the windward side of the range is similar to southern Europe, and can be a producer of wine

return home

Sahara

• name translates to "great desert"
• excluding the polar deserts, this is the largest desert in the world and is four times larger than the second largest desert
• some of the hottest temperatures ever recorded were located here, with some over 130°F

return home