NORTH AFRICAN, CENTRAL ASIA, AND SOUTHWEST ASIAN

CULTURE, GEOGRAPHY, CLIMATE AND HISTORY

By:Shayne GardnerTeresa Murphy

Claudia Beinhauer

ANCIENT EGYPT

ANCIENT EGYPT

Sometime around 3100 BC, Egypt became a united kingdom under a single ruler. Egyptians where ruled by pharaohs.

Around 5000 BC, farm villages began to develop along the Nile River in North Africa.

For centuries the Egyptians farmed and were protected by desert, the seas and the Nile.

In social society, rulers, priests, and nobles came first, then business and crafts people, and at the bottom –most Egyptians- farmers and unskilled workers.

Religion was at the center of Egyptians society.

WORSHIPING IN EGYPTIAN SOCIETY

Egyptians worshiped many gods and goddesses.

God of Name Appearance Sun Ra head of falcon and sun disk Music Hathor horns of cow and sun disk Destruction Sekhmet head of lion Sky Nut blue with golden stars Earth Geb color of plants and Nile mud Dead Osiris dressed in white with crook and flail

Desert Seth animal head with long curved snout

Pharaoh Horus head of hawk and crown of Egypt Magic Isis throne on head or holding baby

Wisdom Thoth head of ibis Embalming Anubis head of jackal Justice Ma'at feather in her hair Creation Amun crowned with feathers Cats Bastet head of cat

PHOROAHSEGYPTIANS WHERE RULED BY PHOROAHS

Egyptians were ruled by pharaohs

They believed that pharaohs were gods as well as rulers

Large tombs, pyramids, were the tombs of pharaohs

KING TUT King Tut is probably

the most known Egyptian king

He was very young when crowned king

King Tut died at a very young age, and is still thought as the greatest Egyptian king there ever was.

KING TUTThis is a picture of King Tut’s coffin

GEOGRAPHY

COUNTRIES IN NORTH AFRICA AND SOUTHWEST ASIA Morocco Algeria Tunisia Libya Egypt Israel Lebanon Jordan Syria Saudi Arabia Yemen Oman Kuwait

United Arab Emirates Iran Turkey Iraq Georgia Armenia Azerbaijan Afghanistan Turkmenistan Tajikistan Uzbekistan Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan

GEOGRAPHY • On north Africa’s eastern edge there is a man made waterway called the Suez Canal

• Ships use this canal to pass from the Mediterranean sea to the Red Sea

LANGUAGES SPOKEN IN NORTH AFRICA AND SOUTHWESTERN ASIA Dari Pashto Arabic Armenian Azerbaijan Georgian Persian Hebrew

Kazakh Russian Kyrgyz French Tajik Turkish Turkmen Uzbek

NORTH AFRICAThis is a Map of Northern Africa

SOUTHWEST ASIAThis is a map of Southwestern Asia

MAJOR PHYSICAL FEATURES

Landforms Bodies of water

Sahara Desert Atlas Mountains Ahaggar Mountains Akhar Mountains Quattara Depression Anatolian Peninsula The Steppes Plateau of Iran Zagros Mountains Hindukush Mountains Khyber Pass Sinai Peninsula

Aswan High Dam Suez Canal Lake Balkash Syrdarya River Caspian Sea Nile River Red Sea Gulf of Oman Persian Gulf Mediterranean Sea Ertis River Sea of Marmara Aral Sea

HISTORY

HISTORY Two of the world’s earliest civilizations

arose 5000 years ago in the southwest Three of the world’s major religions

began in Southwest Asia Independent states arose during the

1900s The Arab empire made contributions in

mathematics, astronomy,, medicine, and the arts

HISTORY By the end of World War I, European

powers gained control of much of the region.

Oil reserves brought wealth to countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Iran.

Political unrest and conflict have troubled the region since World War II.

CULTURE

GENERAL CULTURE The Islam and the Arabic languages are

dominant

In Saudi Arabia women can’t vote or drive without being accompanied by a male relative

The people greatly value family life

Traditionally men have the dominant role in the family

Religions of Africa and Asia The three major religions are Judaism,

Christianity, and Islam

Religion is very important to the people

Israel is mainly Jewish

Armenia and Georgia are largely Christian

Religion provided inspiration for artists and architects

CULTURE Water is scarce so most people try

to live along sea coasts and rivers

More than 50% of the people live in urban areas as apposed to rural areas

High birthrate has led to rapid growth in the regions population

CLIMATE

CLIMATE The Sahara is a dry region The highest temperature ever reached in the Sahara was 136f

In central Asia there is a rain shadow created by high peaks of mountains

Other climate zones include the subtropical and the Mediterranean zones

OVERALL CLIMATE Large areas of desert greatly affect life in

this region. Most people live in steppe areas and coastal

plains that receive adequate rainfall. The region’s generally dry climate and a

growing population have led to a water shortage.

One approach to managing water use is desalinization. Desalinization is costly, however so poor countries are not able to use this process and will continue to face water shortages.

NORTH AFRICA’S CLIMATE The Sahara, the world’s largest desert,

covers almost all of North Africa. North Africa is primarily desert or arid,

or to be without moisture. North Africa is highly vulnerable to

climate change.

SOUTHWEST ASIA'S CLIMATE

In South Asia there exists vast expanses of forests and fertile valleys.

The winds are dry and dusty, with occasional gusts up to 80 kilometers or 50 miles per hour.

These winds often kick up violent sand and dust storms that can carry sand a few thousand meters high, and can close airports for short periods of time.

CENTRAL ASIA'S CLIMATE Since Central Asia is not buffered by a

large body of water, temperature fluctuations are more severe.

Winds from the oceans are cut off by mountain chains which surround the interior, because of this, the climate of Central Asia is one of extremes.

Climate change can increase further water scarcity in the region and the problems of the Aral Sea.

SOURCES http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/jo/egypt/inde

x.htm http://centralasia.foreignpolicyblogs.com

/2007/04/05/central-asia-climate-change-overview/

http://www.chinatownconnection.com/asia-climate.htm

http://www.developmentandtransition.net/index.cfm?module=ActiveWeb&page=WebPage&DocumentID=683