1. The North Africa and Southwest Asia realm today and tomorrow
In Chapter 7A, read slowly through the list "Ten Major Geographic Qualities of North Africa and Southwest Asia" at the beginning. Think about how these qualities are affecting the realm today and/or in the future. Each of these qualities is discussed further in the chapter.
Choose two of these "Ten Major Geographic Qualities of North Africa and Southwest Asia" from the list in 7A. For each, explain:
How this geographic quality having a major impact on the realm today and/or in the future? How is this quality affecting real people, places, environments, and landscapes?
MAJOR GEOGRAPHIC QUALITIES OF NORTH AFRICA/SOUTHWEST ASIA
1. North Africa and Southwest Asia were the scene of several of the world's great ancient civilizations, based in its river valleys and basins.
2. From this realm's culture hearths diffused ideas, innovations, and technologies that changed the world.
3. The North Africa/Southwest Asia realm is the source of three world religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
4. Islam, the most recent of the major religions to arise in this realm, transformed, unified, and energized a vast domain extending from Europe to Southeast Asia and from Russia to East Africa.
5. Drought and unreliable precipitation dominate natural environments in this realm. Population clusters occur where water supply is adequate to marginal.
6. Certain countries of this realm have enormous reserves of oil and natural gas, creating great wealth for some but doing little to raise the living standards of the majority.
7. The boundaries of the North Africa/Southwest Asia realm consist of volatile transition zones in several places in Africa and Asia.
8. Conflict over water sources and supplies is a constant threat in this realm, where population growth rates are high by current world standards.
9. The Middle East, as a region, lies at the heart of this realm; and Israel lies at the center of the Middle East conflict.
10. The broad commonalities and interrelationships across much of the realm were demonstrated in the recent spread of political uprisings against autocratic regimes. But the results of this movement remain quite unclear and vary from country to country.