World Geography / Unit 9: Southwest, South and Central Asia
9.1 Physical Geography of Southwest, South and Central Asia
Notes
This large region stretches from Turkey to India and Kazakhstan.
- Southwest Asia (often called the Middle East): the Arabian Peninsula, the Anatolian Plateau (Turkey) and the Iranian Plateau. The Tigris and Euphrates rivers flow through Iraq; the land between them is Mesopotamia. Key waters: the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Black Sea, Caspian Sea. The Dead Sea shore is the lowest land point on Earth.
- South Asia: the Himalayas (including Mount Everest, the highest mountain on Earth, about 29,000 feet) form the northern edge. The Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers drain fertile plains. The Deccan Plateau covers much of southern India.
- Central Asia: wide steppes and deserts and the Tian Shan and Hindu Kush mountains. The Aral Sea has shrunk drastically.
Practice
Which two rivers define the region of ancient Mesopotamia?
Mesopotamia means "land between the rivers."
Which mountain system forms the northern boundary of South Asia?
The Himalayas include Everest and separate South Asia from the Tibetan Plateau.
The Deccan is
The Deccan Plateau lies between mountain ranges called the Ghats.
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