The Middle East: oil, water and physical geography
Geography · Key Stage 3 · The School
The physical landscape
The Arabian Peninsula is mostly desert. It covers the south of the region. The TIGRIS and EUPHRATES rivers flow through Iraq. Together they water Mesopotamia, one of the oldest farmed lands on Earth. Mountains cross Iran and Turkey in the north. The region touches several seas: the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, the Gulf and the Caspian. Each coast shapes trade and climate in its own way.
Why water is scarce
Most of the region gets very little rain. Populations are growing fast. This puts heavy demand on the little water there is. Rivers such as the Tigris, Euphrates and Jordan flow through more than one country. Countries argue over how much water each may take. This is a real, ongoing source of tension between neighbours.
Coping with scarcity
DESALINATION removes salt from seawater to make it drinkable. It supplies much of the water used in Gulf countries. It also uses a huge amount of energy. Some countries pump "fossil water" from deep underground. This water was stored there thousands of years ago. It is being used faster than it can be replaced. In time, it will run out.
A huge share of the world's oil lies beneath the Gulf. This comes from ancient rock laid down under an ancient sea. It is not a human choice. This one fact has shaped the region's economy. It has shaped its wealth and its importance to the wider world. Saudi Arabia and the UAE are rich in oil. At the same time, they are short of fresh water. A region can be rich in one resource and short of another, both at once. Understanding both together explains this region's geography far better than looking at either alone.