Middle East Map Assignment

Middle East Geography Fill in the Blank

Instructions: Fill in the blanks of the paragraphs below with information that correctly completes each sentence. The following information is about locations in the Middle East. LABEL EACH LOCATION FROM EACH BLANK ON YOUR MAP OF THE MIDDLE EAST!!!

There are many important natural bodies of water in the Middle East that make trade and travel easier for people in Africa, Europe, and Asia. Four waterways control access to trade and travel- in the west, the ______separates Africa and Europe and links the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. In the north, the ______, the ______, and the ______link the Mediterranean and Black Seas and separate Europe from Asia. There is also an important human-made waterway that is important to trade and transportation; the ______is used for ships passing from the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea. A body of water that is also important for trade and has been in the news recently because of attacks waged by Somali pirates on cargo ships is the ______. Rivers can play a very important role in transportation as well in the middle east. The ______and ______rivers are believed to be the location of the cradle of human civilizations and are located in modern Iraq and Syria. These rivers empty into the ______Gulf, which is an important body of water for oil tankers to make port in nations like Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait.

There are many beautiful mountain ranges that create natural barriers for people in the middle east. The ______mountains stretch southeast through Turkey and Iran. The ______range across Afghanistan .

There are many large modern cities and also ancient cities that are important to the cultures of people in the Middle East. The city of ______is located in Saudi Arabia and is the most holy city for Muslims- many Muslims make a pilgrimage (religious journey) to this city once during their lifetime. Another city of great historical and modern importance because it is a holy place for Jews, Christians, and Muslims is ______located in modern-day Israel.

Label on the map on the back of this paper:

Arabian Peninsula (outline in red)

Syrian Desert (shade in yellow)

ANSWER FOR EXTRA CREDIT: “What language is the word to the right

written in? What does this word say?