Download Middle East Guide 2 - Tenafly Public Schools

WHE: Hutchinson/Huh
Middle East Study Guide
Test Date: January 23, 2009
Note: As always, this guide includes most, but not all, of what we have covered in class. Please
make sure to recall in-class lessons, and read through your own notes from class, handouts, and
homework assignments!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Module One: Geography
Textbook:
- Chapter 25, Section 1
Notes
* Middle East: the region that lies between Europe, distant parts of southwestern Asia, and
northern Africa.
* The Middle East is a strategic location because it commands vital sea routes; some of the
countries also sit atop oil reserves; it is an important place for military and economic reasons.
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Major languages: Arabic, Turkish, Hebrew, Kurdish, Persian, Greek, Armenian
Major religions: Islam, Christianity, Judaism
19 countries
350 million people
Oases: fertile desert areas that have enough water to support plant and animal life – where people
live around in the desert.
* The question of water rights is such a vital issue in the Middle East because demand grows as
the population expands; the high political tensions are heightened.
* There are 5 main regions in the Middle East:
- Northern Tier:
 Stretches across present day Turkey and Iran
 Mountains and plateaus
 Fertile soil – farming
 Large population
 Major empires
- Fertile Crescent:
 From east Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf
 Rich soil, abundant water
 Big population
 Few natural barriers
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One of the earliest civilizations
Problems: floods; irrigation can be difficult if rivers carry little water
Arabian Peninsula:
 1/3 the size of the U.S.
 Borders the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and Persian Gulf
 Includes Saudi Arabia (largest nation)
 Small population
 Oil
 Problems: lack of water; barren desert
 Mecca
Nile Valley:
 Fertile land
 Protected by deserts
 Trading center
The Maghreb:
 North African nations of Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco
 Seemed isolated because it is surrounded by water, mountains, and deserts
 Scarce water
 Sahara and Atlas Mountains
 Along the coast, there are fertile soil and rain
 Trade
 Major crossroad
* Ten Major Geographic Characteristics of the Middle East:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Civilization began in the Middle East
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam began in the Middle East. They are world religions.
The Middle East is predominantly, but not exclusively, Islamic.
The Middle East is the “Arab World” but significant population groups are not of Arab
ancestry. (Turks, Jews, Iranians, Armenians…)
5. Population in the Middle East is widely dispersed in discontinuous clusters – spread out
unevenly
6. The natural environment is dominated by drought and unreliable rainfall.
7. The Middle East is a land bridge linking 3 continents: Asia, Africa, and Europe.
8. The Middle East is a region of intense discord, bitter conflict, and political instability.
9. The Middle East has the largest oil reserves in the world (to date) – 65% of the world’s
petroleum.
10. Today the Middle East is an area of international concern because of
a. its strategic location
b. oil
c. the Arab-Israeli conflict
d. religion
e. terrorism
* Chart on the various ethnic groups of the Middle East (language, religion, location, historic
events/achievements)
Arable: land that can be used for farming
Desertification
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Desalination: converting sea water into fresh water for drinking and irrigation (p. 597)
Monotheism
Indo-European languages
Oil: the most valuable resource; unevenly distributed across the region; great economic
differences between countries with it and without it (p. 555)
Irrigation
Mesopotamia
Fertile Crescent
Nomad: member of a hunting people who travel from place to place to find food (p. 28)
Semitic languages
Plateau
Zero-sum issue
Aquifers: underground rock or layer of earth that provides water
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Module Two: Foundations of Faith
Textbook: Chapter 25 Sections 2 and 3 (pgs. 556-566)
SAWs and Primary Sources
Notes – including the timeline of key events and the Great Divide
King Hammurabi
Ethical Monotheism: belief that the way to worship God is to behave morally
Messiah: one anointed by God
Torah (Judaism): the law, first 5 books
The Ten Commandments: ethical laws that urge people to respect and honor God; forbids
stealing, lying, cheating, and murder
The Gospels (Christianity)
Purim (J)
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Apostle (C)
Easter (C)
Zoroastrianism: religion that worships Ahura Mazda and deals with the struggle between
light/good and dark/evil
Covenant: binding agreement (the Hebrews accepted God as the ruler of heaven and Earth and
God made the Hebrews the chosen people on Earth)
Abraham
Talmud (J)
Sabbath: day of rest and worship
Passover (J)
Hanukkah: (J)
Evangelist (C)
Yom Kippur (J)
Ziggurat: a huge, many-tiered temple; the chief building in each city-state
“Promised Land”
Patriarchs: founding fathers of the Bible
Jesus of Nazareth: taught the poor about God’s goodness and mercy, as well as the belief in one
God and following the 10 commandments; believed by many to be the messiah
The New Testament (C)
Diaspora: scattering of people (J)
Good Friday (C)
Rabbis (J)
Eastern Orthodox Church
Parable: a story that teaches a moral/lesson (many told by Jesus)
Martyr: one who suffers or dies for his beliefs
Pope (C)
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From pgs. 556-562 in Textbook
Major accomplishments of the Sumerians:
- Cuneiform
- Invention of the wheel
- Accurate calendar based on 60
- City-states; civilizations (complex)
Purposes and Importance of King Hammurabi’s Code:
- Babylonian
- To provide justice throughout his large empire
- Regulated economic, social, and moral affairs
Hittites and Phoenicians were known for:
- H: technological advances such as iron weapons
- P: Alphabet; series of city-states; traveled over the Mediterranean Sea setting up colonies
and spreading knowledge
Characteristics of the Persian Empire:
- Government allowed conquered peoples to keep their own customs, religions, and
languages
- Satrap (governor) keeps order of each province
- Improved and expanded on road systems
- Peace and good roads improved trade
- System of coinage
The Conditions that favored the development of civilization in the Tigris-Euphrates Valley:
- Rich soil
- Rivers filled with fish
- Ready source of water for irrigation
Alexander the Great’s “Contribution” to the Middle East
- He defeated the Persian Empire
- His cultural influences led to the blending of Greek and Middle Eastern cultures
How Rome influenced the development of the Middle East
- Powerful Roman empire
- Trade flourished
- Spreading of ideas and technologies
- Christianity spreads (made Christians into martyrs as they persecuted them; emperor
Constantine became a Christian)
Basic Principals of Early Christians
- Jesus was the messiah
- Jesus was the son of god (divine)
- Jesus was the savior of humankind (crucified)
- Resurrection – Jesus is alive (Easter – 2 days before that is Good Friday)
See handout on “Sermon on the Mount”
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From pgs. 563-566 in Textbook
The Hebrews migrate around 1800 B.C. from Canaan (Palestine) to Egypt
God makes the Hebrews the chosen people in his covenant with Moses
The term “Jews” comes from the land of “Judea”
The two greatest kings of ancient Israel: (What were each of them known for?)
- David
- Solomon
What happened to the Hebrews when foreign rulers conquered Israel:
(see notes from 12/22/08)
- Persians allowed them to return to Israel
- They revolted against the Romans and were forced out of Palestine
- Jews preserved religions and cultural traditions
Three groups who ruled over Palestine:
- Greeks
- Persians
- Romans
Prophets
Major features of Judaism:
- Land - Judea
- The Temple
- Monotheistic
- Recorded their early history and religious laws of God (Torah)
- Believed they were the chosen people – Covenant with God
- Given the 10 commandments – ethical laws
- Individuals responsible for their actions – ethical monotheism
Key Ideas from Module:
Major Developments in the history of the Jewish religion
The Main Tenants of Christianity
Historic convergences and divergences between Hews and Christians in the Middle East
The Impact of Judaism and Christianity on the Middle East and the World
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Module Three: Islam and the Middle East
Islam: (see SAW 26:1)
- Hejira: the migration of Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina (Yathrib)
- The Five Pillars:
1. Belief in one god who revealed his message to Muhammad
2. Prayer 5 times a day facing Mecca
3. Charity to the poor and the aged
4. Fasting during the holy month of Ramadan
5. Hajj – pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime, if able
- The Koran unites Muslims around the world because of the Arabic language
- Jews and Christians known as “people of the book” – they were to be treated with
tolerance by Muslims
- Rapid spread of Islam due to:
1. Arab armies united by their beliefs (warriors who died in service go to
paradise)
2. Islam was welcomed in many places and easily accepted
3. Conquered peoples wanted to avoid paying taxes for not being Muslim
- Caliph: successor to the prophet
 Sunni and Shiite have a conflict over who should be caliph. Sunni only wanted
descendents of Ali; Sunni believed that any devout Muslim could become
caliph.
- Al-Razi’s many contributions to medical knowledge
From SAW 26:2
Groups who invaded the Middle East:
- Seljuks
- Mongols
- Crusaders
Saladin the “noble warrior”
Millet: non-Muslim Communities
Ottoman Empire and the diverse groups within it
Suleiman – greatest ruler of the Ottoman empire; justice and good government
Safavids vs. the Ottomans
Shah Abbas “the Great”: encouraged trade and commerce; welcomed European rulers and nonShiites as allies
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From SAW 26:3
Ways of life in the Middle East:
- Village: small farming villages; most of the people; herding; included a mosque and few
stores; men and women have their own work
- Nomadic: due to the lack of water for farming in desert and plateaus; livestock; move
towards seasonal rains
- City: Jerusalem, Damascus, Cairo, Baghdad, Mecca; high walls to protect; dark narrow
streets and houses packed together; mosque as center of life
Bedouins: desert nomads of Arabia; competed for water holes and pastures
Suq: Marketplace; covered streets filled with shops
Women’s rights in Islam:
- Expanded: outlawed killing of girl babies; right to an education and to own property
- Restricted: separate from the men (eating, etc.); remain secluded at home; extreme
modesty
* See notes and handouts regarding Islam, Koran (Qur’an), and the Hajj
From 26:4
European imperialism affects the Ottoman Empire: posed as major challenges because national
groups were encouraged to seek independence
Ottoman empire – downfall after World War I – stripped of Arab provinces by Allies
Mandate: territory that was administered but not owned by a member of the League of Nations
Balfour Declaration – 1917 – by the British – established home for Jews in Palestine; protects
them and their rights, as well as those of non-Jews
Zionism: movement that sought to re-establish a Jewish state in Palestine – Theodore Herzl
Jewish and Arab peoples claim the right to live in Palestine
Ataturk / Muhammad / Ali  all tried to modernize their countries in various ways
From 27:1
Pan-Arabism: sought to unite all Arabs based on their common language and culture
Gamal Abdel Nasser: organized Egypt and Syria into the Unite Arab Republic
Obstacles to Pan-Arabism:
- many ethnic and religious groups opposed to the creation of an Arab state
- no geographic unity – scattered settlements
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Shariah: highest authority for Islamic law; governing all aspects of life (political, social, and
economic)
Lebanese civil war:
- causes: the constitution gave less power to the Muslims than to the Christians
- effects: Muslims given a greater say in the government; economy was destroyed and
thousands of people killed in fighting
Goals of the Islamist movement
- Return to the values of Koran and early Islamic traditions
- Shariah as the basis of law
- Restore authority to religious leaders
- Enforce strict separation of men and women in public places
From 27:3
Iran
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Land and resources: dry rugged plateau; one third are farmers; oil is an important part of
the economy
People: more than a dozen ethnic groups; small percentage of Arabs; most speak Persian
Modernization: fueled by nationalism; used wealth from oil; improvement of healthcare
and education, new roads, industrial growth; religious leaders against social reforms of
giving women rights, such as the right to vote
Islamic revolution
Theocracy: government ruled by religious leaders
Economic patterns: economy slows after revolution; challenges – huge population of
young people who need educations and jobs; water shortages; price of oil declining
Recent trends: new leaders restore ties to western nations; tension between traditionalists
and reformers
Egypt
Turkey
From 28:1
Middle East and the Cold War
- U.S. and the Soviet Union compete for power in the Middle East because of oil and
control of waterways
- Soviet Unions backs communist rebels in Turkey; U.S. help it to resist Soviet pressure
(NATO)
- Increased concern over weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East
OPEC
- Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries – Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia
with Venezuela – expands later to 11 members
- Power increases as the demand for oil increases
- Global effects of rising oil costs
- Recent drop in oil prices – less power of OPEC
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Persian Gulf Wars
- Iran-Iraq War: because of oil and border disputes
- Persian Gulf War: Saddam Hussein to invade Kuwait; UN supported U.S. going against
Iraq
From 28:2: Arab-Israeli Conflict
The Founding of Israel
- Increased tension between Arabs and Jews of Palestine after WW II
- Refugee: people who flee their homeland to seek safety elsewhere
- More Jews arrive seeking peace – Arabs are opposed
- Area turned over to UN: partition plan
- Israel is set up (1948), and stays, after numerous attacks by Arab nations
- Arabs (Palestinian refugees) flee to camps
Continued Conflict
- Three more wars after the conflict of 1948
- U.S. and Soviet involvement
- Occupied territories: lands seized by Israel during the 1967 war
- PLO: goal to destroy Israel
- Reprisals: forceful attacks in response to an injury
Building a Nation
- Israel – democracy
- Mixed economy
- Lack of natural resources and water
- High technology industries
Struggle for Peace
- Palestinian uprising: (intifada: the shaking) against Israeli rule
Return of Violence
- Protest and uprising against Israel; terrorist attacks
- Jerusalem named capital of Israel
- Palestinians demand right to return
- Future of Jewish settlements
- Compromise difficult
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