Download The Geography of the Middle East

The Middle East Today:
Standard: G5 Locate selected features in SW Asia
Jordan River
Gaza Strip
Suez Canal
Tigris
River
Euphrates
River
Strait of
Hormuz
Arabian Sea
Middle East? OR Near East?
OR Southwest Asia? OR….?
Countries
Turkey
Iran
Israel
Saudi
Arabia
Suez Canal
Completed by the British in 1869
The Tigris & Euphrates
River System
Mesopotamia:
”Land Between the Two Rivers”
Marsh Arabs, So. Iraq
The
Jordan
River
System:
Dead Sea: Lowest Point on
Earth2,300’ below sea level
Highest
Salt
Content
(33%)
1. Which number marks
Israel?
A. 1 B. 2
C. 3 D. 4
2. Which number marks
Iraq?
A. 2 B. 3 C. 4 D. 6
3. Which number marks
Saudi Arabia?
A. 1 B. 4. C. 5 D. 6
4. Which marks the Suez
Canal?
A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 D. 4
5. Which marks the Red
Sea?
A. 5 B. 6 C. 7 D. 8
7. Which bodies of water are connected
by the Strait of Hormuz?
A. The Red Sea and The Arabian Sea
B. The Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea
C. The Mediterranean Sea and the Red
Sea
D. The Mediterranean Sea and the
Persian Gulf
6. Which is marked by
number “9” ?
A. Gaza Strip
B. Euphrates River
C. Tigris River
D. Dead Sea
Standard: G6 Discuss environmental issues
across Southwest Asia.
-Water is a natural resource that is distributed unevenly in
Southwest Asia.
-Turkey and Iraq have plenty of water for farming
communities. (Tigris and Euphrates)
-Some countries share a water source like Jordan, Israel and
Syria (Jordan River)
-Saudi Arabia has almost no water.
-Irrigation has become necessary for those who want to farm
and raise animals.
-Using wells taps into fossil water (water that has been
underground for centuries)
-Saudi Arabia and Israel have developed systems of drip
irrigation that measure out how much water each plant
receives.
Desalination (the process of removing salt and other
chemicals from seawater) is very expensive and
requires complex technology.
Water pollution is a growing problem. Many farmers
are using chemical fertilizers, which have
contaminated water supplies through runoff water.
This has increased the salt level found in soil,
eventually making it impossible to farm.
The building of dams to produce hydroelectric power
has become a source of conflict. This is because it
greatly reduces the amount of water available to
other countries located downstream.
Desalinization
Plants
Fresh Groundwater Sources
Rub al-Khali: Saudi Arabia
“The Empty Quarter”
1.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Which river do Syria, Israel, and Jordan share?
Euphrates
Jordan
Nile
Tigris
2.
A.
B.
C.
D.
What is one problem chemical fertilizers cause for farmers?
Chemical fertilizers make farm animals sick
Chemicals have led to the build-up of salt levels in the soil.
Fertilizers are too expensive for anyone in Southwest Asia to use
Few countries in Southwest Asia have factories to make fertilizers
3. Why aren’t desalination and drip irrigation used more in Southwest
Asia?
A. Most countries do not know about these technologies
B. Drip irrigation is not very effective in a hot, dry climate.
C. Few countries in Southwest Asia have access to seawater.
D. These technologies are very expensive for the countries to use.
Standard: G7 Explain the impact of location, climate, physical
characteristics, distribution of natural resources and
population distribution on SW Asia
Natural Gas and Oil
Two most important natural resources found in SW Asia are
natural gas and oil.
These resources were discovered in the 1900s and US and
European companies controlled the drilling and refining.
Over ½ of the world’s known oil reserves are found in this area
of the world.
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries- OPEC was
created in the 1960s and is made up of oil-rich countries.
Some countries in this region have become very rich because
of oil. (Oil rich nations surround Persian Gulf)
The countries without oil in this region have had a much harder
time improving living conditions for their populations.
Deserts and Rivers
3 major rivers in SW Asia- Euphrates, Tigris and Jordan
They are important source of water and provide boundaries
between nations.
Deserts- Syrian Desert, Rub al-Khail (Empty Quarter) in
southern Saudi Arabia. They have provided barriers
against invasion.
Bedouins- (desert nomads) their way of life is gradually
disappearing.
Countries in this region have a very hot and dry climate.
Southwest Asia is located between three major continents:
Europe, Africa and Asia. Because of location this region
has been a major stop over in world trade.
Today the Suez Canal in Egypt links the Mediterranean Sea
with the Red Sea and Indian Ocean.
Many people in SW Asia practice subsistence farming. This
means they grow small amounts of corps to take care of
their needs. Because of lack of water most farming has to
depend of irrigation.
Once again the building of dams on the Tigris and Euphrates
River have led to political conflicts in recent years. Each
dam cuts down on the water available to the countries
downstream.
No agriculture or animal herding can take place without access
to adequate sources of water. Another problem with
irrigation is that irrigated land usually needs fertilizer and
repeated use causes salts to build up in the soil, making it
hard to grow anything.
Desert Bedouins
Middle East: Climate Regions
Middle East: Population Density
World Oil Reserves
Persian Gulf Oil Exports (2003)
Saudi Oil Fields & Refineries
Kuwait:
An Island Floating on a Sea of Oil
Kuwait
City
Leading U. S. Oil Suppliers
The U. S. imports 30% of its oil needs from the Middle East.
Desert Oases: Water at a
Premium!
Cairo, Egypt:
Most Populated City in the Middle East
17,000,000+
People!
1.
A.
B.
C.
D.
What are two valuable natural resources in Southwest Asia?
Water and cotton
Phosphates and oil
Oil and natural gas
Sulfur and natural gas
2.
A.
B.
C.
D.
How much of the world’s oil supply is found in Southwest Asia?
25 %
40%
50%
75%
3.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Which countries are the most oil-rich in the Southwestern Asian region?
Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Israel
Iraq, Kuwait, Israel, Lebanon
Jordan, Israel, Syria, Lebanon
Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia
4.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Which describes the climate of much of Southwest Asia?
Hot and dry
Windy and cold
Tropical and rainy
Moderate and cool
5. The “Bedouins” are Southwest Asians who have traditionally lived in or
around
A. Oil fields
B. Urban areas
C. Major deserts
D. Large river systems
6.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Which do Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Kuwait share?
Tigris River
Jordan River
Euphrates River
Afghanistan River
7. Dams built along the rivers have caused problems for people living further
downstream because
A. Dams are expensive to build
B. A river can only be dammed in one place along its path
C. No fish can live in the rivers after they have been dammed
D. Less water comes down the river to those people once the dam is built.
8.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Many of the largest cities in Southwest Asia are located on or near
Desert
Major rivers
Large grasslands
Mountain ranges
9. Why does the organization of OPEC play a powerful role in the world
economy today?
A. OPEC controls the oil in the world market
B. This organization is a part of the United Nations
C. OPEC builds dams along rivers shared by several countries
D. OPEC membership includes many oil companies owned by firms in the
United States.
Standard: G8 Describe diverse cultures of
the people who live in Southwest Asia.
Ethnic Group vs. Religious Group
Ethnic group- group of people who share cultural ideas and
beliefs that have been part of their community for
generations
Religious group- shares a belief system in a god or gods, with
a specific set of rituals and literature
Ethnic group- Kurds. They live in mountain region of Iran, Iraq,
Syria, and Turkey. They speak Kurdish
Religious group- Christians, Muslims and Jews…all three
religions began in this region.
Ethnic Groups
Arabs- make up a majority of the people who live
throughout SW Asia. Most practice Islam and call
themselves Muslim. The Muslims are divided into
Sunni Muslims and Shia Muslims.
Many Arabs are Christian. No matter the religion most
Arabs speak Arabic.
Persians- live in modern country of Iran. Their ancestors
are Indo-Europeans. Persians speak Farsi. Most
practice Islam and belong to Shia Muslims.
Kurds- Live in several different countries in SW Asia.
They hope to have a nation of their own some day.
Most Kurds are Sunni Muslim.
Religions
• Standard: G8 Describe the diverse cultures of the people
who live in West Asia (Middle East)
• 3 monotheistic religions have origins in the Middle
East
• Judaism, Christianity and Islam
• Israel is the only country in this region that is mostly
Jewish.
• The rest of the Middle Eastern countries are
predominantly Muslim. Most of these countries do
have a Christian minority.
Scan
The Three
Major
Monotheistic
Religions in
the World.
th
6
grade page 132
Judaism
Monotheistic religion- meaning the followers believe in one
God.
Traces back the Abraham. He was the first to profess his belief
in one God.
The Torah is their sacred book.
The Hebrew people were followers of Judaism and were forced
into slavery in Egypt.
Moses leads the Hebrew people out of slavery after many
years of suffering. This is known as the “Exodus” and is
celebrated during the Jewish holiday of Passover.
God gave the Jewish people the Ten Commandments. They
settled along the Jordan River. Jerusalem was established
as the capital of their empire. Romans took over in 70 AD
and destroyed their temple only leaving one wall, the
Western Wall. “The Diaspora” occurred meaning that the
Jewish people were scattered around the world.
Christianity
• Christianity grew out of Judaism.
• Jesus is the founding figure of Christianity.
• The Bible is the Holy Book and the Gospels (the first four books of the
New Testament) tell the story of Jesus.
• Jesus followed the Jewish Law.
• Roman and Jewish leaders worried about the attention that Jesus was
getting. The followers of Jesus were calling him Savior.
• Jesus was crucified (killed).
• Christians believe that he rose from the dead and walked among them
before going to Heaven.
• Jesus is called the “Christ” and also the “Son of God”
• Many Christians were put to death after the death of Jesus. The harsh
treatment of Christians finally ended when the Roman Emperor
Constantine made Christianity a religion approved by the empire.
Islam
• Islam began in the city of Mecca which is located in modern
day Saudi Arabia.
• Muhammad was a man who lived in Mecca and claims to
have heard the voice of Gabriel (the angel) while sleeping in
cave one night.
• He called on people to worship one God, who he called
Allah.
• People who accepted this belief were called Muslims which
means (ones who submit)
• Muhammad was facing many threats against his left so he
fled Mecca for the city of Medina.
• Eventually Muhammad returned to Mecca claiming the city
for Allah and removing all the idols.
• After Muhammad’s death the teaching of Muhammad were
collected into one book called the Quran.
• All Muslims believe they should meet 5 obligations or what
they call the 5 Pillars of Islam.
• There are parts of the Old and New Testament (Bible) found
in the Quran.
• The religion spread rapidly. Many people were conquered
by Muslim armies and the people converted to Islam.
1.
A.
B.
C.
D.
What is the relationship between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam?
The three religions all believe in different gods.
All three religions accept Jesus as the “Son of God”
Unlike Judaism and Christianity, Islam won new converts only by war force.
Islam includes much of the Old and New Testaments in its holy book, the
Quran.
2.
A.
B.
C.
D.
What modern country is the home to those who call themselves Persians?
Iran
Iraq
Israel
Syria
3.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Which ethnic group is most numerous in Southwest Asia?
Jews
Kurds
Arabs
Persians
4.
A.
B.
C.
D.
What is the religion of most Persians?
Christianity
Judaism
Shia Muslim
Sunni Muslim
5.
A.
B.
C.
D.
What is the holy writing of Judaism?
Torah
Quran
Constitution
New Testament
6.
Why was Christianity finally accepted by the Roman Emperor as a legal
religion?
Christian armies defeated the Roman Emperor in battle.
There were few other religions left in the Roman Empire by 313 AD
Emperor Constantine recognized that many Romans had become Christians.
Christians made the worship of Roman gods and goddesses part of their
religion as well.
A.
B.
C.
D.
7.
A.
B.
C.
D.
What are the five pillars?
The first five books of the Quran
The five columns that support the roof of the Ka’aba
Five beliefs shared by Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
Five basic obligations that Muslims are supposed to meet in their lives