Quiet and Seated Get your M.E. map

quizzes out and ready to go

Middle East Covers three continents

The Junction of Europe, Africa and Asia

Strategic locationThe Crossroads of the

world

Center for trade because of all the seas

Cultures shared customs and ideas (example of cultural diffusion)

Bahrain

From Morocco in the West through Iran in the East

From Turkey North to the Arabian Peninsula in the South

Twice the size of the United States

The world’s earliest civilizations developed here between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers (Mesopotamia - land between two rivers):

○ Sumerians (ziggurat and cuneiform), Babylonians, Assyrians, Ancient Hebrews (Jews), Egyptians (hieroglyphics), Hittites, Phoenicians, Persians

Mesopotamia is also The Fertile Crescent○ An Oasis in the desert○ No natural barriers

Frequent migrations and invasions from Mediterranean to Persian Gulf

Deserts and Plateaus A lot of desert

Sahara - worlds largest, located in North Africa

Arabian located in Arabian Peninsula

Rub Al Khali – the Empty Quarter where the Bedouin (desert dwellers) live

PlateausPlateau of IranPlateau of Anatolia

Atlas (Morocco) – separates them from rest of Africa○ Barrier to trade with

rest of AfricaPontic (Northern

Turkey)Taurus (South/East

around Anatolia Plateau)Elburz (North Iran)Zagros (West around

Iran Plateau)

Atlas

Zagros

Mountains

Melting snowsCause floods Deposit siltCreate rich soil with minerals

ClimateMountains prevent clouds from

reaching interior Near equator

Warm winters, hot summersLess than 10 inches of rain per yearFlash floods

Strategic Waterways Turkey controls waterways

that link Black Sea and Mediterranean – Dardanelles and Bosporus straits (access for Russia to sea)

Arabian Peninsula, surrounded by waterRed Sea to the westArabian Sea to the SouthPersian Gulf to the eastSuez Canal connects Red

Sea to Mediterranean

Suez Canal

Nile RiverEgypt foundedWorld’s longest riverDriest country, flooded

yearlyFeeds Sudan and EgyptAnother civilization

Dead Sea Lowest point on earth

○ (1,371 ft) below sea level

Waterways cont.

Cultural Aspects

PopulationOne of the driest areas of the world – 90%

desertWhen Population increases in land of

desertsLimited space – can only live in river valleys

Major languageArabic

See Maps and Charts http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/globalconnections/mideast/maps/demo.html

Leading Export70% of world’s oil

reserves○ 50% of current world supply

Most precious resource Water (only 7% of land

farmable)Don’t produce enough to

feed themselves – they rely on world markets

Economy

Economics

Selective Exports: wheat, barley, rice, millet Israel – Jaffa oranges Iraq – dates Turkey – nuts, figs, olives Egypt - cotton

hazelnut

Fun Facts Most populous nation

Egypt – 71.2 millon Nation with the largest area

Algeria Smallest nations in population

Qatar – 618,000 Smallest nation in area

Bahrain

Cairo, Egypt, the world's 13th most populous metro area

What three great world religions were founded in the Middle East?

•Judaism•Christianity•Islam