MIDDLE EAST

“CROSSROADS OF THE WORLD”

MIDDLE EAST Includes 3 Continents: EUROPE, ASIA, AFRICA “CROSSROADS of the World” From MOROCCO to AFGHANISTAN

{west/east} From TURKEY to ARABIAN PENINSULA

{north/south} TWICE size of USA

5 MAIN REGIONS OF MIDDLE EAST NORTHERN TIER ARABIAN PENINSULA FERTILE CRESCENT NILE VALLEY MAGREB

NORTHERN TIER

Two Large PLATEAUS cover much of Northern Tier:

IRANIAN PLATEAU ANATOLIAN PLATEAU

ARABIAN PENINSULA

1/3 Size of USA Surrounded by water on 3 sides: RED SEA, ARABIAN SEA, PERSIAN GULF Largest nation in area – SAUDI ARABIA

FERTILE CRESCENT

Arch Shaped Region – from MEDITERRANEAN Sea {along Tigris & Euphrates} to PERSIAN GULF

Area once known as MESOPOTAMIA

NILE VALLEY

Fertile area in northeastern Africa - EGYPT

MAGHREB

Areas in NORTH AFRICA -west of Egypt The region including the Atlas Mountains

and the coastal plains of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya,

Magreb means “WESTERN ISLE”

GEOGRAPHY

TWICE size of USA Mostly DESERT {80%}-Sahara, Sinai,

Rub Al Khali ATLAS Mountains – northwest Africa –

separate SAHARA Desert from MEDITERRANEAN Sea

GEOGRAPHY

Most live in RIVER VALLEYS or along COASTS

5 Important Seas:Caspian, Red, Mediterranean, Black,

Arabian 4 Main Rivers:Nile, Tigris, Euphrates, Jordan

GEOGRAPHY

15% Farmable – lack of RAINFALL scarcity of WATER

Main Crops:

WHEAT, BARLEY, OLIVES, GRAPES, DATES

VALUABLE RESOURCE

OIL About 70% of World’s Reserves Mostly along PERSIAN GULF About 50% of World’s Supply of OIL MIDDLE EAST Oil Organization-OPEC Countries include: IRAQ, IRAN, SAUDI

ARABIA, KUWAIT, ANGOLA, ALGERIA, LIBYA, QATAR, UAE

Control PRICE/PRODUCTION

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl0MbDpLhqk

PEOPLE OF THE MIDDLE EAST

Majority of People are ARABS – language ARABIC

Religion – 90% practice ISLAM {known as MUSLIMS}

Most ARABS are MUSLIMS There are CHRISTIAN ARABS Many MUSLIMS in TURKEY & IRAN are not

ARABS Another large non-Muslim group are the

Israelis (Jewish)

PEOPLE - RELIGION

The World’s 3 large Monotheistic religions started in the Middle East:

JUDAISM CHRISTIANITY ISLAM

Spread of religions from Middle East to other parts of the world – CULTURAL DIFFUSION

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eUcRjo9Yv4

HTTP://WWW.TED.COM/TALKS/SHEREEN_EL_FEKI_POP_CULTURE_IN_THE_ARAB_WORLD.HTML

For your first map:

http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/08/27/3589879/interactive-map-middle-east-a.html

Use the link below to the interactive map for Middle East turmoil. Please use the third

map to label and explain what is going on in the middle east

under the map you just labeled. Please number the places with the explanation.

Use the following maps

to do the Geography

Map

Caspian Sea

Jordan River

LABEL

YOUR WATE

R

SAHARA

SINAI DESERT

The Northern Tier

Arabian Peninsula

Anatolian Plateau

Iran Plateau

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OykL64dP6KY