Middle East

Past, Present, Future

Middle East

• Also Called:– Southwest Asia- “Crossroads of the World”: because

people often pass through the Middle East to travel between Europe, Asia, and Africa

– “Cradle of Civilization”

Bodies of Water

• Persian Gulf• Tigris River• Euphrates River• Dead Sea • Mediterranean Sea• Red Sea

Middle East

• Middle East is a region that includes countries in southwestern Asia and their influence extends into northern Africa.

• 350 million people live in this part of the world

Climates & Rivers

• Water is scarce everywhere in the Middle East

• It is one of the driest regions in the world• Deserts cover more than half of the region• A desert covers most of Saudi Arabia, and

in the northeastern part of the Middle East• There are oasis in the middle of some

deserts, and many people live near the oases and raise sheep, goats, and crops– The capital of Saudi Arabia was built on a large

oasis

Climates & Rivers

• There are 2 main climateso Deserto Mediterranean: short, rainy winters and

long, dry summer

Climates & Rivers

• People live near riverso Nile in Egypt; Tigris and Euphrates in

Middle Easto The soil is fertileo People can farm by irrigating the water

to their fields

Religion & People

• Three of the worlds most important religions began in the Middle East

• All 3 teach monotheism (belief in 1 God)

• Judaism, the religion of the Jews, is the oldest of the 3 religions and began in Israel thousands of years ago

• Christianity, the Christian religion, developed from Judaism

Religion & People

• Islam began in Saudi Arabia in the year 622o It was started by an Arab leader named

Muhammado He taught that there is one God.o Muslims believe that Muhammad was God’s

messengero Muhammad’s teachings are in the Koran, a

holy book to Muslimso Abraham is the Father of all 3 religions of this

region

Religion & People

• 5 Pillars of Islam– 1. Daily profession of faith– 2. Prayer 5 times a day

• Dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, after full darkness

– 3. Almsgiving• Includes charity work and knowing all things belong to

Allah

– 4. Fast during Ramadan (Holy Month)• From light till sundown (no eating or drinking)

– 5. Pilgrimage to Mecca• About 2 million people go each year from everywhere;

the closing of it is marked by a festival and exchange of gifts

Further Comparisons

• Islam– Also called: Muslims– Believe in: Allah (Prophet Muhammad)– Holy City: Mecca– Bible: Koran– Church: Mosque (Friday is Holy Day)

Further Comparisons

• Judaism– Also called: Jews– Believe in: Yahweh (Prophet: Moses)– Holy City: Jerusalem – Bible: Torah– Church: Synagogue (Saturday is the

Holy Day)

Further Comparisons

• Christianity– Also called: Christians– Believe in: God (Jesus)– Holy City: Jerusalem– Bible: Bible– Church: Church (Sunday is the Holy Day)

Religion & People

• Most people in the Middle East are Arabs, who speak Arabic

• Some countries have a small Christianity population

• In Israel most people are Jews and speak Hebrew

Resources/Earning a Living

• Oil is the most important natural resource

• There is more oil in this region than in any other in the world

• Many developed nations buy their oil from the Middle East

Resources/Earning a Living

• There are few other resources in this region

• Some countries have natural gas, iron ore, or phosphates

• More than half of the people earn a living by farming, but most of the land is too dry for farming.

Resources/Earning a Living

• Most nations are developing countrieso Some use oil money to develop new

industrieso The standard of living is much lower than in

the U.S.• Most people are poor • Most countries do not grow enough food

to feed their people• Wars have been a problem for

thousands of years and today this region still does not have real peace

Arabs/Muslims/Islam

• 1.3 billion Muslims in the World • Today 90% of the people in the

Middle East are Muslims• 6-8 million Muslims in the US (about

the same # of Jews in the US) – Most American Muslims are African

America or South Asian

Arabs/Muslims/Islam

• Arabs are people whose native language is Arabic – Arabs can trace their ancestry back to the

tribes of Arabia-the original inhabitants of the Arabian Peninsula and the Syrian Desert.

– Only 1 in 7 Muslims is an Arab

Arabic Terms:Hijab-women’s head scarfGhutra-Arab men’s headdressThobe-men’s loose-fitting neck to ankle robe

Understanding the Middle East

Section 2

Problems

There are 5 problems that must be solved to better the peoples lives:– Overpopulation– Poverty– Lack of water– Growth of Islamic Fundamentalism– Wars

Overpopulation

o Too many people living in the regiono Most cities are overcrowdedo Most of the land cannot be farmedo Cairo, Egypt has become so crowded

that many poor people now live in a large cemetery

Poverty

o Some countries earn billions of dollars from exporting oil, but most people are poor

o The region needs more factories and industries

Lack of Water

o Some countries like Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have built desalination plants to solve this problem (change salt water to fresh water; very expensive)

o Other countries build dams to save river water in reservoirs

Growth of Islamic Fundamentalism

o One goal of this movement is to win control of governments in the region

o The new governments would be based on strict Islamic law

o 1979: Islamic fundamentalist led a revolution in Iran; the shah (king) was forced to leave; it became an Islamic republic; now everyone in Iran obeys strict religious laws

Wars

o Iran and Iraq fought from 1980-1989; fighting has ended but still no peace treaty

o 1990: Iraq invaded Kuwait under Saddam Hussein, because he wanted their oil fields; UN and US had to go to Kuwait to fight Iraq (Persian Gulf War); Iraq lost

o Israelis and Palestinians have been at war since 1948

Hope for the Future

• Most children in the Middle East have better lives than their grandparents

• There are more schools, more jobs, better health care

• Oil money has been used to build roads, hospitals, housing

Saudi Arabia

Overview

• Has more oil deposits than any other nation in the world

• The oil money it makes has allowed it to become a modern, developed country

Landforms, Climate, Cities

• The Arabian Peninsula covers most of Saudi Arabia

• Deserts cover most of Saudi Arabia• Has a very hot desert climate• Has no lakes or rivers

Landforms, Climate, Cities

• Has the Empty Quarter desert in the south, with sand dunes over 1,000 ft

• The southwest has fertile soil; is the only region that gets enough rain for farming

• Most people live in cities• There are 2 cities that are holy to

Muslims: Mecca (Muhammad was born there), and Medina (Islam was born there)

History, People, and Government

• Arabs have lived in Saudi Arabia for thousands of yearso Many of the people were nomads;

moving from one oasis to anothero They travel on camels, live in tents, and

raise sheep and goatso Many still live in the desert today, some

modern ones travel by car instead of camel

History, People, and Government

• Mohammad was born in Mecca in 570.o He began Islamo During his life,

people living in the Arabian Peninsula became Muslims

o Since that time Saudi Arabia has been a Muslim country

History, People, and Government

• More than 1 billion people in the world today are Muslims

• 19 million people live in Saudi Arabia todayo They are called Saudiso Arabic is the official languageo 25% of the people are workers from

other countries

History, People, and Government

• King Abdullah has been ruler of Saudi Arabia since 2005 (King Fahd before him)o He is a member of the Saudi royal familyo This family has been important for

hundreds of yearso Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy

(king has full power to make all laws; is also the religious leader)

                                   

Religion and Women

• All citizens of Saudi Arabia must be Muslims– They cannot practice any other religion

• All laws are based on Islamic law• There are special police officers who make

sure people obey the laws • Islam allows Saudi men to have 4 wives• No one can eat pork or drink alcohol• There are no movie theatres, plays, or

concerts in the country

Religion and Women

• There are strict Islamic laws for womeno Girls must study at separate schoolso Women cannot drive cars, or ride bikeso When they leave the house it must be with a

male family membero Women cannot work outside of their homes at

jobs with men, only with womeno They must be modest and wear clothes that

cover their arms and legs; they must cover their hair and faces; so they wear a long black robe called an aba when they leave home, which covers their head, face, and body

Economy and Standard of Living

• Oil and natural gas were discovered in the 1930’s

• 1/4th of all the oil in the world is found in Saudi Arabia

• Since the 1940’s Saudi Arabia has earned billions of dollars from exporting oil

• It is one of the richest countries in the world, but it is still a developing country

Economy and Standard of Living

• 1/4th of the people work at agricultureo The government has built desalination plants to

take salt out of ocean water, which is used to grow food in the desert; but they still have to import more than half of their food

• The Saudi’s are working to raise the country’s standard of livingo Small villages now have electricityo Cities have many modern apartment houseso Free health care for everyoneo Free public schoolso Still more than 1/3rd of the people cannot read or

write

Appropriate Behavior When Visiting an Arab

Home• Bring a Gift• Don’t admire their possessions or they

are obliged to give you their things.• There will be too much food – Don’t

Comment.• Only Eat with right hand – Left is

personal• Never talk business before other

matters.

Appropriate Behavior When Visiting an Arab

Home• Always accept coffee – They use butter,

milk, salt, or sugar• Do NOT show bottom of feet while

sitting• Do not back away from a person while

they are talking.• They WILL ask you to stay longer,

thank them and leave on time.