FrontPage: What is the most important resource in the Middle East?
The Last Word: Map activity due tomorrow
The Middle East General Facts
A.k.a., “Southwest Asia”
**Why “Middle East”?
Has been called the “crossroads of the world”
Connects three continents – which 3?
Often includes North AfricaStrong ties to MidEast
Contains 5 major geographic regions
The Middle East 5 Major Geographic Regions
The Northern Tier The Arabian Peninsula The Fertile Crescent The Nile Valley The Maghreb
The Northern Tier Includes the nations of Turkey and
Iran Region of mountains (Elburz and Zagros) and
plateaus (Anatolian, Iranian) Contains fertile soil and
can support farming Has large population
The Arabian Peninsula
Plateau about 1/3rd the size of the US Lack of water = small population
Life centered around oases – fertile desert areas
Major resource – oil Has brought great wealth to certain nations
**Birthplace of Islam – most people in the Middle East are Muslims
The “Fertile Crescent”
Arc-shaped fertile region of the MidEast Also known as “Mesopotamia” (the land
between the rivers) Flooding of the Tigris/Euphrates rivers
carries fertile soil to nearby areas
Tigris and Euphrates Rivers Form the “Fertile Crescent”
One of world’s oldest civilizations emerged here**Called the “birthplace of civilization”
The Maghreb
The “Western Isle” of Islamic civilization Consists of the nations of Morocco, Tunisia,
Algeria and Libya Connected geographically and culturally with
the Middle East – Islam and Arabic Most people live along the Mediterranean
coast
People of the Middle East
350 million people in 19 different countries Arabs (those who speak Arabic) are the
majority group 3 major religions:
Islam – most Arabs, many non-Arabs Judaism – centered in Israel Christianity – located in various nations