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MIDDLE EAST “CROSSROADS OF THE WORLD”
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
SINAI DESERT
The Northern Tier
Arabian Peninsula
Anatolian Plateau
Iran Plateau
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OykL64dP6KY
