The Arabian Peninsula Main Ideas• The Arabian Peninsula is

heavily influenced by the

religious principles of Islam.

• Oil production dominates the

economy of the region.

Places & TermsMecca mosque

Islam theocratic

Muhammad OPEC

Connect to the Issues

religious conflict

Muslim claims to land in the

region laid the foundation for

future conflict.

A HUMAN PERSPECTIVE Two million people pour into the SaudiArabian city of Mecca for a few weeks each year. They come from allover the world. In the past, the trip to Mecca involved a difficult jour-ney across oceans and over miles of desert. Today, pilgrims arrive on air-planes. These people are fulfilling the Islamic religious duty of hajj,which is a pilgrimage to the holiest city of Islam—Mecca. For five ormore days, all are dressed in simple white garments and all performspecial activities, rituals, and ceremonies. It is a powerful example ofspiritual devotion by the followers of one of the three major religionsthat claim a home in Southwest Asia.

Islam Changes Desert CultureThe modern nations in this subregion are Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman,Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. They are locat-ed at the intersection of three continents: Africa, Asia, and Europe.Because of this location, there were many opportunities for trade, andexchange of culture and religion.

TOWN AND DESERT In the past, some towns in the subregion servedas trade centers for caravans moving across the deserts. Other citieswere ports where goods were exchangedfrom the Silk Roads in East Asia, IndianOcean trade from South Asia, andMediterranean Sea trade from Europe.Still other towns were near oases andfertile lands along major rivers.

Nomadic desert dwellers calledBedouins moved across the peninsulafrom oasis to oasis. They adapted to theharsh conditions of the desert and built aculture based on strong family ties. Theyoften fought against other families andclans for pasturelands for their livestock.Their fighting skills would eventuallyhelp to spread a new religion that devel-oped in the region—Islam.

Islam is a monotheistic religion basedon the teachings of its founder, theProphet Muhammad. Muhammad livedpart of his life in the city of Mecca.

The Arabian Peninsula 503

PLACE Thousands of Muslim

pilgrims gather at the holy site of the

Ka’aba in Mecca. The Ka’aba is the

black box at the right in the picture.

Background

Ramadan is the

ninth month of

the 12-month

lunar year

calendar used by

Muslims. It does

not match the

calendar used by

most Americans.

Arabian Peninsula History

ISLAM BRINGS A NEW CULTURE The new religion united the people ofthe Arabian Peninsula in a way that had not been done previously. Islamrequires certain religious duties of all who follow its teachings. The basicduties are called the Five Pillars. By performing these religious duties, allconverts to Islam, called Muslims, practiced a similar culture. The FivePillars are:

• Faith All believers must testify to the following statement of faith:“There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger ofAllah.”

• Prayer Five times a day, Muslims face toward the holy city of Meccato pray. They may do this at a place of worship called a mosque orwherever they find themselves at the prayer times.

• Charity Muslims believe they have a responsibility to support theless fortunate by giving money for that purpose.

• Fasting During the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, Muslims do noteat or drink anything between sunrise and sunset. This actionreminds Muslims that there are things in life more important thaneating. It is also a sign of self-control and humility.

• Pilgrimage All able Muslims are expected to make a pilgrimage (hajj)to Mecca at least once during their lifetime.

THE SPREAD OF ISLAM As more and more people on the ArabianPeninsula began to convert to Islam, they spread its teachings. Armiesof Bedouin fighters moved across the desert, conquered lands, and putMuslim leaders in control. Arabic language and Islamic teachings andculture spread across Southwest Asia. Muslim armies spread acrossthree continents—Asia, Africa, and Europe. By the Middle Ages, a largearea of the world was controlled by Muslim empires.

Governments Change Hands The governments of lands controlled by Muslims were theocratic. Thismeans religious leaders control the government. Rulers relied on reli-gious law and consulted with religious scholars on running the country.

632The Prophet

Muhammad

dies.

750Muslim Empires

at their peak

1936Oil discovered in Saudi Arabia.

1839British seize part of

Arabian Peninsula.

1960OPEC

established.

1566Ottoman Empire

at its peak

613Muhammad

begins

preaching.

504

The gold-capped domes of

Al-Khadhimain Mosque in

Baghdad, Iraq, were constructed

early in the 16th century.

The Arabian Peninsula 505

In some of the modern nations of this region—Iran,for example—religious leaders are in control of the government.

COLONIAL POWERS TAKE CONTROL Toward the endof the 1600s, the leaders of Muslim nations were weak.At the same time, countries like Britain and France weregrowing in power and establishing empires throughoutthe world. Much of Southwest Asia fell under the con-trol of those two nations, especially after World War Iand the breakup of the Muslim-held Ottoman Empire.The region was valuable to colonial powers for two reasons: because of the Suez Canal, a vital link betweencolonial holdings in the rest of Asia and European ports,and because oil was discovered there after 1932.

However, only a part of the region was colonized. Onthe Arabian Peninsula, a new power was rising. It wasAbdul al-Aziz Ibn Saud. A daring leader, Abdul al-Azizconsolidated power over large areas of the ArabianPeninsula in the name of the Saud family. By the end ofthe 1920s, only small countries on the Arabian Gulf andparts of Yemen remained free of his control. The wholearea became known as Saudi Arabia in 1932. Descendantsof Abdul al-Aziz still rule Saudi Arabia today.

Oil Dominates the EconomyThe principal resource in the economy of the ArabianPeninsula is oil. The region grew in global importance asoil became more important to the economies of allnations. Arabian Peninsula nations make almost all oftheir export money and a large share of GDP from oil, sooil prices are very important to them. Large increases inoil prices allow the oil-producing nations to funnelmoney into development of other parts of theireconomies, especially water development projects.

In 1960, a group of oil-producing nations, includingSaudi Arabia and Kuwait, established an organization tocoordinate policies on selling petroleum products. The group is theOrganization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, also known as OPEC.The purpose of OPEC is to help members control worldwide oil pricesby adjusting oil prices and production quotas. OPEC is a powerful forcein international trade. Other Southwest Asian members include Qatar,the United Arab Emirates, Iran, and Iraq.

Modern Arabic LifeChanges in the nations of the Arabian Peninsula during the 20th cen-tury were dramatic. The region is developing quickly with an emphasison modernizing. Use of Western technology and machines underminedtraditional ways of life. Camels, which used to be the mainstay of life in

Background

Other members

of OPEC include

Algeria, Gabon,

Indonesia, Libya,

Nigeria, and

Venezuela.

SW

AS

IA

Oil and the EconomyMany of the oil-producing

countries are heavily dependent

on oil as a major source of busi-

ness. Kuwait, which is almost

floating on oil because its

resources are so great, gener-

ates about one-half of its GDP

from petroleum. Notice in the

chart below that the nations in

this subregion are dependent

on oil for at least 30 percent of

their GDP.

Because oil is a non-renew-

able resource, it will eventually

run out. These nations must

work to find other sources of

income to replace oil revenues

when they are depleted.

0

20

40

60

80

100

% o

f G

DP f

rom

Oil

Bahra

in

Kuwait

Qat

ar

Saud

i Ara

bia

Uni

ted

Arab

Emira

tes

*Oman and Yemen not available

SOURCE: CIA World Factbook 2000

Oil IncomePercentage of GDP*Using the Atlas

Using the map

on page 479,

make a list of the

countries that

were not under

the control of

Abdul al-Aziz.

506

PLACE Camels are

transported to pasture

land by truck.

How does thisphotograph illustratethe change oil pro-duction has made in the region?

the Arabian Peninsula, are no longer used as extensively as they oncewere. Pick-up trucks, automobiles, and motorcycles have replaced them.

Gone, too, are some of the traditional marketplaces called bazaars orsouks (sooks). These open-air markets brought together buyers and sell-ers with a great variety of merchandise, food, and entertainment. Themarket was a place to meet neighbors or friends, or to conduct business.Today, Western-style supermarkets or malls may be the shopping loca-tion of choice instead of the traditional bazaar.

THE CHANGE TO URBAN LIFE Cities were always a part of life inSouthwest Asia. However, because of changes in the economy, theentire area is much more urbanized. Millions of people abandoned theirlives as villagers, farmers, and nomads and moved into cities. In 1960,the region was about 25 percent urbanized. By the 1990s, this numberhad risen to about 58 percent. According to estimates, 70 percent of thepopulation will live in cities by 2015. Saudi Arabia has an urban popu-lation of 83 percent. About 4 million people jam the capital, Riyadh.

As the economy switched to providing petroleum and petroleumproducts, the types of jobs available in cities changed as well. Workerswho could read and write and had technical skills were in greatdemand. Arabic nations on the peninsula scrambled to upgrade educa-tional systems to meet the needs of the technological age. When thoseneeds could not be fully met, foreign workers were brought in to workat jobs the native population could not fill. As a result, a large numberof foreign workers now live in peninsula countries. In some cases, suchas Qatar, only one in five workers is a native of the land.

RELIGIOUS DUTIES SHAPE LIVES Despite its rapid modernization,some aspects of Muslim culture have remained the same for centuries.If you traveled to Southwest Asia, one of the first things you would like-ly notice is that women cover their heads, hair, and sometimes faceswith a scarf or veil. This is in keeping with the belief that covering thoseparts of the body is pleasing to God. Women’s roles have graduallyexpanded during the 20th century. More Arabic women are becomingeducated and are able to pursue careers in other nations. Because

MakingComparisons

How does the

percentage of

people living in

cities of the

Arabian Peninsula

compare to that of

the United States?

The Arabian Peninsula 507

family is viewed as very important,many women stay at home to managehousehold affairs.

As you read earlier in this section, allMuslims are expected to perform cer-tain activities. One of the duties, prayer,is performed at prescribed times—dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset,and before bed. Faithful Muslims stopthe activities they are engaged in tocarry out this responsibility. In somecountries, traffic stops during prayertime. If a person is not near a place ofworship, he or she may unroll a smallprayer rug on which to kneel to pray.On Fridays, the day for congregationalprayer, Muslims assemble for prayersat a mosque.

Fasting in the month of Ramadan is another duty that shapes thelives of Muslims. During this month, adult Muslims do not eat or drinkfrom before dawn until sunset. Fasting is a way of reminding Muslimsof the spiritual part of their lives. After sunset, Muslims may eat a lightmeal of lentil or bean soup, a few dates, yogurt, and milky tea. A festi-val, ’Id al-Fitr, marks the end of Ramadan. New clothes, gifts, and elab-orate dinners, along with acts of charity, are part of the celebration.

Since the Muslim culture is found throughout Southwest Asia, manyof the same activities of modern life on the Arabian peninsula take placein other areas of Southwest Asia as well. However, as you will learn inthe next section, other groups with different religions and lifestyles alsolive in the region.

Places & TermsExplain the meaning of

each of the following

terms.

• Mecca

• Islam

• Muhammad

• mosque

• theocratic

• OPEC

Taking Notes REGION Review the notes you

took for this section.

• How have Islamic beliefs

affected this region?

• Why did this region grow in

economic importance?

Main Ideas a. What are the Five Pillars

of Islam?

b. Why was the region of

Southwest Asia important

to colonial powers?

c. What is the purpose

of OPEC?

Geographic ThinkingDrawing ConclusionsHow has the presence of

large deposits of oil changed

the lives of the people of the

Arabian peninsula? Thinkabout:

• where people live

• the types of jobs available

MAKING COMPARISONS Use the Internet to find more information on the increase in oil

production over the last 25 years for the nations shown in the graph on page 505. Create a

line graph showing the increases in oil production for the five nations.

SW

AS

IA

SouthwestAsia

ArabianPeninsula

Connect to

the Issues

resources

Why might it be

important for

women to become

more educated?

RESEARCH LINKSCLASSZONE .COM

PLACE The female

doctor above shows a

blend of traditional and

modern lifestyles.

How does thisphotograph illustratechanges in the rolesof women in theregion?