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The Middle East Today: Political Map

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The Middle East Today: Political Map The Middle East Today: Political Map 19 17 18 11--> 7 6 1 13 8--> 9 <--10 2 12 5 16 20 14 21 Middle East? OR Near East? OR Southwest Asia? OR….? Bodies of Water Black Sea Dardanelles Strait Atlantic Tigris Ocean EuphratesRiver Jordan River River Suez Canal Strait of Hormuz Nile Gulf of River Oman Arabian Sea Gulf of Aden Indian Ocean The Mighty Nile River: “Longest River in the World” Egypt: The “Gift of the Nile” Nile Delta Annual Nile Flooding 95% of the Egyptian people live on 5% of the land! Aswan High Dam, Egypt Hydroelectric Power Plant Suez Canal Completed by the British in 1869 Population Patterns Migrations, claims to ancestral homes, and boundary disputes have influenced population in the eastern Mediterranean. • The people: – About 7.1 million people in this region are Israelis living in Israel. Population Patterns (cont.) – The majority of people live along• Densitycoastal andplains distribution: This area has some of the highest population densities in Southwest Asia. – This subregion is predominantly urban— more than 75% of the people in Israel, Jordan, and Lebanon live in cities. – Just over 50% in Syria and Palestine live in cities. History and Government The eastern Mediterranean is home to three of the world’s major religions that have shaped politics and culture there for centuries. What Are they? • Christian • Islam • Judaism Population Patterns (cont.) – Tensions between Arabs and Jews resulted in six wars over the past 70 years. – 80% of the Israelis are Jewish. – ars. Population Patterns for this region of Ancient Persia Ethnic diversity and the Muslim religion have profoundly shaped the population of the Northeast subregion. • The people: – Turks – Iranians – Arabs – Kurds (Not a country-->) Population Patterns (cont.) • Density and distribution: – The most populous countries are Turkey and Iran. – More than half of these people live in cities. History and Government Ancient empires and thriving civilizations influenced the early history of the Northeast, which today is being shaped by the oil industry and relations with the outside world. History and Government (cont.) – Mesopotamia—the Sumerian civilization lived in this • Civilizations and empires: area. – The Phoenician civilization began along the eastern Mediterranean. – The Persian Empire extended across the region. – The Ottoman Empire was centered in present-day Turkey. History and Government (cont.) • The modern era: – Iraq has experienced periods of turmoil since it gained independence in 1932. – Turkey was established as a country in 1923. – Iranians have experienced political and social upheavals over the years. History and Government (cont.) • The era of oil: – Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela formed the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in order to regulate oil prices. Culture Religion and language shape everyday life in the Northeast subregion. • Language— mostly Arabic; Turkish in Turkey and Persian in Persia • Religion—mostly Shia Muslims in Iraq and Iran; Sunni Muslims in Turkey Culture (cont.) • Education—required through grade 6 in Iraq and grade 8 in Turkey; literacy rates are fairly high. • Health care—this varies, but is struggling in most areas. • The arts—early civilizations created sculptures, fine metalwork, and large buildings; literature is based on strong oral traditions, epics, and poetry. The Tigris & Euphrates River System Mesopotamia: ”Land Between the Two Rivers” Marsh Arabs, So. Iraq Dust Storms Along the Tigris-Euphrates Flood Plains The Jordan River System: Israel & Jordan--A Fight Over Water Rights? Dead Sea: Lowest Point on Earth 2,300’ below sea level Highest Salt Content (33%) Wadis – Instant Springs Mountains & Plateaus Caucasus Mts. Anatolian Plateau Iranian Atlas Mts. Zagros Plateau Mts. Mountain Ranges in Mid-East Elburz Mts., Iran Zagros Mts., Iran Lebanese Mts. Taurus Mts., Turkey Deserts SinaiNegev DesertDesert Libyan Desert Arabian Desert Rub al-Khali Sahara Desert Desert Bedouins Breeding Areas of Desert Locusts Swarms of Desert Locusts! Israel Hit By Worst Locust Plague Since the 1950s! Locusts Swarm the Pyramids Complex at Giza! Rub al-Khali: “The Empty Quarter” Desert Oases: Water at a Premium! Fresh Groundwater Sources Desalinization Plants Fertile Crescent The Fertile Crescent Completed Map Caucasus Mts. Black Sea Dardanelles Strait Anatolian Plateau Atlantic Tigris Ocean Euphrates Iranian River Jordan River Zagros Plateau Atlas Mts. River Negev Suez CanalSinai Mts. DesertDesert Strait of Arabian Hormuz Libyan Desert Nile Desert Gulf of River Rub Oman al-Khali Sahara Desert Arabian Sea Gulf of Aden Indian Ocean The Middle East vs. the U. S. Latitude Lines Middle East: Climate Regions Middle East: Population Density Cairo, Egypt: Most Populated City in the Middle East 17,000,000+ People! The Middle East: Natural Vegetation The Natural Resources of the Middle East World Oil Reserves Persian Gulf Oil Exports (2003) Saudi Oil Fields & Refineries Kuwait: An Island Floating on a Sea of Oil Kuwait City Leading U. S. Oil Suppliers The U. S. imports 30% of its oil needs from the Middle East. .
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