An Overview of Middle Eastern Countries Chapters 10, 11, and 12.

An Overview of Middle Eastern Countries

Chapters 10, 11, and 12

Middle Eastern Conflict

For many years there has been conflict in the Middle East. The

United Nations helps try to solve the conflicts.

United Nations – a body of world leaders who meet to discuss and

solve world problems.

Iraq Capital: Baghdad

Population:

24,200,000

Government:

Transitional Democracy

Language:Arabic

Major Religion:Islam

Major Ethnic Group:

Arab

Iraq and the United Nations• 1979 – 2003 Sadaam Hussein ruled Iraq as a

military dictator.• 1990’s – Iraq invaded Kuwait because of oil.

This led to the Persian Gulf War in 1991. United Nations troops led by the U.S. pushed Iraqi troops out of Kuwait.

• 2003 – Hussein refused to allow United Nations inspectors in to investigate their nuclear program. U.S. and British forces invaded Iraq to help the U.N. look for the weapons. Sadaam was overthrown in less than a month. In December 2003, he was captured.

• Dec 2006 – Sadaam was executed.

Iran Capital: Tehran

Population: 66,600,000

Government: Islamic Republic

Language:

Persian

Religion: Islam

Major Ethnic Groups:

Persian

Iran and the United NationsIran is an Islamic Republic. It is a

government run by Muslim Religious Leaders. All the laws are based on Quran.

The country’s leader is Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He has talked openly about

his dislike of America and Israel.

Currently, Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons. The United States has warned Iran that if

they do not stop pursuing a weapons program, the United States will take action.

The United Nations has warned Iran to submit to its rules about nuclear weapons.

Afghanistan

Capital: Kabul

Population: 28,700,000

Government: Republic

Language:

Pashto

Religion: Islam

Major Ethnic Groups:

Pashtun

AfghanistanIn 1989 a civil war caused the country to

collapse and in the 1990’s the Taliban came to power. It was an oppressive Islamic terrorist regime that did not

respect human rights. It was linked to the terrorist attacks on the U.S. in 2001. The U.S. led coalition (U.N.) forces into Afghanistan. The Taliban fell in 2002.

Currently Afghanistan has a democratic government.

Egypt Capital: Cairo

Population: 72,100,000

Government:

Republic

Language:

Arabic

Religion: Islam

Major Ethnic Groups:

Egyptian

Jordan Capital: Amman

Population: 5,500,000

Government:

Constitutional Monarchy

Language:

Arabic

Religion:

Islam

Major Ethnic Groups:

Arab

Saudi Arabia Capital: Riyadh

Population: 24,100,000

Government:

Traditional Monarchy

Language:

Arabic

Religion: Islam

Major Ethnic Groups:

Arab

Lebanon Capital: Beirut

Population: 4,200,000

Government:

Republic

Language:

Arabic

Religion:

Islam

Major Ethnic Groups:

Arab

Israel Capital:

Jerusalem

Population:

6,700,000

Government: Republic

Language:

Hebrew

Religion: Judaism

Major Ethnic Groups:

Jewish

Palestine

Population: 3,800,000

Government: Republic

Language:

Arabic

Religions: Islam

Major Ethnic Groups:

Palestinians

Syria Capital: Damascus

Population: 17,500,000

Government: Republic

Language: Arabic

Religion: Islam

Major Ethnic Groups: Arab

Turkey Capital: Ankara

Population: 71,200,000Government: Republic

Language: Turkish

Religion: Islam

Major Ethnic Groups: Turkish

• Egypt

• Libya

North African Countries

Country Government

Language Religion

Algeria Republic Arabic Islam

Libya Military Dictatorship

Arabic Islam

Morocco Constitutional Monarchy

Arabic Islam

Tunisia Republic Arabic Islam