Dec 14, 2015
Middle East? OR Near East?OR Southwest Asia? OR….?
Includes 25+ territories
Western Sahara is disputed
5.91 million square miles
Location Almost 2 times the size of US Located at latitudes equivalent Boston and Bogota
Population Around 600
million people
Majority of population in four countries:
○ Iran○ Egypt○ Turkey○ Pakistan
Why is this?
Natural Vegetation Map
Climate Map
Has a high population growth
○ Developing countries
○ Muslim cultures○ Palestine, one
of the highest growth rates in the world
The more urban the population, the wealthier the country
○ Kuwait
On the other hand…..
Desperately poor countries urban population is less than 32%
Ex:○ Afghanistan ○ Sudan○ Yemen
Water in the Middle East!
TigrisRiver
Nile River
EuphratesRiver
Jordan River Persian Gulf
ArabianSea
Mediterranean Sea
IndianOcean
Red Sea
Black Sea
Gulf of Aden
Strait ofHormuz
Suez Canal
Dardanelles Strait
AtlanticOcean
Gulf ofOman
Caspian
Sea
The Great River Longest River in the
world, over 4100 miles long
Runs through ten countries
Starts in Lake Victoria
Sustains almost 160 million people
95% of Egypt’s population lives on 5% its land
Nile Water Agreement- Egypt has access to 2/3 of Niles water
Tigris-Euphrates River System Land in between,
historically called Mesopotamia
○ “Land between two rivers”
Shared by Iraq, Turkey, and Syria
Part of the Fertile Crescent
Marsh, swamps, shallows
The Jordan River System extremely important
resource to surrounding countries
Where Jesus was baptized
Sections still used for baptism
The Dead Sea 1,385 ft. below sea
level One of the saltiest
bodies of water Has a high
buoyancy-people can easily float
Health benefits
The Arabian Peninsula and It’s Oil
• 2/3 of the world’s oil is located in the Middle East (most located along the Persian Gulf and in Iraq)
The U. S. imports 30% of its oil needs from the Middle East.
The Oil Giant of Saudi Arabia Occupies most of
the Arabian Peninsula
Homeland of Arab civilization and Islam
Interior is plateau Has no permanent
rivers! Saudization
Persian Gulf Oil Exports
Saudi Oil Has the largest
amount of proven oil reserves in the world
Produces 2nd largest amount of oil
Ghawar, worlds largest oil field
Bahrain Small island Connected to SA by
four-lane causeway Also center for oil
refinement, but running out of oil
Only country of Arabian Penninsula to allow women to vote
Qatar UAE
On worlds third largest natural gas reserve
4/5 of population are imported workers because of that industry
Home of al-Jazeera But before the oil and
gas….
Confederation of seven units
Dubai and Abu Dhabi are the oil economic centers
Because of oil, UAE is successfully diversifying its economy
More liberal, especially Dubai
Yemen Oman
Located on mountainous southern tip
Receives heaviest rainfall of the peninsula
Struggling economy ○ Lack of industrial production○ Immigrant Yemen workers ○ Late oil discovery
Source of ancient worlds frankincense
Capital, Muscat vital trade port between ME-SA
Been U.S. allies in Gulf War and War in Iraq
Israeli-Palestinian conflict Israelis: Citizens of
the Jewish nation of Israel
Not all, but majority are Jewish
Palestinians: Arabs with Palestine origins.
Majority are Muslims A stateless nation
Why? What’s the big fuss? Occupied Territory
○ Gaza Strip○ West Bank○ Golan Heights
Wars of○ 1948-1949○ 1967○ 1973
Today, who gets what?
Israel Law of return
○ Grants citizenship to any Jew who wishes to live there
Pop. of 6.8 million, 80% Jewish
Culturally and religiously diverse
Jerusalem- political capital
Tel Aviv-Jaffa- economic capital
Continued….
Agriculturally self sustaining
Great irrigation systems
Recent conflict takes toll on economy
relies heavily on exports of equipment and U.S. aid
Continued…
IDF-Israeli Defense Force
One of the best Air forces in the world
Works with the United States on weapons development
Citizens required to serve once 18
○ Men 3 years○ Women 2 years
Palestinians A stateless nation Live in surrounding
countries and the Occupied Territories
Ghurba- similar to the Jews Diaspora
PLO- Palestinian Liberation Organization
Hamas- Palestinian political party
The recent focus 1993: Israel and PLO sign agreements, lead to withdrawal
of Israeli troops
2005: Israel to remove all Jewish settlements and troops from Gaza by end of 2005
Today: Palestinians claim Israel still occupying parts of Gaza, Israel claims they are offering protection against Hamas terrorism
Iraq Why such a hot
spot?○ Sunni○ Shi’ite ○ Kurd
Tigris and Euphrates used for agriculture
Baghdad is everything!
○ Located perfectly
Continued….. Oil is main source of
revenue Should have
allowed them to thrive, but….
○ Arab Baath Socialist Party
Saddam givith and Saddam takith away
Iran Used to be Persia, until occupied by British Restoration of the “shah”
○ Reza Pahlavi
1979, Khomeini ○ Islamic Republic
Continued… First country in ME
to produce oil○ Also, pistachio and
Persian rugs
Mostly Mts., plateau and desert
Northwest region able to grow subtropical crops
○ Majority depend on irrigation
Kuwait Size of New Jersey
○ Yet, 4th largest store of petroleum resources
From poor fishers and farmers to wealthy urbanized state
OIL ONLY!
U.S. and Iraq 1980-88 Iran-Iraq
War 1991 Gulf War 2003 War in Iraq
U.S. and Iran
1980 Iraq Iran War 1980 Tehran
Hostages 2002 “Axis of Evil” Straight of
Hormuz/Nuclear capabilities