Middle East

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Middle East

• Past, Present, Future

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Middle East

• Also Called
• Southwest Asia
• - Crossroads of the World because people often
  pass through the Middle East to travel between
  Europe, Asia, and Africa
• Cradle of Civilization

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Bodies of Water

• Persian Gulf
• Tigris River
• Euphrates River
• Dead Sea
• Mediterranean Sea
• Red Sea

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Middle East

• Middle East is a region that includes countries
  in southwestern Asia and their influence extends
  into northern Africa.
• 350 million people live in this part of the world

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Climates Rivers

• Water is scarce everywhere in the Middle East
• It is one of the driest regions in the world
• Deserts cover more than half of the region
• A desert covers most of Saudi Arabia, and in the
  northeastern part of the Middle East
• There are oasis in the middle of some deserts,
  and many people live near the oases and raise
  sheep, goats, and crops
• The capital of Saudi Arabia was built on a large
  oasis

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Climates Rivers

• There are 2 main climates
• Desert
• Mediterranean short, rainy winters and long, dry
  summer

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Climates Rivers

• People live near rivers
• Nile in Egypt Tigris and Euphrates in Middle
  East
• The soil is fertile
• People can farm by irrigating the water to their
  fields

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Religion People

• Three of the worlds most important religions
  began in the Middle East
• All 3 teach monotheism (belief in 1 God)
• Judaism, the religion of the Jews, is the oldest
  of the 3 religions and began in Israel thousands
  of years ago
• Christianity, the Christian religion, developed
  from Judaism

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Religion People

• Islam began in Saudi Arabia in the year 622
• It was started by an Arab leader named Muhammad
• He taught that there is one God.
• Muslims believe that Muhammad was Gods messenger
• Muhammads teachings are in the Koran, a holy
  book to Muslims
• Abraham is the Father of all 3 religions of this
  region

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Religion People

• 5 Pillars of Islam
• 1. Daily profession of faith
• 2. Prayer 5 times a day
• Dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, after full
  darkness
• 3. Almsgiving
• Includes charity work and knowing all things
  belong to Allah
• 4. Fast during Ramadan (Holy Month)
• From light till sundown (no eating or drinking)
• 5. Pilgrimage to Mecca
• About 2 million people go each year from
  everywhere the closing of it is marked by a
  festival and exchange of gifts

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Further Comparisons

• Islam
• Also called Muslims
• Believe in Allah (Prophet Muhammad)
• Holy City Mecca
• Bible Koran
• Church Mosque (Friday is Holy Day)

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Further Comparisons

• Judaism
• Also called Jews
• Believe in Yahweh (Prophet Moses)
• Holy City Jerusalem
• Bible Torah
• Church Synagogue (Saturday is the Holy Day)

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Further Comparisons

• Christianity
• Also called Christians
• Believe in God (Jesus)
• Holy City Jerusalem
• Bible Bible
• Church Church (Sunday is the Holy Day)

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Religion People

• Most people in the Middle East are Arabs, who
  speak Arabic
• Some countries have a small Christianity
  population
• In Israel most people are Jews and speak Hebrew

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Resources/Earning a Living

• Oil is the most important natural resource
• There is more oil in this region than in any
  other in the world
• Many developed nations buy their oil from the
  Middle East

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Resources/Earning a Living

• There are few other resources in this region
• Some countries have natural gas, iron ore, or
  phosphates
• More than half of the people earn a living by
  farming, but most of the land is too dry for
  farming.

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Resources/Earning a Living

• Most nations are developing countries
• Some use oil money to develop new industries
• The standard of living is much lower than in the
  U.S.
• Most people are poor
• Most countries do not grow enough food to feed
  their people
• Wars have been a problem for thousands of years
  and today this region still does not have real
  peace

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Arabs/Muslims/Islam

• 1.3 billion Muslims in the World
• Today 90 of the people in the Middle East are
  Muslims
• 6-8 million Muslims in the US (about the same
  of Jews in the US)
• Most American Muslims are African America or
  South Asian

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Arabs/Muslims/Islam

• Arabs are people whose native language is Arabic
• Arabs can trace their ancestry back to the tribes
  of Arabia-the original inhabitants of the Arabian
  Peninsula and the Syrian Desert.
• Only 1 in 7 Muslims is an Arab
• Arabic Terms
• Hijab-womens head scarf
• Ghutra-Arab mens headdress
• Thobe-mens loose-fitting neck to ankle robe

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Understanding the Middle East

• Section 2

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Problems

• There are 5 problems that must be solved to
  better the peoples lives
• Overpopulation
• Poverty
• Lack of water
• Growth of Islamic Fundamentalism
• Wars

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Overpopulation

• Too many people living in the region
• Most cities are overcrowded
• Most of the land cannot be farmed
• Cairo, Egypt has become so crowded that many poor
  people now live in a large cemetery

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Poverty

• Some countries earn billions of dollars from
  exporting oil, but most people are poor
• The region needs more factories and industries

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Lack of Water

• Some countries like Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have
  built desalination plants to solve this problem
  (change salt water to fresh water very
  expensive)
• Other countries build dams to save river water in
  reservoirs

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Growth of Islamic Fundamentalism

• One goal of this movement is to win control of
  governments in the region
• The new governments would be based on strict
  Islamic law
• 1979 Islamic fundamentalist led a revolution in
  Iran the shah (king) was forced to leave it
  became an Islamic republic now everyone in Iran
  obeys strict religious laws

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Wars

• Iran and Iraq fought from 1980-1989 fighting has
  ended but still no peace treaty
• 1990 Iraq invaded Kuwait under Saddam Hussein,
  because he wanted their oil fields UN and US had
  to go to Kuwait to fight Iraq (Persian Gulf War)
  Iraq lost
• Israelis and Palestinians have been at war since
  1948

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Hope for the Future

• Most children in the Middle East have better
  lives than their grandparents
• There are more schools, more jobs, better health
  care
• Oil money has been used to build roads,
  hospitals, housing

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Saudi Arabia
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Overview

• Has more oil deposits than any other nation in
  the world
• The oil money it makes has allowed it to become a
  modern, developed country

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Landforms, Climate, Cities

• The Arabian Peninsula covers most of Saudi Arabia
• Deserts cover most of Saudi Arabia
• Has a very hot desert climate
• Has no lakes or rivers

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Landforms, Climate, Cities

• Has the Empty Quarter desert in the south, with
  sand dunes over 1,000 ft
• The southwest has fertile soil is the only
  region that gets enough rain for farming
• Most people live in cities
• There are 2 cities that are holy to Muslims
  Mecca (Muhammad was born there), and Medina
  (Islam was born there)

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History, People, and Government

• Arabs have lived in Saudi Arabia for thousands of
  years
• Many of the people were nomads moving from one
  oasis to another
• They travel on camels, live in tents, and raise
  sheep and goats
• Many still live in the desert today, some modern
  ones travel by car instead of camel

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History, People, and Government

• Mohammad was born in Mecca in 570.
• He began Islam
• During his life, people living in the Arabian
  Peninsula became Muslims
• Since that time Saudi Arabia has been a Muslim
  country

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History, People, and Government

• More than 1 billion people in the world today are
  Muslims
• 19 million people live in Saudi Arabia today
• They are called Saudis
• Arabic is the official language
• 25 of the people are workers from other
  countries

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History, People, and Government

• King Abdullah has been ruler of Saudi Arabia
  since 2005 (King Fahd before him)
• He is a member of the Saudi royal family
• This family has been important for hundreds of
  years
• Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy (king has
  full power to make all laws is also the
  religious leader)

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Religion and Women

• All citizens of Saudi Arabia must be Muslims
• They cannot practice any other religion
• All laws are based on Islamic law
• There are special police officers who make sure
  people obey the laws
• Islam allows Saudi men to have 4 wives
• No one can eat pork or drink alcohol
• There are no movie theatres, plays, or concerts
  in the country

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Religion and Women

• There are strict Islamic laws for women
• Girls must study at separate schools
• Women cannot drive cars, or ride bikes
• When they leave the house it must be with a male
  family member
• Women cannot work outside of their homes at jobs
  with men, only with women
• They must be modest and wear clothes that cover
  their arms and legs they must cover their hair
  and faces so they wear a long black robe called
  an aba when they leave home, which covers their
  head, face, and body

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Economy and Standard of Living

• Oil and natural gas were discovered in the 1930s
• 1/4th of all the oil in the world is found in
  Saudi Arabia
• Since the 1940s Saudi Arabia has earned billions
  of dollars from exporting oil
• It is one of the richest countries in the world,
  but it is still a developing country

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Economy and Standard of Living

• 1/4th of the people work at agriculture
• The government has built desalination plants to
  take salt out of ocean water, which is used to
  grow food in the desert but they still have to
  import more than half of their food
• The Saudis are working to raise the countrys
  standard of living
• Small villages now have electricity
• Cities have many modern apartment houses
• Free health care for everyone
• Free public schools
• Still more than 1/3rd of the people cannot read
  or write

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Appropriate Behavior When Visiting an Arab Home

• Bring a Gift
• Dont admire their possessions or they are
  obliged to give you their things.
• There will be too much food Dont Comment.
• Only Eat with right hand Left is personal
• Never talk business before other matters.

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Appropriate Behavior When Visiting an Arab Home

• Always accept coffee They use butter, milk,
  salt, or sugar
• Do NOT show bottom of feet while sitting
• Do not back away from a person while they are
  talking.
• They WILL ask you to stay longer, thank them and
  leave on time.