The Middle East Called Southwest Asia in your textbook

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The Middle EastCalled Southwest Asia in your
textbook
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Why is it called the Middle East?
Middle East refers to the land in the middle,
between Europe the Far East
This reflects Eurocentrism a way of looking at
the world with a European perspective.
Far East Far away from where in the Old World?
Europe
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Benefits of its Geography
The region has historically been a very strategic
location for trade, military, and economic
reasons.
Geography has been a blessing and a curse.
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The region has several strategic chokepoints.
These are locations that if closed off, could
result in war.
Bosporus and Dardanelles
Suez Canal
Strait of Hormuz
Bab-al-Mandab
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Resource of the Region...
OIL!!!!!!
The importance of the region has been magnified
by the need for?
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Fertile Crescent
There is evidence that the first civilizations
began here in the Fertile Crescent (Mesopotamia)
area that is now Iraq and in the Nile River
Valley.
It is thought that the first Agricultural
Revolution started here.
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Some 10,000 years ago, the land of the Middle
East was much wetter than it is today. The
climate changed and so did the landscape.
Syrian Desert
Rub al Khali
Ancient city of Ur in Iraq
Lebanon
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The Middle East is home to many unique man made
and natural phenomena.
The Dead Sea. So much salt you cant sink.
Get your own for a merely 7 million!
Salt deposits in the Dead Sea
Man-made islands built to resemble a map of the
world outside of Dubai.
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Hindu Kush Khyber Pass
The Hindu Kush Mtns. in Afghanistan create an
almost impenetrable barrier.
This was a view Alexander the Great could have
had on his way to India.
The Khyber Pass is the major route through the
mountains. It was used as a trade route from the
Far East is a strategic military location.
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Cultural Geography
Ethnicity
Religions
Language
The region has three major cultural traits
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Modern cities in the Middle East
Dubai, UAE
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Damascus, Syria
Tehran, Iran
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A Region of Conflict
The desire to return to the fundamental life of
strict Islam crashes into the reality of
globalization and peoples desire to have what
the West has.
Iran
Ms. Bahrain
Womens rights are at the forefront of that
conflict, as some rights that women have here in
the US strongly contradict Islamic law, or sharia.
For instance, a woman does not have the right to
drive a car, and in most cases, must ask for her
husbands consent in order to divorce.
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Womens rights
Women are not allowed to eat in the regular
dining area. They must be accompanied by a man.
The clash of globalization and fundamentalism in
Saudi Arabia today.
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Womens rights
In many Middle Eastern countries, women are
expected to be completely or partially covered in
public. They will take off the burka in their
homes.
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Secularism
Turkey is a prime example of a secular society
one that is not based on religious law.
It is actually illegal for women to wear head
scarves in government building
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Globalization
The Middle East is been influenced by the Western
culture through globalization
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While many want the US out of the Middle East,
there is one fact that will keep us in the
region, and it benefits the entire Western world.
It is?