The Middle East

1
The Middle East
2
What is the Middle East?

• Term invented by Europeans
• Includes Southwest Asia and often North Africa
  (because of Islam and use of Arabic language)

3
Crossroads of the World

• Connects 3 continents
• Asia, Europe, Africa
• Trade, ideas, inventions of many civilizations
  spread (i.e. alphabet, religion)

Silk Road
4
Today

• Strategic importance for military
• Vital sea routes
• Economy
• Oil

5
5 Major Regions

1. Northern Tier
2. Arabian Peninsula
3. Fertile Crescent
4. Nile Valley
5. The Maghreb

6
Northern Tier

• Turkey to Iran
• Mountains and plateaus
• Anatolian Plateau in Turkey fertile soil, large
  population
• Iranian Plateau dry, small population

7
Arabian Peninsula

• Large Plateau
• Small Population
• Lack of water
• Live around oasis (fertile desert area)
• Large amounts of oil
• Birthplace of Islam

8
Fertile Crescent

• Between Mediterranean Sea and Persia Gulf
• Large pop. Rich soil, abundant water
• Early civilizations
• Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

9
Nile Valley

• Northeastern Africa
• Flooding of Nile predictable and dependable,
  unlike Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

10
The Maghreb

• Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia
• Western isle
• Sahara Desert, Atlas Mountains
• Most live along coast where there is more rain

11
Climate and Resources

• Nearly all the region is desert
• Adapt due to lack of water
• Building irrigation systems
• Desalination

Animal-powered irrigation, Upper Egypt, circa 1840
12
Climate and Resources

• Oil is the most valuable resource
• Unevenly distributed across Middle East
• Economic differences between oil-rich countries
  and those that lack oil

13
Where The Worlds Oil is Coming From
14
What is an Arab?

• Anyone whose native language is Arabic
• Majority ethnic group
• Originally from Arabian Peninsula

May Ziade (1886-1941) writer for the Arabic
newspapers, poet, author
15
Languages

• Major languages
• Arabic
• Turkish
• Hebrew
• Kurdish
• Farsi
• Greek
• Armenian

16
Religions

• Islam
• Judaism
• Christianity

17
Religious Diversity

• Majority are Muslim (practice Islam)
• Most Arabs are Muslim
• There are non-Arabs who are also Muslim
• Large numbers of Christians in Egypt, Lebanon,
  and Syria

18
Other Ethnic Groups

• Turks, Iranians, Kurds
• Migrated to the Middle East from other parts of
  Asia
• Own language and traditions

Azra Akin Turkish model, Miss World 2002