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Southwest Asia. The Fertile Crescent. The Fertile Crescent , the area between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers , stretches from modern Iraq to Israel. This area is known as the birthplace of civilization .
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The Fertile Crescent • The Fertile Crescent, the area between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, stretches from modern Iraq to Israel. • This area is known as the birthplace of civilization. • Around 8000 B.C., hunter-gatherers first began to farm in this area – known as the agricultural revolution. • This region has always been an area of conflict because: • Its location in the center of three continents has made it important for trade. • Religious differences.
Physical Geography • Mountains and arid plains cover much of Central and Southwest Asia, with many of the plains regions being desert. • Much of the region has an arid to semiarid climate – the mountainous and coastal areas have more precipitation and cooler winters. • The far northern areas of the region have cold, snowy winters.
The Central Asian Nations • Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are independent nations formed from the break-up of the Soviet Union. • Stan means “the land of” and the beginning of the country’s name refers to the largest ethnic group of the region. • The various ethnicities and cultures of the region have one thing in common – the Islamic religion.
The Aral Sea • The Soviet Union used the Aral Sea to irrigate the arid region around the sea – fresh water from the rivers which flow into the sea were diverted to water fields. • With the loss of fresh water, the sea shrank and grew saltier – destroying the local fishing industry of the region.
Southwest Asia • Southwest Asia is often referred to as the Middle East. • This area has long been one of conflict and war. • It’s the birthplace of three of the world’s major religions, Judaism, Islam and Christianity.
The Ottoman Empire • By World War I, much of the Middle East was controlled by the Ottoman Empire. • Arabs living in the Ottoman Empire were promised their own independent nations after the war if they would support the Allies. • Instead, France and Great Britain established mandates – land governed by an outside power on behalf of the League of Nations until it was ready for independence.
Post World War I Middle East • Palestine was claimed by two groups, Arabs and Jews. • Jewish immigration to Palestine began to increase, especially as World War II began and after World War II there was increasing support for creating a Jewish homeland in Palestine. • The problem was handed over to the United Nations, who decided to divide Palestine into two nations, Israel and Palestine. • When Israel was formed in 1948, war broke out between Israel and its Arab neighbors – Israel conquered most of Palestine and Jordan and Egypt divided the rest, leaving the Palestinians with no country of their own.
Lebanon • For many years, Lebanon was the most prosperous country of the region. • In 1958 and 1975, civil war broke out among the various religious factions of the country. • In 1982, Lebanon was invaded by Israel because of the actions of the Palestinian Liberation Organization. • In 1983, Islamic radicals blew up the American embassy in Beirut and drove an explosive-filled truck into a U.S. Marine barracks – causing the U.S. to withdraw from the country. • Peace was established in the 1990’s but the country still struggles with stability.
Iraq • Iraq has the well-watered plain between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers as well as large oil reserves. • In 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait, leading to the first Persian Gulf War – Iraq suffered huge losses and also suffered through an embargo when it failed to comply with the cease fire agreement. • The embargo – severe restriction on trade with other countries – led to great suffering among the Iraqi people. • After 9/11, the Second Gulf War was started when the U.S. claimed that Iraq was a threat to international security. • Saddam Hussein was removed from power but establishing an effective government has proven very difficult to do.
Syria • Syria is currently involved in a civil war that is part of the larger movement known as the Arab Spring. • The Arab Spring uprisings have come about because of discontent with current governments and economic issues. • Almost 20 Middle Eastern and North African countries have been involved in the Arab Spring. • The U.S. almost used military force against Syria after the Syrian government used chemical weapons against its own people.
The Arabian Peninsula • The Arabian Peninsula is home to the Rub’ al-Khali, or Empty Quarter, the world’s largest sand desert. • The Arabian Peninsula has the least amount of water of any large landmass. • The Arabian Peninsula also has 75% of the world’s known oil reserves.
Wealth of the Arabian Peninsula • The wealth brought by oil has allowed the many countries of the region to pay for the modernization of their countries. • A major expense are desalination plants. • In 1960, OPEC, or the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries was created to help control the production and prices of the oil.
Modernization and Islam • The countries of the Middle East have tried not to let modernization upset the Islamic traditions of the region. • The family is still the most important social unit of the region. • Females have honored positions within society but are limited in many ways. • Each year around two million Muslims from around the world make a pilgrimage to the Islamic holy city of Mecca, located in Saudi Arabia.
Iran • After the World Wars, Iran was ruled by a shah who worked to Westernize Iran, using profits form their oil industry. • Many people opposed the shah’s changes, especially religious leaders known as ayatollahs who believed the country should be governed by strict, Islamic law. • In 1979, the AyatollahKhomeini took over the country and worked to remove all western influences in the country. • Since his death in 1989, Iran has begun to change, but is struggling to overcome economic problems caused by Khomeini.
Cyprus • One-fifth of Cyprus’ population are Muslim Turks. • The rest of the population is primarily Greek. • In the 1960’s, civil war split the island in two, with the Greek population wanting to reunite with Greece. • Turkey prevented this from happening and even declared the northeastern part of the island independent, although most countries don’t formally recognize the region as a country.
