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Middle East

Middle East. Profile and Geography. Profile and Geography. Middle East -- refers to the collective areas of SW Asia and N. Africa: Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, Yemen, Bahrain, Oman, United Arab Emirates, and Qatar

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Middle East

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  1. Middle East Profile and Geography

  2. Profile and Geography • Middle East -- refers to the collective areas of SW Asia and N. Africa: • Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, Yemen, Bahrain, Oman, United Arab Emirates, and Qatar • Cultural area is dominated by Islamic law and custom.

  3. Profile and Geography • Ethnic groups: (various ethnicities) • Arabs, Turks, Persians, Jews, Armenians, Georgians, Egyptians, Kurds, Greeks, Assyrians, Azeris, Circassians, Berbers • Religions: (very diverse) • Islam (dominant) • Judaism • Christianity • Bahai, Druzism

  4. Language: (3 main families) Indo-European Afro-Asiatic Altaic Arabic + Persian are most widely spoken English, French, Romanian and Russian are spoken regionally Economy: Countries range from very poor (Yemen) to extremely rich (UAE + Saudi Arabia) Most nations economics are centered around oil only Turkey + Egypt have a diverse economic base Tourism Profile of the Middle East

  5. Profile of the Middle East • Why is the Middle East important? • Cradle of Civilization • Total land area = larger than U.S. • Produced the world’s largest monotheistic faiths • Middle East contains 2/3 of the global petroleum reserves • Since end of WWII – Middle East has been the most volatile region on the planet

  6. Profile of Middle East • Why is the Middle East important? (6) Middle East has influenced America Presidential elections • Jimmy Carter (1980) (7) Middle East has been the setting for 6 major military confrontations since WWII

  7. Geography of the Middle East • Total population = over 200 million (comparable land area to U.S.) • 90% of land area in ME is not suited to farming + much is uninhabitable • 3 major mountainous areas: • 1st band – covers N. part of ME (Turkey + Iran) • 2nd band – stretches from Sinai peninsula to shores of Persian Gulf • 3rd band – reaches from N. Africa to western side of Arabian peninsula

  8. Geography of the Middle East • Predominant land feature – desert • Major desert is Rub’ al Khali • Located in Saudi Arabia • Largest sand dune desert in world • “Empty Quarter”

  9. Geography of the Middle East • River Systems: • Nile valley and Mesopotamia are best areas for agriculture in ME • Rivers have been a source of conflict due to the lack of rainfall and drinkable water

  10. Geography of the Middle East • Climate: • Driest place on earth • Arabian peninsula and Egypt get very little rain • Iraq + Iran receive 6-14 inches a year • Turkey (other countries bordering eastern shore of Med. Sea) receive 30 inches year • Temp range • Summer – extremely hot • Winters cool w/ below zero temperatures.

  11. MAJOR GEOGRAPHICAL QUALITIES OF THE REALM • Population • Discontinuous clusters around infrequent water sources • Regional Imbalances • Oil and Non-oil states (“haves” versus “have-nots”) • Political Geography • Fragmented due to colonial experience

  12. THE IMPACT OF OIL • HIGH INCOMES • MODERNIZATION • INDUSTRIALIZATION • REGIONAL DISPARITIES • FOREIGN INVESTMENT

  13. World Oil Reserves

  14. OIL AND NATURAL GAS RESERVES

  15. Persian Gulf Oil Exports

  16. Leading U. S. Oil Suppliers The U. S. imports 30% of its oil needs from the Middle East.

  17. Historical Overview • Fertile Crescent • Birthplace of agriculture + civilization • Agricultural Revolution (8000 BC) • 3000 BC Sumerians of Mesopotamia developed writing, complex societies and city-states • Cuneiform – first writing form • Code of Hammurabi – first legal code • All elements of civilizations • 2000 BC Judaism emerged (first monotheistic religion) • 1000 BC followers of Judaism established the Kingdom of Israel • 1000 years later Christianity emerged in the region

  18. Historical Overview • Arabic speaking tribes of the Arabian peninsula adopted Islam (632 AD) • 632 + 713 AD they gained control of most of SW and Central Asia • 1400 AD Ottoman Empire had emerged and took control of entire region • Arabs take control of the entire “Middle East” • Rule until WWI

  19. Historical Overview • Ottoman Empire was defeated in WW I by European powers • Empire was divided into protectorates • Palestine began attracting Jewish migrants • 1945 Lebanon, Syria and Iraq had gained independence and by 1971 all the protectorates were independent

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