UNIT 5 Soutwest Asia and North Africa Chapter 11 Southwest Asia Morocco Algeria Libya Turkey Afghanistan Syria Iraq Iran Egypt Saudi Arabia Chapter 11 Lesson 1 Vocabulary aquifer Underground layers of rock, sand, or gravel that hold water alluvial soil Soil created by sediment deposited when a river floods over its bank qanat An underground canal that uses deep wells and tunnels to move water to dry areas oasis A place in the desert where a spring or well provides water desalinization The process in which the salt is taken out of salt water exotic river A river that begins in a wet region and then flows through a dry region wadi A dry stream bed in Southwest Asia
Chapter 11 Lesson 1 Lands of Contrast Southwest Asia is often referred to as the Middle East. It is one of the driest regions in the world. Land and Sea * Southwest Asia is considered the crossroads of the world and a center for trade - it is where Europe, Asia, and Africa meet * 16 countries make up Southwest Asia Afghanistan is the only one that is landlocked * Caspian Sea is the world's largest salt lake * Various bodies of water surround the countries of Southwest Asia - Caspian Sea, Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Gulf of Aden, Black Sea, Arabian Sea, Dead Sea * Plateau of Anatolia - separate the mountains ranges in Turkey * Elburz and Zagros Mountains in Iran * Plateau of Iran - separate the mountain ranges of Iran * Hindu Kush - Mountain range in Afghanistan * Turkey and Russia are the only two countries in the world that are located on two different continents. * Two peninsulas make up Southwest Asia Arabian Peninsula - Saudi Arabia Asia Minor - Turkey * Pontic and Taurus Mountains line Turkey's coastline A Tale of Two Rivers ***Tigris River*** ~ one of the two most important rivers in Southwest Asia ~ begins high in the mountains of Turkey as small snow-fed streams ~ 1,180 miles long and flows south out of Turkey, along Syria's border, and then enters Iraq ~ flows parallel with the Euphrates for hundreds of miles ~ fertile plain of alluvial soil lies between these two important rivers and is often called Mesopotamia ~ joins the Euphrates in Iraq to make the Shatt al Arab and then empties into the Persian Gulf *** Euphrates River*** ~ one of the two most important rivers in Southwest Asia ~ begins high in the mountains of Turkey as small snow-fed streams ~ flows southeast through Syria ~ provides water for farming ~ free of rapids so safe for boat travel ~ 1,740 miles long and travels through Syria and Iraq ~ longest river in Southwest Asia ~ flows parallel with the Tigris for hundreds of miles ~ fertile plain of alluvial soil lies between these two important rivers and is often called Mesopotamia ~ joins the Tigris in Iraq to make the Shatt al Arab and then empties into the Persian Gulf
Sands, Steppes, Oases, and Mountains There are two deserts in this region - Rub' al-khali Desert and Syrian Desert which are the largest of the region * Syrian Desert ~ covers parts of Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Jordan ~ rocky landscape ~ receives almost no rain ~ strong winds create dust storms *Steppes in the desert region receive enough rainfall to have varying vegetation * Nomadic tribes like the Bedouins live here and migrate from place to place looking for vegetation and water * Oman, Yemen, and parts of Saudi Arabia have enough rainfall for farming; the mountains supply water to this region as well * Oasis living for farmers is common; there is enough water and soil on these areas to grow crops and care for animals * Temperatures drop in the night and rise during the day Desert Resources * Natural Resources - iron ore, coal, copper, phosphates, and rock salt * Natural gas and oil is abundant and are the most important natural resources of this region * Natural gas and oil are fossil fuels and nonrenewable and are grouped around the Persian Gulf * Oil is an important source of energy around the world; it generates heat and electricity * Saudi Arabia is one of the world's largest oil producers as well as Kuwait, Iraq and Iran * New industries are being developed in the Southwest since these natural resources will not last forever - plastics, medicines Scarcity of Fresh Water Chapter 11 Lesson 2 Vocabulary * Fresh water is scare in Southeast Asia * Irrigation, exotic rivers, wadis, and arroyos supply water to crops and animals but are very unreliable due to lack of rain * Exotic rivers are unreliable at times because of upstream pollutants * Aquifers are reliable sources of fossil waters; like fossil fuels they are a nonrenewable resource * Qanats also transport fresh water to where it is needed * Desalinization is an important freshwater process in SE Asia - this takes the abundant salt water present in Southeast Asia and remove the salt to make safe water for the citizens * Desalinization is expensive and requires a great deal of energy to process domesticate dike ziggurat cuneiform code To tame plants and animals for peoples' use A high bank of earth or concrete built to help reduce flooding A huge mud-brick temple built by the ancient Sumerians A form of ancient writing in southwest Asia A group of laws
Torah Ten Commandments Gospels Qur'an Crusades Jewish scriptures; the first five books of the Bible A set of laws for responsible behavior that, according to the Bible, were given to Moses by God The first four books of the New Testament; they describe Jesus' life and actions The holy book of Islam A series of wars fought in the Middle Ages between Christians and Muslims over control of the Holy Land Chapter 11 Lesson 2 Southwest Asia Long Ago Southwest Asia is a land of historic significance to the entire world. Ancient Mesopotamia * The land between the Euphrates and the Tigris was fertile and referred to as Mesopotamia * The Mesopotamians grew crops in the foothills of the Zagros and Taurus Mountains; taming wild plants for use by people becoming some of the world's first farmers * Some of the earliest communities centered around these farms in the Mesopotamian region * The Tigris and Euphrates provided water to these new farms yet also brought danger when they unpredictably flooded * The Sumerians lived in Southern Mesopotamia or Sumer and learned to control the flood waters of the rivers by building dikes, ditches, and canals * By 3500 B.C. these Sumerian communities grew into city-states * Large temples were built in the center of the cities to honor the cities most important god (ziggurat) * Sumerian innovations: wheeled carts sailboats the world's first writing system (cuneiform) * Akkadian Empire - one of the world's first empires formed by Sargon in the Sumerain city-states * Following Sargon's death many rulers ruled this area; until 1790 B.C. when a leader named Hammurabi began a conquest of the region * Hammurabi formed the Babylonian Empire and is best known for rewriting the laws of the region known as the Code of Hammurabi The Mediterranean Coast in Ancient Days * Phoenecians lived in Lebanon and along the Mediterranean coast developed the first writing system linking symbols with sounds best known as traders to foreign lands * Holy Land south of Lebanon three of the world's largest religions began here Judaism Christianity Islam *Judaism first to teach the belief in one God Torah Hebrews - Israelites were the ancestors of present-day Jewish people Ten Commandments and other laws of responsible behavior
* Israel fell under Roman rule about 37B.C. and became the province of Judaea * Jesus, a Jewish teacher, traveled through Judaea teaching the works of God, that people should stop sinning and become part of God's kingdom * About 30A.D. Jewish leaders allowed their soldiers to put Jesus to death because of their concern he may be planning to take over the Jewish empire with his teachings and followers * Days following his death he was reported to have risen from the dead, which proved to many that he was truly the Son of God * More and more people became Christians as Jesus' teachings were spread following his death - these teaching were the Gospels * In about 70A.D. the Christians and Jews were forced to leave the Holy Land by the Roman leaders; it wasn't until 313A.D. that Christianity was accepted in the region * In 392 A.D. Christianity became the official religion of the region * Muhammad preached that there was only one God and he was the messenger of his word; he taught from the Qur'an, the holy book of Muslims * After Muhammad's death Muslims took control of lands in the Mediterranean including the Holy Land * The Muslim Empire built a civilization that made important advances in technology, science, and mathematics; detailed mapping skills and collections of great libraries were also developed * Between 1095 and 1291 battles between the Christians and Muslims persisted - these became known as the Crusades * This time of turmoil brought these two groups together through the loss of life, trading of goods, ideas and technology, and learning about each others cultures Ancient Empires in Iran and Turkey * The Persian Empire existed during the 500s BC ancestors of todays Iranians encompassed a large portion of Eastern Europe, North Africa, and India Cyrus the Great Xerxes pony express system of sending messages lasted about 200 years COMPARE HISTORICAL MAPS * Alexander the Great conquered the Persian Empire and introduced Greek culture to the region * Middle 600s AD Arabs made Persia part of the Muslim Empire and gradually converted Muslims to Islams * Mid 1000s Arab rule weakened and Seljuk Turks took control and ruled the region of Iran, the Holy Land, and parts of Eastern Europe * The Ottomans began building an empire of their own in the 1500s and controlled trade in the Mediterranean region
refugee Five Pillars haji Sunni Shi'i calligraphy Chapter 11 Lesson 3 Vocabulary A person who leaves his or her home or country to find shelter and safety elsewhere The five most important beliefs in Islam A Muslim pilgrimage, or special trip,to Mecca, a holy place The largest branch of Islam The second-largest branch of Islam The art of beautiful handwriting Chapter 11 Lesson 3 Influences on Culture People of Southwest Asia * Southwest Asia is a region of diverse populations * People of this region settled here for many reasons, such as; religion, the economy, heritage, industry * 1800s and 1900s - Jewish population in Israel desire to live in the Holy Land to escape discrimination following the nationalization of Israel in 1948 * Most are Arab Muslims * Arabic language * Islam religion based on the Qur'an * Qur'an teaches Muslim wisdom, laws, and duties * The main duties are the Five Pillars * The Five Pillars - acts of worship that Muslims are expected to perform 1. stating their faith 2. praying five times a day 3. giving to charity 4. fasting during Ramadan, the Muslim holy month 5. making a pilgrimage to Mecca * Mecca, Saudi Arabia is the holiest city of Islam * Two main groups within the religion of Islam Sunni Muslim- largest group Shi'i Muslim - second largest group * Cyprus is the only place in Southwest Asia where Christianity is the main religion * Greeks follow the Eastern Orthodox branch of Christianity * Many languages spoken in this region - Hebrew, Arabic, Greek Ways of Life in Southwest Asia * Family life and values is an important cultural trait in Southwest Asia * Women's freedoms are limited in most regions * Oldest male in family has the most say in decision making in the home * The limited resources of the region are always put to good use * Climate, laws, and religion dictate the clothing worn by the people of the region * Nearly half the population are farmers although there is little fertile soil * Immigrants often offer their own languages to a region
* The discovery of oil has brought many changes to the region ~ cities have grown ~ improved health care ~ better education ~ abundant social services for the people * Many non-farming jobs have resulted from profitable oil production * Southwest Asia has become highly populated with people from other countries coming to the area to work in the oil fields Arts in Southwest Asia * Islamic beliefs influence art and architecture in the region * Calligraphy is the most respected form of art in Islam * Arabic literature has spread as well throughout the Muslim Empire * Internet access and western style of writing has begun to influence literature, music, and films in Southwest Asia * Religious beliefs and customs sometimes conflict with these new influences Chapter 11 Lesson 4 Vocabulary Chapter 11 Lesson 4 New Governments and Strong Economies The Birth of A New Nation Zionism mixed economy absolute monarchy embargo The movement to build a modern Jewish state An economy with varying degrees of free enterprise and government control A system of government in which a monarch has complete control A limit or ban on trade * WWI pitted the Central Powers, The Ottoman Empire, Germany, and Austria-Hungary, in a fight against the Allied Powers, France, Britain, Russia, and the United States * This war brought an end to the Ottoman Empire; leaving only the country of Turkey * After the Allied Powers won, they redrew the maps of Europe and Southwest Asia establishing more territory in Southwest Asia * In 1923 Viemal Ataturk, who was also called the "Father of the Turks", declared Turkey an independent republic * Representatives from all over the world gathered together to create The League of Nations
* The League of Nations was given responsibility for the former Ottoman lands * The League of Nations created mandates to govern the lands of the former Ottoman Empire * Today Kurdish people of Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran continue to fight for freedom to preserve their own language and culture * British and French territories received independence after yet another war * In 1947 the United Nations decided to divide Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab State * Jerusalem became an independent city - it was holy to three religions * The Palestine Liberation Organization was formed - PLO * In 1980-1988 Iran and Iraq fought over oil production and profit A Wide Range of Economies * There are a wide range of economies in Southwest Asia * Before oil was discovered, most of the economy in Southwest Asia was based on farming *Oil changed the economy dramatically * Money from oil was used to improve healthcare and education * In 1960 the major oil producing countries joined together to create the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries - OPEC * Many countries work to diversify their economies so they are not totally dependent on oil * Countries without oil find creative ways to create strong economies * Israel has a strong economy without oil; they export cut diamonds, high tech equipment, fruits, and vegetables * Agriculture is an important part of the economies of many cultures as well * Venezuala in South America, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Qater, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates are all part of OPEC * OPEC controls the price of oil by deciding how much oil a country can produce; and also provides scientific aid to countries
A Wide Range of Governments * Many of the governments are either republics or monarchs; most share government control * Jordan has a constitutional monarch with a parliamentary system; Jordan's King Abdullah II appoints his prime minister and the citizen's elect the lower house * The United Arab Emirates is divided into 7 different parts or emirates; an emperor prince rules * Iran began as a monarchy, then after a revolution it turned into an Islamic republic by Ayatollah Khomenini; an ayatollah is the highest authority in Islamic law * Many of Southwest Asian leaders consider themselves republics, but only some are true republics *He led an attack on Kuwait in 1990 over oil disputes * The United Nations placed an embargo on goods entering Iraq in order to stop Hussein's rule and influence - but it did not work * The Persian Gulf War started because Suddam Hussain would not stop attacking neighboring countries over oil disputes and borders *The war ended after a coalition of forces, led by the U.S., took military action against Iraq and took back Kuwait * Some true republics in Southwest Asia are Turkey, Lebanon, and Israel; here the people elect their members of government * Under Suddam Hussein the people of Iraq didn't have freedom speech, press, or religion