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Where is the Middle East?

The Middle East is at the crossroads of three Continents:

Asia
Africa
Europe

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Arabian Peninsula

The Arabian Peninsula lies near the intersection of three continents, so it is called a “crossroads” location.

Africa
Asia
Europe

Arabia’s location has shaped its physical features.

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The Arabian Peninsula

The Arabian Peninsula is a harsh desert with hot, dry air.
The climate makes it hard for plants and animals to survive.
Huge sand dunes, or hills of sand shaped by the wind, cover large parts of Arabia.
Water exists mainly in oases, wet, fertile areas that are scattered across the deserts.

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Live in the Arabian Peninsula

A nomadic life, people moved from place to place within tribes for protection and as the seasons changed.
People formed Bedouin’s (Arab Nomad) which are tribes organize into clans.
Sedentary people settled in oases, where they could farm. These settlements often became towns.
Towns became centers of trade.
Many had a souk, a market or bazaar, where goods were traded.

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Middle East

Bahrain
Iran
Iraq
Israel
Palestinian
Jordan
Kuwait
Lebanon
Oman
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Syria
United Arab Emirates
Yemen

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Major Physical Features

Sahara Desert
Arabian Peninsula
Jordan River
Tigris River
Euphrates River
Nile River
Red Sea
Persian Gulf
Suez Canal
Strait of Hormuz

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Climate

Most of the land in Southwest Asia consists of dry, hot desert
30 degrees fahrenheit at night and during the day its 122 degrees in its hottest months.

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What resources are in the Middle East?

Fresh Water
Limited supplies in most countries
Desalination plants – remove salt from water
Dams - hydroelectricity
Irrigation - for farming

Petroleum/Oil
Most countries either have oil or make money from it (refining it or pipeline fees)
½ of world supply of petroleum is in Middle East
Petroleum production is centered mainly along the border of the Persian Gulf
How does this affect you?

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What is Oil? Why is it Important?

Produced from microscopic marine plants and animals, squeezed underground for millions of years.

Oil is a “finite resource”

Once it is used up, it is gone forever.
Nobody is certain how much is left.

Oil is used for many things:

Fuel, (gasoline, jet fuel, heating oil)
All plastic is made from petroleum
Asphalt used in road construction
Synthetic rubber in tires
Fertilizer, pesticides, and herbicides
Detergents, many drugs, and paints
Artificial fibers used in clothing (Nylon, Polyester)

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Trade Routes and Choke Points

Both Arabia and Israel are trading partners with the U.S.

Suez Canal

Primary trade route connecting Europe and Asia
Built in Egypt by the French in the 1850’s and 1860’s.

Straits of Hormuz

The Persian Gulf is a vital part of the world oil supply.
It is in a very dangerous part of the world.
It can easily be closed off by hostile countries.

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Cultures of the Middle East

Majority speak Arabic (also Turkish, Farsi, Hebrew)
Arabic is not the major language in Turkey, Iran and Israel

Many different ethnic groups, such as Arabs, Persians, Turks, Kurds

90% follow Islam (Sunni and Shi’a)

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What is Islam?

Primary religion of the modern Middle East, about 1.5 billion followers.

Main idea: “There is no God but Allah, and Mohammed is his Prophet.”

Who – Muhammad
When – circa 610AD
Where – Arabian Peninsula
Holy Books – Quran (main text), Hadith (observations of Mohammed), Sunnah (sayings and teachings of Mohammed)

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Major Concepts of Islam

Islam means “submission to the will of God”.

Quran is considered the literal word of Allah, given to Mohammed by the Archangel Gabriel.

Sharia is Islamic law, covering nearly all aspects of life. Used by many Islamic countries as basis for their own legal codes.

Mosques are where Muslims gather to worship.

Five Pillars of Islam are the things one must do to be a practicing Muslim.

Jihad is “struggle”, whether internally for self-control or externally for holy war.

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