VOCABULARY WORDS: Middle East

VOCABULARY WORDS:Middle East

Southwest Asia – land bridge that connects Asia, Europe, and Africa *most of the population is located near water

Southwest Asia is known as the:

1) Arab World2) Islamic World

*Has a semi-arid climate (hot summers and mild winters)*Little precipitation – 16 inches per year

Arabian Peninsula

• Largest and most distinct land form in Southwest Asia

• Most of the Arabian Peninsula is unsuited for agriculture

• It has vast reserves of oil and natural gas• It lies on a tectonic plate (Arabian Plate)• Contains deserts and mountains

Saudi Arabia

*Largest country in Southwest Asia*Population around 28.7 million*Known as “The Land of 2 Holy Mosques”

Saudi Arabia Facts:

• 1/5 size of the United States• Government takes the form of an Islamic

absolute monarchy• World’s largest oil reserve• World’s largest oil exporter (Russia just

overtook them)• 35% of its work force are foreign workers

Wadi – dry river bed except during the rainy season

Arabs –

*Major ethnic group of Southwest Asia

*Arabic language

*Most Arabs are Muslims

Islam

Islam

• Believe that God is one and incomparable• Islam means “submission to God”• 2nd largest religion in the world• One of the fastest growing religions in the

world• Muhammad was the last Prophet of Islam• Follows the text (Quran) which is the word of

God (Allah)

Islam is the major cultural and religious influence in North Africa.

Islam Faith• Five Pillars

Repeated expression of the basic creedDaily prayersMonth of daytime fastingAlmsgiving – giving money to charityPilgrimage to MECCA

• 85% are Sunni – aren’t as strict followers of the Quran as the Shiites

• Shiites feel every decision should be based on what the Quran says

MECCA

MECCA

• Holiest Islam site in the world• Located in Saudi Arabia• More than 13 million people visit

MECCA annually• Population of the city is 1.7 million

MedianMEDINA

Medina

• 2nd holiest city in Islam• Known as the “radiant city”• Home to 3 of the oldest mosques in Islam• Non-Muslims are not permitted to enter into

the city

Mosque - Islamic church *Place for prayer, information, education, and dispute settlement.

Dome of the Rock

Dome of the Rock

• Located on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem• Built over a sacred place – where Muslims

believe Muhammad rose into Heaven• Islamic shrine• Built from 688-691• The rock in known as the Foundation Stone• It is not a mosque – it is a shrine

Monotheistic Religion – believing in 1 god

• Monotheistic Religions: *Christianity

*Islam*Judaism

Muhammad*Born in Mecca, Saudi Arabia*Founding prophet of Islam*Followers believe when he was 40 Allah’s (God) words were revealed to him which became the Quran

Suez Canal-

Connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea

Opened in 1869

Suez Canal is 120 miles long, 79 feet deep, and 673 feet wide.It contains no locks and is owned by the Suez Canal Authority – Egypt.

Salt Flat – created by evaporation of moisture by the windSalt Flat

Salt Flat – flat land made of chemical salts that remain after winds evaporate the moisture in the soil. Found in Iran.

Souk - marketplace

Souk

Bazaar – open air market place

Medina – where a Souk is located; old part of a city

Medina

Narrow winding streets

Dead Sea

*Lowest point on earth*World’s saltiest large body of water*Water only flows in – not out

Dead Sea Facts

• Name in Hebrew means “Killer Sea”• 30% salt – 6 times saltier than the oceans• Fed by the Jordan River• Contains no fish or living creatures• Surface of the sea is over 1,300 feet below sea level

OPEC

• Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries• Founded in Baghdad• Currently has 12 members• Mission is to secure an efficient, economic and

regular supply of petroleum and consumers, and a steady income to producers.

Percentage of Economy Based on Exporting Oil

• Saudi Arabia – 81.7%• Kuwait – 92.4%• UAE – 45.7%• Bahrain – 69.8%• Qatar – 84.2%• Oman – 77.2%

• Crude Oil – pumped from the ground

• Refinery – converts crude oil to useful products

Guest Workers

Guest Workers

Guest Workers - Facts

• They are given fixed contracts• Live in slave-like conditions away from the

general population• Local companies hire foreign workers because

of lack of training and/or education in their country

• Saudi Arabia employs 5 million guest workers• Kuwait employs 1.2 million guest workers

Kurds –*Ethnic group in Southwest Asia*Largest ethnic group without a country*Classified linguistically as Iranian*Located in Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey*Live in a mountainous region – 15-20 million Kurds live here

Kurdish People

• Stateless Society – People rely on family lineages to govern themselves rather than elected government or monarchy.

-society without a centralized government

• Stateless Nation – nation of people without a land to legally occupy

• Theocratic – religious leaders control the government

• Infrastructure – things needed to support a growing economy

• Strategic Commodity – resource so important that nations will go to war to ensure a steady supply.

Patriarchal Society*Males are the decision makers and primary decision makers in the house*Fathers hold authority over women, children, and property.*Female subordination

• Human Resources – the skills and talents of people

Sinai Peninsula

*Links Africa to Asia

*Triangular in shape

*23,500 square miles

*Southern region is mountainous and the northern 2/3s is the Sinai Desert

Rub al-Khali

*called Empty Quarter – place where no one comes out

Rub al-Khali

*One of the largest sand deserts in the world*Covers most of southern 1/3 of the Arabian Peninsula

BedBedouins – desert nomads *Inhabitants of the desert*Found in Saudi Arabia, Syria, Nubia, and Sahara Desert

Mesopotamia

• Land between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers – important rivers in Southwest Asia

• Land called the “Fertile Crescent”• Also known as the “Cradle of Civilization”

– Cultural Hearth – where civilization began

Western Wall (Wailing Wall) – Jerusalem – *Most holiest site for Jews *Site for Jewish prayer and pilgrimage

Zionism – goal is to create a homeland for Jews in Palestine

Golda Meir

*4th Prime Minister of Israel*Elected Prime Minister in 1969*Israel’s 1st woman to hold this office*Describe as the “Iron Lady” of Israeli politics

Methods of Water Development

• Desalinization – removal of salt from ocean water

• Water Treatment• Drip Irrigation – small pipes that sweat

water out• Fossil Water – water pumped from

underground aquifer

National Water Carrier Project in Israel

National Water Carrier Project

National Water Carrier Project• Planning phase known as the Jordan Project

began in 1953• Completed in 1964• Supplies ½ of Israel’s drinking water• Transfers water from the Sea of Galilee in the

north to the populated areas of Israel• Diverts water from Syria and Jordan• It is 80 miles in length• Largest water project in Israel

Areas of Problems in Israel

• Gaza Strip – territory along the Mediterranean Sea in Southwest Israel

• West Bank – strip of land on the West Bank of the Jordan River near Jerusalem

• Golan Heights – area in northern Israel

Palestinians – former residents of the land of Palestine; now called Israel.

• Right to Return – Palestinians have the right to return to their former homelands.

• Intifada – word means “uprising”

Intifada

Jihad*A religious term that means “holy war”*An important religious duty for Muslims

*Terrorist organization founded in 1964*Goal was for the destruction of the state of Israel*Yasser Arafat became its leader

Yasser Arafat

Hamas

Hamas*Word means “Islamic Resistance Movement”

*Palestinian Islamist political organization

*Founded in 1987 for the purpose of Jihad to liberate Palestine from Israel

Hamas

Hezbollah

Hezbollah

• Resistance movement based in Lebanon• Supported by Iran and Syria• Regarded as a terrorist organization• Came into existence after Israel invaded

Lebanon in 1982• Its goals include the obliteration of Israel and

bringing Israelis to trial

Taliban

Taliban• Words means “students”• Islamic political Muslim military group• Most are traditionalists, follow strict social and

cultural norms, and are made up of members belonging to Pashtun tribes

• Women are not allowed to work, be educated after the age of 8, and face public execution for violations of the Taliban’s laws.

• Reports indicate it is supported by the Pakistani military

Al-Qaeda

Al-Qaeda

Al-Qaeda• Militant Islamist group founded between 1988 and

1989• Attacked civilian and military targets around the

world, most notably the 9-11 attacks on New York City

• Characteristic techniques include suicide attacks and simultaneous bombings

• Members have take a pledge of loyalty to Osama Bin Laden

• Believe that the killing of bystanders and civilians is religiously justified in jihad

Osama bin Laden

*Founder of Al-Qaeda

*Lost his Saudi citizenship and was disowned by his wealthy Saudi Arabian family due to the 9-11 attacks

*Was one of the FBI’s list of 10 Most Wanted Fugitives

Was considered to be the world’s foremost terrorist

Shot and killed in Pakistan on May 2, 2011

bin Laden’s hideout in Pakistan

bin Laden’s hideout after the US attack

War in Iraq: *Began on March 20, 2003*Also called the 2nd Gulf War and Operation Iraqi Freedom

Iraq War – Oil refinery explosion

War in Iraq Facts

• There were 47,000 troops in Iraq at the end of 2011

• US has spent $900 billion dollars on the war• 4,486 US troop casualties• 32,226 wounded

20% with serious brain injuries

Why did we invade Iraq?1) Possibility of Iraq having weapons of mass destruction2) President Saddam Hussein harboring and supporting al-Qaeda3) Iraq’s financial support for Palestinian suicide bombers4) Human rights abuse

War in Iraq Facts:

• 2007 – 5 million Iraqi children reported were orphans

• 2008 – reported 4.7 million refugees• Coalition Forces Killed: 4,746• Coalition Forces Wounded: 32,280• Coalition Forces Injured/diseased/other

medical: 32,280• Contractors Killed: 1,764• Documented civilian deaths: 98,380-107,369

Objectives of the Coalition Forces

• End the Hussein regime• Eliminate weapons of mass destruction• Eliminate whatever Islamist militants that

could be found• Secure Iraq’s petroleum infrastructure• Assist in creating a compliant government

War in Afghanistan

War in Afghanistan

War in Afghanistan Facts:

• Began on October 7, 2001 in response to the September 11 attacks.

• War is a violent struggle against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban supports.

• The invasion was to find Osama bin Laden and other high ranking Al-Qaeda members and removing the safe haven to Al-Qaeda and its use of the Afghan territory.

• War has killed tens of thousands of people, the majority of whom have been civilians.

War in Afghanistan Facts

• Became the US 2nd longest continuous conflict• Since 2009 defense spending on Afghanistan

has increased 50% - to $67 million a month• Troop size has increased from 44,000 to

84,000

• Since 2006, Afghanistan has experienced increased Taliban-led insurgent activity, record-high levels of illegal drug production, and a corrupt government.

• The Taliban can sustain itself indefinitely.• Coalition casualties: 2,204• Taliban and Insurgent casualties: 38,000+• Civilian deaths: 14,000-34,000

Nile River

Nile River Facts

• Longest river in the world (4184 miles in length)

• Has 2 tributaries – White Nile and Blue Nile• Only 22% of the river passes through Egypt – it

touches or runs through 9 countries• Played an important role in the building of the

Egyptian pyramids

Nile Crocodile

*Kills an estimated 200 people every year

Sahara Desert

Cairo

Cairo Facts

• Largest city in Egypt and Africa• Center of Egyptian education system• Located about 100 miles south of the

Mediterranean Sea on the Nile River• Has a desert climate• Center for Islam