THE MIDDLE EASTOverview of the Middle East

Northern Tier

AnatolianPlateau

IranianPlateau

Fertile Cresce

nt

Arabian Peninsula

Nile River Valley

•Region of mountains and plateaus•Mountains create defenses•A.P. has fertile soil and large pop.•I.P. is dry and has low pop.•Persian and Ottoman Empires

•Cultural hearth•Tigris & Euphrates Rrs. flood depending on snow – unpredictable•Lack natural defenses•Control shifted often

•Lots of land (1/3 size of US)•Low population scattered around oases•10% arable land•Vast oil fields

•Cultural Hearth (Egyptians)•Nile floods predictably•Continuity in Kingdoms•Natural defenses (desert)

Maghreb

•Founded by Islamic invasions•Arab term means “Western Isle”•Atlas Mts. to N and Sahara D. to S•Population along Med. Sea coast•Invasion launching point

COPING WITH THE CLIMATE

Lack of rainfall and scarcity of water

Early peoples built irrigation systems

Improved upon through history

Desalination plants invested in

OIL

Salt, phosphate, copper resources

Oil is most important Oil fields are

unevenly distributed across the Middle East

How has this led to disparity and conflict in the region?

DIVERSITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Seven major languages Thousands of local

languages/dialects Three major

religions, each divided into many sects

19 countries and over 400 million people

“Arabs” are main group

WHAT IS AN “ARAB”? Arabs are majority group in most Middle East countries

In 600’s, Arabs conquered others

Assimilation To conform or adjust to

the customs, attitudes, etc., of a group, nation, or culture

Diffusion Movement of customs or

ideas from one culture to another

Today, anyone who’s main language is Arabic

RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY AND CONFLICT Islam is dominant religion Jerusalem considered

holy by three religions How can these problems

be solved? List five things you know

about the conflicts in the Middle East

Explain in a brief paragraph explaining why location has affected the cultural diversity of the region