Chapter 25

Geography and Early History of the Middle EastChapter 25Section 1 The Land and The PeopleWhat is the Middle East?Europeans invented the term to describe the region that lies between Europe and distant parts of AsiaMiddle only in relation to Europe

Crossroads of the WorldCrossroads of three continents: Africa, Asia, and EuropeConnected major trade routesCaravans from India and China brought goods to the busy markets of the Middle EastCultural diffusionOver thousands of years, migrating peoples, traders, and conquerors crossed the Middle EastThey spread ideas, inventions, and achievements of many civilizations Iron making, the alphabet, religious traditions of Judaism, Christianity and IslamArabic numerals spread to the ME from India and the lateen sail from Southeast Asia

Strategic locationSome ME nations sit on vital sea routesSome sit atop vast reserves of oilThe ME is important to the world for military and economic reasonsEgypt-Suez CanalTurkey-Bosporus and the DardanellesStrait of Hormuz at the mouth of Persian Gulf-transports huge tankers of oil for industries and homes around the world.

Suez Canal6

Strait of Hormuz8Five major regionsNorthern TierStretches across present-day Turkey and IranMountains and plateausIn the West lies the Anatolian Plateau-fertile soil The Anatolian Plateau is located in Asia Minor, a large peninsula that connects Asia and EuropeIn the East likes the Iranian Plateau-dry

Arabian PeninsulaA vast plateau that is about 1/3 the size of the USBorders several important bodies of water: Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and the Persian GulfSaudi Arabia is the largest nation in the regionSmall population due to lack of waterMostly a barren desertMost people live around scattered oasisHuge oil depositsBirthplace of Islam

Fertile CrescentAn arc-shaped region that stretches from the eastern Mediterranean along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers to the Persian GulfRich soil and abundant waterOne of the worlds earliest civilizations emerged in the fertile Tigris-Euphrates ValleyFew natural barriers allowed for invaders to control its fertile landWealthiest settlements lay in Mesopotamia land between rivers Flooding of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers spread fertile soil over the regionFlooding is unpredictable

Nile ValleyNortheastern Africa was a cradle of ancient civilizations Deserts in the east and west protect this region from invadersFlooding of the Nile is predictable Trade linked Egyptians in the Nile Valley with the people in the Fertile Crescent Caravans and armies from Egypt crossed the Sinai Peninsula, while ships sailed from Nile delta ports to lands adjoining the Mediterranean

The MaghrebIncludes the North African nations of Algeria, Tunisia, and Moroccowestern isleChief features of this region are the Sahara and Atlas rugged mountainsMajor crossroads-commands the southern rim of the Mediterranean and a gateway to the Atlantic Traders exchanged goods from West Africa, Europe, and the Middle East

Climate and ResourcesClimate has dictated where people live in the MENearly all of the region is a desertPeople clustered in well-watered areas along the coasts and in river valleys where they irrigate and farmLess than 10% of the region receives enough water to farm Irrigation is extremely important for life in the ME

Oil is the most important resource in the ME

PeoplesMany different peoples, languages, religions and traditionsMajor languages are: Arabic, Turkish, Hebrew, Kurdish, Persian, Greek, and Armenian Major religions are: Islam, Christianity, Judaism 19 countries and almost 350 million people

Ethnic diversityArabs are the majority group in many ME countriesWhat is an Arab?Mid-600s Arabs from the Arabian Peninsula conquered many different peoples in the ME Arabic language and the religion of IslamToday, the term Arab is used to describe anyone whose native language is ArabicOther groups include Turks, Iranians and KurdsReligious diversityThe majority religion is IslamMost Arabs are MuslimMany non-Arabic people are also Muslim A significant number of Christians live in Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, and Syria Judaism is the most ancient of the three religions in the MEIn Israel, the majority of the people are Jewish