The Middle East

1. The Middle East Graphic Organizer

2. INTRODUCTION • The world’s first civilizations were established in this region (ancient Egypt/ Cush, and ancient Mesopotamia (Sumer). • The region is the birthplace of three major religions (Christianity, Islam, and Judaism). • More than 90% of the people in the region are Muslim, and Muslims are followers of Islam. • There are sixteen countries that make up the region of the Middle East

3. COUNTRIES THAT MAKE UP THE MIDDLE EAST • BAHRAIN CYPRUS • EGYPT IRAN • IRAQ ISREAL • JORDAN KUWAIT • LEBANON OMAN • QATAR SAUDI ARABIA • SYRIA TURKEY • UNITED ARAB EMIRATES • YEMEN

4. VOCABULARY • REGION- An area of land or water with certain characteristics that make it different from other areas • CONTINENT- One of the seven great divisions of land on the globe • Middle East- A large region that covers parts of northern Africa, southwest Asia, and southeastern Europe

5. HOMEWORKDue 10/17/13 Using the tag it 3 strategies and the Middle East Geographical Map answer the following questions: • Which Middle Eastern countries border the Red Sea? • Which five countries in the Middle East are the smallest in land mass? • Which Middle East countries border Iraq? • The Sinai Peninsula joins which two Middle Eastern countries?

6. INTRODUCTION TO THE MIDDLE EAST PART 2 • The Middle East is the most ancient region of human civilization • Around 10,000 BC farming first developed in the area referred to as the Fertile Crescent • The fertile crescent is the area of land that stretches from the Persian Gulf, • To the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in Iraq through the eastern coast of the Mediterranean into Egypt.

7. INTRODUCTION TO THE MIDDLE EAST PART 2 • There three peninsulas in the region of the Middle East (Sinai, Arabian, Anatolia) • The Euphrates and Tigris rivers provides water for both farming and drinking. • The countries that share the rivers have had problems on how the waters should be shared • Dead Sea- nothing but bacteria lives there, there are no fish living in the Dead Sea and that is how it received its name

8. HOMEWORKDUE 10/21 Homework: Using the tag it 3 strategies and the Middle East Geographical Map answer the following questions: • The Suez Canal and the Sinai Peninsula links which two bodies of water? • How many Middle Eastern countries border the Persian Gulf? • Which territories has been a continual battle zone between the Israelis and Palestinians? • Which two great ancient civilizations developed the Middle East, and which three major religions were born in the region? •  Using an atlas or your school supplied lap top identify the capital cities of each of the 16 countries of the Middle East.

9. VOCABULARY • Peninsula- A piece of land surrounded by water on three sides • Strait-A narrow passageway connecting to large bodies of water • Euphrates River- The longest and one of the most historically important rivers in Western Africa • Tigris River – The eastern member of the two rivers that define Mesopotamia

10. VOCABULARY • Shaat al- Arab- A river in Southwest Asia, it is formed when the Euphrates and the Tigris meet • Jordan River- Is one of the main water sources for Israel, and it flows until it reaches the Dead Sea • The Dead Sea- is one of the saltiest bodies of water on earth

11. VOCABULARY • Persian Gulf- A major shipping route for all oil producing countries • Strait of Hormuz-Connects the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea • Suez Canal- A man made passage that allows ships to get to the Mediterranean Sea, without sailing around the continent of Africa • Deserts- A dry, often sandy region of little rainfall, extreme temperatures, and very little vegetation