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Chapter 4 Sec 3. Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Arabia. Syria. Land: Syria has fertile coastal plains and valleys along the Mediterranean Sea. The vast Syrian desert covers the eastern region.
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Chapter 4 Sec 3 Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Arabia
Syria • Land: Syria has fertile coastal plains and valleys along the Mediterranean Sea. • The vast Syrian desert covers the eastern region. • The Syrian Government has also built dams on the Euphrates river for irrigation and to produce hydro electricity.
Syria’s People • Half of Syria’s 17.1 million people live in Rural areas. • A few are Bedouins- Nomadic desert peoples who follow a traditional way of life. • Others live in cities. The capital of Syria is Damascus. Damascus was founded as a trading city over 5,000 years ago. • Most of the people follow the religion of Islam.
Syria’s Government • They gained independence in 1946 and have been controlled by one political party since the 1960s. • They are currently involved in a civil war and are fighting the main political party for control.
Lebanon • Is about half the size of New Jersey. • Because it is so small people can easily reach all the landforms in one day. • They can swim in the Mediterranean Sea and play in snow in the mountains in the same day. • Lebanon used to be covered by cedar trees but only a few groves survive today.
Lebanese People • 80 percent live on the coast in urban environment. • Beirut is the capital and largest city. • They gained independence from France in 1940 • Lebanon is mostly Islamic but has a significant population of Christians as well. • They Islamists and Christians fought a civil war from 1975 to 1991.
Jordan • Has only a few water resources. • There is some irrigated farmland in the Jordan River Valley. • Bedouins live in the desert, but a majority of the people work in service and manufacturing industries.
Jordanian People • Amman is the capital and largest city and was founded around 5,000 years ago. • Most of the people are Arab Muslim. • They have a monarchy. • They have been ruled by kings and queens since the Ottoman empire in 1990s.
Saudi Arabia • Is the largest country in Southwest Asia and is about the size of the eastern half of the United States. • It is covered by Vast deserts. • Saudi Arabia has no permanent bodies of water or rivers. • They have Wadis- or dry riverbeds filled by rainwater from rare downpours.
It holds 25 percent of the worlds oil. • This area of Southwest Asia belongs to OPEC- Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. • This group supplies 40 percent of the worlds oil. • To get more water the government has used money from oil sells to irrigate the land and do Desalinization- It takes salt out of Sea Water.
History and People • The Saud family unified the country in 1932. • The largest city is Riyadh and it has become a very large city. • Mecca is also located in Saudi Arabia. This is where Muslims take their Hajj.