Chapter 17

1. Chapter 17 The Persian Gulf Bahrain Iran Iraq Kuwait Oman Qatar Saudi Arabia United Arab Emirates Yemen

2. I. Saudi Arabia • Largest Middle Eastern country and most influential • Greatest oil exporter in the world • Birthplace of Islam, home to many Muslim holy sites • In the highlands of the west: Mecca and Medina • Arabian Peninsula- surrounded by Red Sea, Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea • 90% desert, no permanent rivers and no lakes

3. Islam • Pillars of Islam • Declare that Allah is God and that Muhammed is his messenger • Pray 5 times a day • Give alms to the poor • Fast during the month of Ramadan • Make a pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj) • Mosque- every city has at least one, criers call people to pray • Mecca- where Muhammed was born • Koran- Muslim holy book • Medina- where Muhammed fled after being run out of Mecca, raised an army in Medina and defeated Mecca 8 years later, Muhammed is buried in Medina • Sunni- 80% of Muslims, means “well trodden path”, conservative, follow the Caliphs- appointed successors of Muhammed • Shiites- 20%, honor the Iman- the hereditary successor of Muhammed, 4 countries with Shiites majority (Iran, Iraq, Bahrain and Azerbaijan) • Women- • Veils must be worn in public, not allowed to socialize with men other than relatives, not many job opportunities • No PDA- can get arrested for holding hands!

4. Saudi Arabia • Rub al Khali- southern desert, larger than California, 3rd largest in the world, called the Empty Quarter • Riyadh- capital, built by an oasis in the Nejd plateau • Discovered oil in 1936 on the Eastern coast- created new economy • Rulers are descendants of Ibn-Saud who conquered the land and created the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia • No constitution • Only bound by Islamic law interpreted by Wahhabi leaders (noted for strict following of Islam) • Saud family lives very lavish life, recently fueled antigovernment movements

5. II. Small States on the Arabian Peninsula • Yemen • Oman • UAE • Qatar • Bahrain • Kuwait Yemen • Occupies the western corner of Arabian Peninsula • Most people are very poor, lowest literacy rate, life expectancy and per capita GDP in the Middle East • History of civil war has held it back • Sanaa- capital • Land along the Red Sea, once known as Sheba, Queen of Sheba journeyed from here to visit Solomon, all the riches of that time have been used up

6. Oman • One of the hottest countries in the world- daytime temps reach 130*F • Wear long white robes and turbans to protect themselves from blowing sand in the Rub al Khali desert • Government is a sultanate– Sultan= Muslim monarch • Capital- Muscat, is on the coast • Controls Cape Musandam, on the narrowest part of the Gulf of Oman

7. United Arab Emirates • Made up of 7 small states with their own traditions and princes (emirs) • Retain sovereignty over local affairs, but are now combined in one country • The 7 emirs form the Supreme Council and appoint a president as head of state • Richest country in the Persian Gulf, prosperity has brought in lots of immigrants • Capital: Abu Dhabi • Most populous city: Dubai, home to the world’s tallest building BurjKhalifa (2,717 ft)

8. Qatar • Government type: Emirate • Capital: Doha • Grown rich from oil • More than 2/3 of the population are foreign-born • On a peninsula in the Persian Gulf, most of the land is desert, some salt flats in the south • People use the process of desalination to be able to drink the sea water • Held main headquarters for the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 • Also home to the controversial TV station- Al Jazeera

9. Bahrain • Consists of one large island and several small islands • Government type- Emirate • Capital- Manama • Many natural springs give Bahrain a resource that is rare in the Middle East: Fresh water • The ancient port of Dilmun has 4000 yr. old ruins • Ancient Sumerians said this was where Noah settled after the flood

10. Kuwait • Uninhabited until 1710, when Arab settlers discovered water near the present day capital: Kuwait City • Presence threatened by Saudi Arabia and Iraq • Joined OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) in 1960 • Decides how much oil to produce to control the prices and influence Western policies • Persian Gulf War: In 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait claiming they had exceeded OPEC limits and that it was really a territory of Iraq, UN coalition used “all necessary means” to free Kuwait and protect the flow of oil, not a clear victory- left Saddam Hussein in power • Still heavily dependent on other countries – imports all food

11. III. Iraq • Tigris and Euphrates rivers are the most important rivers in the Middle East • Start in Turkey, flow through Iraq • Area in between called Mesopotamia (land between the rivers), home to early civilizations: Sumer, Babylonia, Assyria • Capital: Baghdad- associated with Babylon and King Nebuchadnezzar, famous for being the setting for popular tales “Aladdin” “Ali Baba and the forty thieves” • Saddam Hussein often compared himself to and strove to be like Nebuchadnezzar • Kurds live in the northern highlands • In ancient times, this was the site of Nineveh • Great empire of northern Iraq: Assyrian Empire Read Baghdad pg. 443

12. IV. Iran • Iran is an ancient kingdom- the people are Persian not Arab • Persian Empire ruled all of modern day Iran • Iran was called Persia until 1935 • Tehran is the capital and largest city • 12 million people, largest city in Persian Gulf too • Used to be ruled by a shah- a hereditary leader, but in 1979 radical Shiite Muslims overthrew the old ways and instituted an “Islamic Republic” • Continue to trouble the world- talk about wiping Israel off the face of the map • Defied UN efforts to prevent nuclear weapons

13. Religion in Iran • Shiite Muslims are the majority • Government required religious affiliation in 1993, uses that information to persecute Christians • Zoroastrianism- religion of the Persian Empire • Still practiced by a minority • Worship the god Ahura Mazda • Baha’ism • Based on writings by 2 renegade Shiites • Promote the unity of all religions • Offer no salvation from sin, their god is unknowable • Headquarters: Haifa, Israel