Geography of the Middle East

1. Geography of the Middle East

2. Middle East? OR Near East?OR Southwest Asia? OR….?

3. Includes 25+ territories • Western Sahara is disputed • 5.91 million square miles

4. Location • Almost 2 times the size of US • Located at latitudes equivalent Boston and Bogota

5. Population • Around 600 million people • Majority of population in four countries: • Iran • Egypt • Turkey • Pakistan • Why is this?

6. Natural Vegetation Map

7. Climate Map

8. Has a high population growth • Developing countries • Muslim cultures • Palestine, one of the highest growth rates in the world • The more urban the population, the wealthier the country • Kuwait

10. On the other hand….. • Desperately poor countries urban population is less than 32% • Ex: • Afghanistan • Sudan • Yemen

11. Water in the Middle East! Black Sea Caspian Sea Dardanelles Strait AtlanticOcean TigrisRiver Mediterranean Sea EuphratesRiver Jordan River Suez Canal Strait ofHormuz Persian Gulf Nile River Gulf ofOman Red Sea ArabianSea Gulf of Aden IndianOcean

12. The Great River • Longest River in the world, over 4100 miles long • Runs through ten countries • Starts in Lake Victoria

13. Sustains almost 160 million people • 95% of Egypt’s population lives on 5% its land • Nile Water Agreement- Egypt has access to 2/3 of Niles water

14. Tigris-Euphrates River System • Land in between, historically called Mesopotamia • “Land between two rivers” • Shared by Iraq, Turkey, and Syria • Part of the Fertile Crescent • Marsh, swamps, shallows

15. The Jordan River System • extremely important resource to surrounding countries • Where Jesus was baptized • Sections still used for baptism

16. The Dead Sea • 1,385 ft. below sea level • One of the saltiest bodies of water • Has a high buoyancy-people can easily float • Health benefits

17. The Arabian Peninsula and It’s Oil

18. 2/3 of the world’s oil is located in the Middle East (most located along the Persian Gulf and in Iraq)

19. The U. S. imports 30% of its oil needs from the Middle East.

20. The Oil Giant of Saudi Arabia • Occupies most of the Arabian Peninsula • Homeland of Arab civilization and Islam • Interior is plateau • Has no permanent rivers! • Saudization

21. Persian Gulf Oil Exports

22. Saudi Oil • Has the largest amount of proven oil reserves in the world • Produces 2nd largest amount of oil • Ghawar, worlds largest oil field

23. Bahrain • Small island • Connected to SA by four-lane causeway • Also center for oil refinement, but running out of oil • Only country of Arabian Penninsula to allow women to vote

25. On worlds third largest natural gas reserve • 4/5 of population are imported workers because of that industry • Home of al-Jazeera • But before the oil and gas…. • Confederation of seven units • Dubai and Abu Dhabi are the oil economic centers • Because of oil, UAE is successfully diversifying its economy • More liberal, especially Dubai Qatar UAE

27. Located on mountainous southern tip • Receives heaviest rainfall of the peninsula • Struggling economy • Lack of industrial production • Immigrant Yemen workers • Late oil discovery • Source of ancient worlds frankincense • Capital, Muscat vital trade port between ME-SA • Been U.S. allies in Gulf War and War in Iraq Yemen Oman

29. Israeli-Palestinian conflict • Israelis: Citizens of the Jewish nation of Israel • Not all, but majority are Jewish • Palestinians: Arabs with Palestine origins. • Majority are Muslims • A stateless nation

30. Why? What’s the big fuss? • Occupied Territory • Gaza Strip • West Bank • Golan Heights • Wars of • 1948-1949 • 1967 • 1973 • Today, who gets what?

31. Israel • Law of return • Grants citizenship to any Jew who wishes to live there • Pop. of 6.8 million, 80% Jewish • Culturally and religiously diverse • Jerusalem- political capital • Tel Aviv-Jaffa- economic capital

32. Continued…. • Agriculturally self sustaining • Great irrigation systems • Recent conflict takes toll on economy • relies heavily on exports of equipment and U.S. aid

33. Continued… • IDF-Israeli Defense Force • One of the best Air forces in the world • Works with the United States on weapons develoment • Citizens required to serve once 18 • Men 3 years • Women 2 years

34. Palestinians • A stateless nation • Live in surrounding countries and the Occupied Territories • Ghurba- similar to the Jews Diaspora • PLO- Palestinian Liberation Organization • Hamas- Palestinian political party

35. The recent focus • 1993: Israel and PLO sign agreements, lead to withdrawal of Israeli troops • 2005: Israel to remove all Jewish settlements and troops from Gaza by end of 2005 • Today: Palestinians claim Israel still occupying parts of Gaza, Israel claims they are offering protection against Hamas terrorism

37. Iraq • Why such a hot spot? • Sunni • Shi’ite • Kurd • Tigris and Euphrates used for agriculture • Baghdad is everything! • Located perfectly

38. Continued….. • Oil is main source of revenue • Should have allowed them to thrive, but…. • Arab Baath Socialist Party • Saddam givith and Saddam takith away

39. Iran • Used to be Persia, until occupied by British • Restoration of the “shah” • Reza Pahlavi • 1979, Khomeini • Islamic Republic

40. Continued… • First country in ME to produce oil • Also, pistachio and Persian rugs • Mostly Mts., plateau and desert • Northwest region able to grow subtropical crops • Majority depend on irrigation

41. Kuwait • Size of New Jersey • Yet, 4th largest store of petroleum resources • From poor fishers and farmers to wealthy urbanized state • OIL ONLY!

42. U.S. and Iraq • 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War • 1991 Gulf War • 2003 War in Iraq

43. U.S. and Iran • 1980 Iraq Iran War • 1980 Tehran Hostages • 2002 “Axis of Evil” • Straight of Hormuz/Nuclear capabilities