Middle East Country Comparisons

1. Middle East Country Comparisons

3. Words to Know! • Iran • Israel • Saudi Arabia • Turkey • Theocracy • Absolute Monarchy • Parliamentary Democracy

4. Two Main Questions for Government… • How does the Government distribute power? • How do the citizens participate in government?

5. Describe the ways governments distribute power • Unitary- a form of government in which power is held by one central authority. • Confederation-voluntary associations of independent states that, to secure some common purpose, agree to certain limitations on their freedom of action and establish some joint machinery of consultation or deliberation. • Federal-a form of government in which power is divided between one central and several regional authorities.

6. Citizen participation in government • Autocratic-government in which one person possesses unlimited power and the citizen has little if any role in the government. • Oligarchic-Government by the few, sometimes a government in which a small group exercises control especially for corrupt and selfish purposes. The citizen has very limited role. • Democratic-Government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly.

7. Graphic Organizer Use this as an example for your notes on each country ---

8. Iran

9. Geography: Iran • Known as Persia until 1935, Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979 after the ruling monarchy was overthrown and the shah was forced into exile. Conservative clerical forces established a theocratic system of government with ultimate political authority vested in a learned religious scholar referred to commonly as the Supreme Leader who, according to the constitution, is accountable only to the Assembly of Experts. • Climate: mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast • Terrain: rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts, mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts • Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur • Land use: arable land: 9.78% permanent crops: 1.29% other: 88.93% (2005) • Natural hazards: periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes • Environment - current issues: air pollution, especially in urban areas, from vehicle emissions, refinery operations, deforestation; overgrazing; desertification; oil pollution in the Persian Gulf; wetland losses from drought; soil degradation (salination); inadequate supplies of potable water; water pollution from raw sewage and industrial waste; urbanization

11. People: Iran • Life expectancy at birth: 70.06 years • Ethnic groups: Persian 51%, Azeri 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1% • Religions: Muslim 98% (Shi'a 89%, Sunni 9%), other (includes Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i) 2% • Languages: Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%, Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2% • Literacy: 77%

12. Government: Iran • Country name: Islamic Republic of Iran • Government type: theocratic republic • Capital: name: Tehran • Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal • Supreme Leader of Iran is a religious leader and has final say on all matters • An elected president is head of government, but can be removed at any time by the Supreme Leader • Legislative branch: unicameral Islamic Consultative Assembly (290 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

13. Economy: Iran • GDP - per capita (PPP): $10,600 (2010 est.) • Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 30% industry: 25% services: 45% (2001 est.) • Unemployment rate: 15% according to the Iranian government (2007 est.) • Agriculture – products: wheat, rice, other grains, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cotton; dairy products, wool; caviar • Industries: petroleum, petrochemicals, fertilizers, caustic soda, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food processing (particularly sugar refining and vegetable oil production), ferrous and non-ferrous metal fabrication, armaments • Exports –petroleum 80%, chemical and petrochemical products, fruits and nuts, carpets • Exports – partners: Japan 14.1%, China 12.9%, Turkey 7.3%, Italy 6.3%, South Korea 5.7%, Netherlands 4.6%, Taiwan 4% (2006) • Imports –industrial raw materials and intermediate goods, capital goods, foodstuffs and other consumer goods, technical services, military supplies • Imports – partners: Germany 12.1%, China 10.6%, UAE 9.4%, South Korea 6.2%, France 5.6%, Italy 5.4%, Russia 4.5% (2006)

14. Describe the ways governments distribute power • Unitary- a form of government in which power is held by one central authority. • Confederation-voluntary associations of independent states that, to secure some common purpose, agree to certain limitations on their freedom of action and establish some joint machinery of consultation or deliberation. • Federal-a form of government in which power is divided between one central and several regional authorities. • Interactive Notebook Question: • Which is Iran today?

15. Citizen participation in government • Autocratic-government in which one person possesses unlimited power and the citizen has little if any role in the government. • Oligarchic-Government by a few, a government in which a small group exercises control especially for corrupt and selfish purposes. The citizen has very limited role. • Democratic-Government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly. • Interactive Notebook Question: • Which is Iran today?

16. Describe the two predominant forms of democratic governments • Parliamentary-system of government having the real executive power vested in a cabinet composed of members of the legislature who are individually and collectively responsible to the legislature. May have a Prime Minister elected by the legislature. • Presidential-a system of government in which the president is constitutionally independent of the legislature. • Do either of these apply to Iran? If yes, which one?

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18. Iran– Living and Jobs • Much of Iran’s population lives in the western mountainous part of the country. Northern (rain forest) and eastern (desert) parts are not very populous. • Iran has a growing tourism industry • Iran has an oil-reliant economy with many jobs in this sector • Biotechnology and the pharmaceuticals industries have been growing in Iran

19. Interactive Notebook Question(Left Side) • Think-Pair-Share • What does it mean when Shia Muslims make up 90%+ of the population in Iran? Would there be conflict in the society with the other 10%?

20. Israel

21. Geography: Israel • Following World War II, the British withdrew from their mandate of Palestine, and the UN partitioned the area into Arab and Jewish states, an arrangement rejected by the Arabs. Subsequently, the Israelis defeated the Arabs in a series of wars without ending the deep tensions between the two sides. • Climate: temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas • Terrain: Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains; Jordan Rift Valley • Natural resources: timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium bromide, clays, sand • Natural hazards: sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; droughts; periodic earthquakes • Environment - current issues: limited arable land and natural fresh water resources; desertification; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; groundwater pollution from industrial and domestic waste, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides

23. People: Israel • Life expectancy at birth: 80.96 years • Ethnic groups: Jewish 76.4% (of which Israel-born 67.1%, Europe/America-born 22.6%, Africa-born 5.9%, Asia-born 4.2%), non-Jewish 23.6% (mostly Arab) (2004) • Religions: Jewish 76.4%, Muslim 16%, Arab Christians 1.7%, other Christian 0.4%, Druze 1.6%, unspecified 3.9% (2004) • Languages: Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority, English most commonly used foreign language • Literacy: 97.1%

24. Government: Israel • Government type: parliamentary democracy • Capital: name: Jerusalem • Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal • Chief of State– A president is elected as a ceremonial type leader • Head of Government– A prime minister is chosen by the legislative branch (Knesset). The prime minister runs the day to day government matters. • Judicial branch: Supreme Court (justices appointed by Judicial Selection Committee - made up of all three branches of the government; mandatory retirement age is 70)

25. Politics of Israel: parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Israel is the head of government, and of a multi-party system.

26. The economy of Israel is a diversified mixed economy with substantial state ownership and a rapidly developing high-tech sector. Poor in natural resources, Israel depends on imports of petroleum, coal, food, uncut diamonds, other production inputs, and military equipment. • The country's GDP per capita has been $29,800 (2010 est.). • The major industrial sectors include metal products, electronic and biomedical equipment, processed foods, chemicals, and transport equipment. Israel possesses a substantial service sector and the Israel diamond industry is one of the world's centers for diamond cutting and polishing. It is also a world leader in software development and is a major tourist destination.

27. Economy: Israel • Unemployment rate: 6.7% (2010 est) • Agriculture – products: citrus, vegetables, cotton; beef, poultry, dairy products • Industries: high-technology projects (including aviation, communications, computer-aided design and manufactures, medical electronics, fiber optics), wood and paper products, potash and phosphates, food, beverages, and tobacco, caustic soda, cement, construction, metals products, chemical products, plastics, diamond cutting, textiles, footwear • Exports – commodities: machinery and equipment, software, cut diamonds, agricultural products, chemicals, textiles and apparel • Exports – partners: US 38.4%, Belgium 6.5%, Hong Kong 5.9% (2006) • Imports: $47.8 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) • Imports – commodities: raw materials, military equipment, investment goods, rough diamonds, fuels, grain, consumer goods • Imports – partners: US 12.4%, Belgium 8.2%, Germany 6.7%, Switzerland 5.9%, UK 5.1%, China 5.1% (2006)

28. Graphic Organizer Use this as an example for your notes on each country ---

29. Israel--- Living and Jobs • Over 70% of Israel’s population lives along the western Mediterranean coast • Job diversity is greater in Israel than any other Middle Eastern country • Israel has a heavy tourism industry especially in the religion category • Many multi-tech, multi-national corporations are located within Israel providing high paying jobs for much of its population

30. Interactive Notebook Question(Left Side) • Think-Pair-Share • What does the Literacy Rate for Israel mean for their economy?

31. Saudi Arabia

32. Geography: Saudi Arabia • Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Islam and home to Islam's two holiest shrines in Mecca and Medina. The king's official title is the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. The modern Saudi state was founded in 1932 by ABD AL-AZIZ bin Abd al-Rahman AL SAUD after a 30-year campaign to unify most of the Arabian Peninsula • Climate: harsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes • Terrain: mostly uninhabited, sandy desert • Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper • Natural hazards: frequent sand and dust storms • Environment - current issues: desertification; depletion of underground water resources; the lack of perennial rivers or permanent water bodies has prompted the development of extensive seawater desalination facilities; coastal pollution from oil spills

34. People: Saudi Arabia • Life expectancy at birth: 75 years • Ethnic groups: Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10% • Religions: Muslim 100% • Languages: Arabic • Literacy: total population: 78.8% • male: 84.7% • female: 70.8% (2003 est.)

35. Government: Saudi Arabia • Country name: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia • Government type: monarchy • Capital: name: Riyadh • Suffrage: 21 years of age; male • Executive branch: chief of state: King and Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 1 August 2005)elections: none; the monarch is hereditary • Legislative branch: Consultative Council (150 members and a chairman appointed by the monarch for four-year terms).

36. The politics of Saudi Arabia takes place in a framework of an absolute monarchy whereby the King of Saudi Arabia is not only head of state, but also the head of government. • The Qur'an is the constitution of the country, which is governed on the basis of Islamic law (Shari'a).

37. Saudi Arabia has an oil-based economy with strong government control over major economic activities. Saudi Arabia possesses 25% of the world's proven petroleum reserves, ranks as the largest exporter of petroleum, and plays a leading role in OPEC. • Saudi Arabia's economy is a centrally planned economy. However, there are some private companies in Saudi Arabia. They are strictly controlled and regulated by the Saudi Arabian government, though.

38. Economy: Saudi Arabia • GDP - per capita (PPP): $24,200 (2010 est.) • Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 12% industry: 25% services: 63% (1999 est.) • Unemployment rate: 13% among Saudi males only (local bank estimate; some estimates range as high as 25%) (2004 est.) • Agriculture – products: wheat, barley, tomatoes, melons, dates, citrus; mutton, chickens, eggs, milk • Industries: crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals; ammonia, industrial gases, sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), cement, fertilizer, plastics; metals, commercial ship repair, commercial aircraft repair, construction • Exports – commodities: petroleum and petroleum products 90% • Exports – partners: Japan 17.6%, US 15.8%, South Korea 9.6%, China 7.2%, Singapore 4.4%, Taiwan 4.4% (2006) • Imports – commodities: machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, motor vehicles, textiles • Imports – partners: US 12.2%, Germany 8.5%, China 7.9%, Japan 7.2%, UK 4.8%, Italy 4.8% (2006)

39. Saudi Arabia– Living and Jobs • In many extended areas (especially the Rub’ al-Khali and Arabian Desert) there is almost no population • Much of Saudi Arabia’s population is located along the west coast– this is due to the proximity to the Red Sea • Saudi Arabia draws a large portion of their labor force from other nations • Many low-skilled workers are employed in the oil industry • Skilled experts in baking and other services are also very common in Saudi Arabia

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41. Interactive Notebook Question(Left Side) • Is Saudi Arabia an oligarchy or monarchy? • How would their natural resources impact their economy?

42. Turkey

43. Geography • Modern Turkey was founded in 1923 from the remnants of the defeated Ottoman Empire by national hero Mustafa KEMAL, who was later honored with the title Ataturk or "Father of the Turks.” • Climate: temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in interior • Natural resources: coal, iron ore, copper, chromium, antimony, mercury, gold, barite, borate, celestite (strontium), emery, feldspar, limestone, magnesite, marble, perlite, pumice, pyrites (sulfur), clay, arable land, hydropower • Natural hazards: severe earthquakes, especially in northern Turkey, along an arc extending from the Sea of Marmara to Lake Van Environment • current issues: water pollution from dumping of chemicals and detergents; air pollution, particularly in urban areas; deforestation; concern for oil spills from increasing Bosporus ship traffic

44. People Population: 78,785,548 (July 2011 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 72.5 years Turkish Ethnic groups: Turkish 70-75%, Kurdish 18%, other minorities 7-12% (2008 est.) Languages: Turkish (official), Kurdish, Dimli (or Zaza), Azeri, KabardianLiteracy: definition: 87.4%

45. Government • Country name: Republic of Turkey • Government type: republican parliamentary democracy • Capital: name: Ankara • Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal • Executive branch: chief of state: President Abdullah GUL (since 28 August 2007) head of government: Prime Minister RecepTayyip ERDOGAN (since 14 March 2003) • Legislative branch: unicameral Grand National Assembly of Turkey or TurkiyeBuyuk Millet Meclisi (550 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

46. Turkey's economy is a complex mix of traditional craftsmanship and modern industries, increasingly dominated by the latter. Turkey has a strong and rapidly growing private sector, and the state is beginning to play a smaller role in industry, banking, transport, and communications. In recent years, an aggressive privatization program has reduced state involvement in basic industry, banking, transport, and communication, and an emerging cadre of middle-class entrepreneurs is adding dynamism to the economy.

47. Turkey is a secular parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Turkey is the head of government, and of a multi-party system.

48. Economy - overview: Turkey • GDP - per capita (PPP): $12,300 (2010 est.) • Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 9.6% industry: 26.6% services: 63.8% • Unemployment rate: 12% (2010) • Population below poverty line: 17.11% (2008) • Agriculture – products: tobacco, cotton, grain, olives, sugar beets, pulse, citrus; livestock • Industries: textiles, food processing, autos, electronics, mining (coal, chromite, copper, boron), steel, petroleum, construction, lumber, paper

49. Turkey– Living and Jobs • A larger proportion of Turkey’s population lives in the smaller European section • The Asian portion of Turkey is rather mountainous • Turkey’s jobs are focused in the service sector

50. Graphic Organizer Use this as an example for your notes on each country ---