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Chapter 16. Eastern Mediterranean. Eastern Mediterranean . Not much in common with rest of Mediterranean Few good ports Scarce water Almost no natural resources Strategic location Been on world stage Touches 3 continents- Europe, Africa, Asia Sources of Trouble Oil Religion. I. Turkey.
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Chapter 16 Eastern Mediterranean
Eastern Mediterranean • Not much in common with rest of Mediterranean • Few good ports • Scarce water • Almost no natural resources • Strategic location • Been on world stage • Touches 3 continents- Europe, Africa, Asia • Sources of Trouble • Oil • Religion
I. Turkey • Part European and part Middle Eastern • Location forms a “chokepoint”- controlling goods and movement of people • Often called Asia Minor- both size and role in history • Bordered on 3 sides by water- Black Sea, Aegean Sea, Mediterranean Sea
Turkey • Slightly larger than Texas • Home to Mount Ararat- Biblical site • Climate is temperate- hot and dry in summer, mild and wet in winter • In 1923, Western ways were implemented – alphabet, women voting, calendar, etc. • Great hope is its proximity to Europe, applied to be part of EU
Turkey • Thrace • European portion of Turkey • Center of last Greek Empire • Corner on the Balkan Peninsula • Includes Istanbul – largest city in Middle East, heartbeat of Turkey, used to be Byzantium then Constantinople • Water passage btw Thrace and Asia Minor includes important straits– Bosporus and Dardanelles
Turkey • Anatolia • Asian section of Turkey • Historic cities; Troy, Troas, empire of the Hittites, seven churches from Revelation 1-3 (Ephesus, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea, Pergamos, Thyatira, Smyrna) pg. 407 • Pontic Mountains run across the North • Home to the Ottoman Empire- Ottoman Turks conquered the Seljuk Turks, the took over Constantinople… at the height of the Empire: got all the way to and were defeated in Vienna • Capital is Ankara- pop. Close to 4 million
Turkey • Taurus Mountains cross Southern Turkey • Narrow coastal plain in the South, good for agriculture, known as the “Turquoise Coast” • Kurds • Turkey’s largest minority group • Live in SE area, Herd sheep in the mountains • Many want independence, Communist group in 1984 started rebellion that killed 20,000, many want to unite with Iraqi Kurds
II. Cyprus • Not much bigger than Connecticut • 3rd largest island in the Mediterranean (Sicily and Sardinia) • Two forested mountain ranges cross from East to West, Mesaoria Plain lies btw them, capital of Nicosia located on plain • Typical Mediterranean climate- grow grapefruit, lemons, oranges, grapes and olives • Heavily dependent on tourism
Cyprus • History • Greeks, Persians, Romans, Byzantines, Franks and Venetians have occupied the island • Under Ottoman control from 1571 to 1878, Britain took over, still has military bases on the island • Today • 78% of population is Greek (Greek Orthodox), 18% are Turks (Muslim), 4% Christians and Jews • Greeks want to reunite with Greece, Few Turks want to partition (divide) the island into 2 countries • Potential for war ever present– right now the south (Greeks) are part of the EU and the north (Turks) is not
III. The Mandate of Syria • Land southwest of Turkey: called Levant and Fertile Crescent • Belonged to Turkey until WWI, then France and Britain took over territory—called Mandates • Syria: French mandate (became Syria and Lebanon) • Palestine: Britain mandate (Israel and Jordan)
Syria • Covered mainly by Syrian Desert • 90% Arab population, 90% Muslim • Claims to be republic, but since 1963 only 2 rulers- Father and son • Capital and largest city: Damascus • Claims to be the oldest continuously inhabited city
Lebanon • Ancient city: Tyre- built on an island, capital of Phoenicia • Modern capital: Beirut • Largest population of Christians of any Middle Eastern country • Major religious warfare started in 1975, Israel and Syria moved in and Beirut, once beautiful, became a pile of rubble • Foreign influence in 1983, today peace still unsure
IV. Mandate of Palestine • Belonged to Britain until 1948 • Now countries of Jordan and Israel • Jews and Christians refer to the area as the Holy Land • 3 major issues in the Middle East • Oil, Islam, Israel • Israel is the most volatile issue—only non-Muslim country in the area
Israel • Largest city and Capital: Jerusalem • Second largest city: Tel Aviv • In the south, Negev produces abundant crops although a desert • Galilee refers to the far north, includes the Sea of Galilee
Israel • Masada • Near the Dead Sea • Means “fortress or stronghold” • Site of Jewish Zealots last stand for freedom against the Romans • Pg. 418
Israel • Historical Background • Promised Land • God gave the land to the Israelites, modern state of Israel testifies to the Jews wanting to reclaim their land • Zionist Movement • Jews moving into Palestine, building farms, against odds won independence in 1948– became Israel • Revived Hebrew language, every citizen must serve in the military for 2 years (women) or 3 years (men)
Palestinians • Descendants of Ishmael • Want to wipe Israel off the map • Coastal strip won by Israel in the Six Day war: Gaza Strip • Eventually gave back to the Palestinians
Valley of Jezreel • Mentioned in the Bible as a prominent place • Many Bible scholars interpret this valley to be the site of the Battle of Armageddon (Rev. 16) • Napoleon described it as the perfect battleground
Jordan • Consists mainly of uninhabited desert • No oil, little arable land, many work away from the country and send money home • Amman is the capital • Petra- 130 foot high tombs carved into the cliffs • Dead Sea- lies between Israel and Jordan pg424 • Saltiest water in the world • Lowest elevation on earth
Mount Hermon • Nazareth • Bethlehem