Happy Friday! February 12. 2010 -Write homefun in your agenda: Test on Tuesday! (No school Monday) Take Field Notes

1. Happy Friday! February 12. 2010 • -Write homefun in your agenda: Test on Tuesday! (No school Monday) Take Field Notes home tonight! • -WARM-UP: • Between which two ethnic groups is there conflict over Israel? • What is one reason why the U.S. Military is still in Iraq? • The most important person in Iran’s government is________________________________. • Why is the Aral Sea shrinking? • What resource causes the most conflict • in Central Asia? • Dome of the Rock – Where Muslim’s believe Muhammad ascended into Heaven. • Jerusalem, Israel

2. Happy Thursday! 2.4.2010 1. Write homefun in agenda. 2. Warm-UP: Continue working on Field Notes pages 94-95! Qadamjoy Shah-i-Aulia Shrine beside the Band-i-Haibat (Dam of Awe), Band-i-Amir - Afghanistan

3. Welcome Back! Wednesday, February 3rd .20101. Write homefun in agenda2. No written warm-up: Quietly study for MAP QUIZ today! Exploding from the gate, young jockeys spur their mounts in a race outside Muscat. Though gambling is illegal, winners' purses are often hefty, and a top racing camel sold for stud can fetch $130,000 or more. —From “Oman,” May 1995, National Geographic magazine

4. Happy Tuesday! January 25th. 2010 • Write homefun in agenda • WARM-UP: Read the directions on Field Notes page 91 and complete the activity.

5. Happy Wednesday! 1.27.10 • Write homefun in agenda • Warm-Up: On page 90 of your Field Notes complete the following: • List the 8 countries that border Saudi Arabia • 2. List the 5 countries that border Uzbekistan. • 3. Which body of water separates the Middle East from Africa? • 4. Which Middle Eastern countries border the Mediterranean Sea? The Burj Al Arab in Dubai is the world's tallest hotel. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubai.

6. Happy Thursday! January 28. 2010 • Write homefun in agenda. • WARM-UP: Answer the following on FN pg 90. • What countries and body of water does Kuwait border? • List the 6 countries that border Iraq. • Which two countries border the Aral Sea? • In which country is the Dead Sea found? • The Middle East is where which three continents meet? Looking back towards Pakistan, on the Pakistan side of the Khyber Pass

7. Woo Hoo! It’s Friday! 2.5.10 • Write homefun in agenda. • WARM-UP: Answer on FN pg 90…For each letter of the PERSIAN acronym, list one or more facts you have learned about the Middle East from Three Cups of Tea. • If you completed the extra credit illustration, then please have it on your desk. Painted and decorated Pakistani truck at the customs post post in Sost

8. Happy Monday! 2.8.2010 • Write homefun in agenda. • WARM-UP:Start a new warm-up page on FN 101. • On page 434 of your textbook answer the two “Map Zone” questions. • On page 438 of your textbook answer the two “Map Zone” questions. • Read the “Life in Iran and the US” section on page 452. Answer the contrasting question. Mecca / Makkah, Saudi Arabia: Muslims get ready to pray at Haram Mosque, facing the Holy Kaaba during Hajj season - the first building at the site was built by Abraham

9. IRAQ -Golden dome and minarets of the Abu Al-Fadhil Al-Abbas Shrine, Karbala • Happy Wednesday! 2.10.10 • Write homefun in agenda. • Warm-UP: • What dynasty has ruled Saudi Arabia since 1932? • What does OPEC stand for and what is its goal? • Most countries of the Arabian Peninsula have which type of government? • What is the capital of Iraq?

10. Happy Thursday! 2.11.2010 Kabul , Afghanistan: Even though the tops of the buildings have been destroyed by shelling, stores on the first floor are open for business on this Kabul street • Write homefun in agenda. • WARM-UP: 1. On page 422 of your textbook examine the “Israel’s Population” section & answer the Analyzing Visuals question. 2. On page 424 of your textbook read the “Focus on Culture” section and answer the Drawing Conclusions question. 3. On page 462 of your textbook examine the Land Use Resource Map and answer the two Map Zone Questions.

11. K2 Hindu Kush Khyber Pass Tigris Euphrates Indus River Arabian Peninsula

12. Kazakhstan Uzbekistan Kyrgyzstan Turkmenistan Turkey Tajikistan Syria Lebanon Afghanistan Iran Iraq Jordan Israel Pakistan Qatar Kuwait Bahrain UAE Saudi Arabia Oman Map Quiz on Thursday! Yemen

13. Asia

14. Southwest and Central Asia(The Middle East)

15. The Middle East • The term “Middle East” originated with the British. • This region can be divided into smaller regions: the Arabian Peninsula, the Eastern Mediterranean, and Central Asia. http://www.lonelyplanet.com/turkey#video-ltv-0881A9494C683D05 http://www.mapsofwar.com/ind/imperial-history.html

16. Iran, Iraq, and the Arabian Peninsula form a sort of semicircle, with the Persian Gulf in the center.

18. Physical Geography • The region has a dry, desert climate and little vegetation. Summer afternoon temperatures climb to over 100°F. Winter nighttime temperatures dip to below freezing. • The Tigris and Euphrates rivers are important waterways. Satellite image of Asia The Tigris outside Diyarbaykr, Turkey

19. Resources OPEC Flag • The oil fields in the Persian Gulf bring great wealth to the countries that own them. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) work to keep stable and fair oil prices for producers and consumers. • Water is one of the region’s most valuable resources, but is very scarce. Price of gas in Kuwait$0.91 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101431344

20. Human Geography • Most countries of the Arabian Peninsula share three main characteristics: Islamic religion and culture, monarchy as a form of government, and valuable oil resources The Masjid al-Nabawi ("Mosque of the Prophet") in Medina, is the site of Muhammad's tomb. Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa – King (Sheikh) of Bahrain

21. Physical Geography Arabian Peninsula The ArabianPeninsula is considered to be the largest sanddesert in the world. The Tigris and the Euphrates are important rivers to the area. Together, they create a narrow, fertile area known as “Mesopotamia” or “Land Between Rivers”.

22. The Arabian Peninsula included the countries of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Yemen.

23. Human Geography • Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates (kingdoms), has attracted international attention for its building projects and sporting events. http://www.lonelyplanet.com/middle-east#video-ltv-ECC3C240F8A15C5A

24. Dubai http://www.lonelyplanet.com/united-arab-emirates#

25. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia المملكة العربية السعودية • Saudi Arabia is the largest country of the Arabian Peninsula. • The Saud family has ruled since 1932. Most government officials are relatives of the king. Only men can vote. • Saudi Arabia is the world’s leading producer of oil. • Arabic is the official language of Saudi Arabia and most of the Middle Eastern region. Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah and George W. Bush http://www.lonelyplanet.com/qatar#video-ltv-658333A73C974E5B Desert view in Saudi Arabia • http://www.lonelyplanet.com/oman#video-ltv-3009F963EE39CDE6

26. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17722026 Saddam Hussein on his throne Republic of Iraq جمهورية العراق • The world’s first civilization was in Mesopotamia, a region that is part of Iraq today. • In 1979, Saddam Hussein became Iraq’s president. He ruled like a dictator by strictly controlling Iraq’s media, restricting personal freedoms, and killing political enemies. • In 1991, an alliance of countries led by the United States forced the Iraqis out of Kuwait in the Persian Gulf War. Images from the Gulf War

27. Republic of Iraq جمهورية العراق • On September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States eventually led to new tensions between the United States and several Middle Eastern nations. • Because it was suspected that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, the US declared war on Iraq. • In 2003, the Iraqi army was defeated and Saddam’s government was crushed. He was tried and executed by his own people for his crimes. Clockwise, starting at top left: a joint patrol in Samarra; the toppling of the Saddam Hussein statue in Firdos Square; an Iraqi Army soldier readies his rifle during an assault; an IED detonates in South Baghdad.

28. Iraq • Iraq’s capital, Baghdad, was severely damaged in the recent war. U.S. military and private contractors are helping restore Iraq’s infrastructure. • Iraq is now struggling to establish a democratic government and stable economy. Baghdad, Iraq

29. Islamic Republic of Iran جمهوری اسلامی ايران Tehran, Iran • Iran was once known as Persia. Its people today are Persian not Arab. • Iran’s current government is a theocracy—a government ruled by religious leaders. • Islamic leaders, or ayatollahs, strictly control Iran’s government along with their elected president MahmoudAhmadinejad. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahmoud_Ahmadinejad

30. 30. Ali HoseyniKhāmene’i

31. Eastern Mediterranean Bosporus Strait • The Eastern Mediterranean’s major physical features include the Bosporus Strait, the Dead Sea, and the Jordan River. • The SyrianDesert covers most of Syria and Jordan. It is extremely dry, and receives less than 5 inches of rain per year

32. Only bacteria live in the Dead Sea’s extremely salty water. Its surface is 1,312 feet below sea level—the lowest point on any continent.

33. Turkey Sultan Ahmed Mosque • The Bosporus Strait splits Turkey into two parts a small part in Europe and a big part in Asia. • Although Turkey has historically been more Asian than European, its leaders are seeking to develop closer economic ties to Europe by joining the EU. • Turkey’s history includes invasion by the Romans, rule by the Ottomans, and a twentieth-century democracy. Bosporus Bridge in Istanbul, connecting Europe (left) and Asia (right).

35. Israel • Israel and the Palestinian Territories are home to Jews and Arabs who continue to struggle over the region’s land. • Israel is often referred to as the Holy Land because it is home to sacred sites for three of the world’s major religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Jordan River Dome of the Rock and Temple Mount Western Wall on Shabbat http://www.mapsofwar.com/ind/history-of-religion.html

36. Israel • Israel’s history includes the ancient Hebrews, the Diaspora, the Crusades, and the creation of the nation of Israel in 1948. • The Palestinian Territories, Gaza, East Jerusalem, and the West Bank, are areas within Israel controlledpartly by Palestinian Arabs. • Today there is conflict over which group, Jews or Arabs, should control Israel. Peace is uncertain. http://www.lonelyplanet.com/israel-and-the-palestinian-territories#video-ltv-8CD41594F979789F

38. Eastern Mediterranean • Other countries in this region are Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan. The Grand Serail, the government headquarters in downtown Beirut, Lebanon The ancient city of Petra, Jordan. The famous desert city of Palmyra, whose ruins are now a United Nations World Heritage site, grew large in the Syrian desert in the 1st and 2nd centuries (A.D.).

39. Central Asia – Physical Geography • Central Asia, a dry, rugged, landlocked region, has oil and other valuable mineral resources. Mountains include the HinduKush Mountains. • There is conflict between the countries on how best to use their scarce supply of water. So much water from the rivers is used for irrigation that almost no water reaches the Aral Seatoday. • Two environmental problems are the shrinking of the Aral Sea and radiation left over from Soviet nuclear bomb testing Aral Sea

41. Central Asia – Human Geography • The countries of Central Asia share similar histories and traditions, but particular ethnic groups give each country a unique culture. • Several ethnic groups including: Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Turkmen, Uzbek, and Russian • Each ethnic group speaks its own language and most are followers of Islam or Russian Orthodox Christianity.

43. Central Asia – Human Geography • The Russians controlled Central Asia from the mid 1800’s to 1991 when the USSR collapsed. • Central Asian countries are mostly poor, but they are working to create stable governments and economies.

44. Islamic Republic of Afghanistan جمهوری اسلامی افغانستان • Long war with the Soviet Union in the 1980s • In the mid-1990s a radical Muslim group, the Taliban, took over most of the country, including the capital, Kabul. • After the September 11, 2001, attacks, U.S. and British forces attacked Taliban and al Qaeda targets and toppled the Taliban government. Afghan women wearing Burqas Taliban press conference in Pakistan after the 11 September attacks, declaring they will not extradite Osama bin Laden without evidence.

45. Afghanistan • The new government has a new constitution, new voting regulations, and a new national assembly that includes women. • Current President is: HamidKarazi Kabul, Afganistan Current President Hamid Karzai reviewing the Presidential Guard in Kabul.

46. Islamic Republic of Pakistanاسلامی جمہوریہ پاکِستان • Pakistan lies at a crossroads between the Middle East and South and Central Asia. • In 1947, Pakistan gained independence from British India. • It was formed to represent a Muslim homeland. • Pakistan’s political history has been characterized by periods of military rule and political instability. • Pakistan has had an especially tense political history with India. The Baltoro Glacier, Northern Pakistan, is one of the longest glaciers outside of the polar regions.

47. Pakistan’s Government • Pakistan is a democracy with both a president and a prime minister. • Pakistan has a Senate and a National Assembly. • 60 seats in the National Assembly are reserved for women. • 10 seats are reserved for non-Muslims. • Some have accused Pakistan of having unconstitutional elections over the last few years. • Current Prime Minister: SvedYousafRazaGillani Prime Minister SyedYousafRazaGillani Timeline of US/Pakistan Relations

48. After 9/11, The American War on Terrorism led to an improvement in U.S.–Pakistan ties. • Still, the current alliance relationship between the US and Pakistan is a shaky one. • Pakistan has a multi-ethnic society with one of the largest refugee populations in the world –About 1.7 millionAfghan refugees remain in Pakistan.

49. Islamic Tradition and Daily Life • For most of the 1.3 billion Muslims in the world, Islam is both a religion and a complete way of life. • Muslims are either Sunni (85%) or Shiite (15%).

50. Islamic Tradition and Daily Life • Many countries, like Iran and Saudi Arabia, in this region are considered Islamic States because they rule by Shariah Law and the Five Pillars of Islam in conjunction with the established political system.