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Geography and People of Southwest Asia

Geography and People of Southwest Asia. World Studies. Where in the world?. Northern Africa and Southwest Asia. Why not the Middle East?. The term “Middle East” was based on the location of Europe (Eurocentric) The Middle East was in between Europe and the Far East (China, Japan)

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Geography and People of Southwest Asia

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  1. Geography and People of Southwest Asia World Studies

  2. Where in the world?

  3. Northern Africa and Southwest Asia

  4. Why not the Middle East? • The term “Middle East” was based on the location of Europe (Eurocentric) • The Middle East was in between Europe and the Far East (China, Japan) • Southwest Asia puts Asia at the center and not Europe.

  5. Why not the Middle East? Europe Far East Middle East

  6. Countries of the Region Southwest Asia • Saudi Arabia • Iraq • Iran • Turkey • Jordan • Syria • Lebanon • Kuwait/ UAE/ Qatar/Bahrain • Yemen/ Oman • Israel • Palestinian Territories

  7. Crossroads of the World • This region connects 3 continents: Asia, Africa, and Europe. • Many major bodies of water also surround the region, making it important for transport and trade.

  8. Crossroads of the World

  9. Language • The dominant language throughout the region (both SW Asia and Northern Africa) is Arabic. • 280 million native speakers • Exception 1: Farsi in Iran. • Exception 2: Hebrew in Israel

  10. Religion • Review: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all began in SW Asia. • Today, the dominant religion in the region is Islam. • Two major branches of Islam: • Sunni (80-90%) • Dominant in most countries • Shi’ite (10-20%) • Dominant in Iran/ Iraq • Exception: Judaism in Israel/ Christianity throughout the region.

  11. Ethnic Groups in the SW Asia • Arabs (Air-Rub not A-Rab) • Who is an Arab? • 1.) Native Arabic speaker • 2.)Comes from an Arab speaking country • Turks (Turkey) • Kurds (Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey) • Iranians (Iran) • Jews (Israel)

  12. BurjKhalifa in Dubai Mecca in Saudi Arabia

  13. The City of Jerusalem Oil in Saudi Arabia

  14. Unit Focus • 1. Background info on SW Asia (Week 21) • 2. Religious stereotypes, focusing on Islam (Weeks 22/23) • 3. The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict (Weeks 23/24)

  15. Major Region #1: Northern Tier • Modern day Turkey and Iran • Mountains and plateaus • Anatolian Plateau (Turkey): Fertile soil, adequate precipitation allows for large population • Iranian Plateau (Iran): Dry, small population

  16. Major Region #2: Arabian Peninsula • Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, Qatar, U.A.E. • Covered in desert (Rub Al- Khali) • Surrounded by important bodies of water. • Small population • Large amounts of oil lay beneath the surface= $$$

  17. Major Region #3: Fertile Crescent • Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Israel. • Tigris and Euphrates rivers create rich soils that sustain large populations • Home of the earliest civilizations

  18. Major Region #4: Nile River Valley • Egypt • People live along the Nile due to abundance of fresh water and fertile soil. • The rest of Egypt is desert and sparsely inhabited. Med. Sea Sinai Pen. Red Sea

  19. Major Region #5: The Maghreb • Northern Africa, inc. Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco. • Sahara desert, Atlas mts. • Major cities on the Mediterranean coast.

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