Vocabulary

Middle East a region characterized by deserts and semi arid lands

Fertile Crescent "The Cradle of Civilization“ crescent-shaped region containing very fertile land where the first civilizations started there Located in present day Iraq

Mesopotamia The land between two rivers, the Tigris and Euphrates, in present day Iraq This region is where civilization began, it saw the development of many of the earliest human civilizations

OPEC a group of countries that produce oil for the world (most are located in the Middle East) Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries

Persian Gulf body of water that is surrounded by oil producing countries (where the US travels to obtain most of its oil)

Religion the culture trait that defines the Middle East

Jerusalem city in Israel which is divided into four cultural sections. The Jews, Christians, and Muslims each claim this city as part of their holy land.

Migration movement of people from place to place

Palestinians group of people that were displaced when modern Israel was created. Are the minority in Israel.

Modernization new inventions and innovations that allow high- tech cities to grow. One example of this is the city of Dubai.

Iraq modern day country that was known as Mesopotamia and contains the Fertile Crescent

Hammurabi King from Mesopotamia (Babylon) that wrote the first code of laws for his people

Holy Land name given to the area of Southwest Asia that is important to the Jewish, Christian, and Islamic faiths

Persians general name given for a group of people that lived in what is now known as Iran

Ottoman Turks powerful Muslim group who controlled most of the Middle East until the British came in and split their empire up

Middle East MapQuest Our journey begins in the country in which one of the earliest civilizations began. Present day __________ is where the Fertile Crescent is located. You placed two important rivers in this country which are the __________________ and the _________________. From there, we are going to travel southeast to a small country that is on the northern tip of the Persian Gulf. _____________ was invaded by Saddam Hussein which resulted in the Gulf War. This country is a major oil producing country. It is important to the United States and much of the world because of its oil. From our current location, we will travel northwest to a country that lies on the northern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. ________________ is the country that takes its name from the Ottoman Turk Empire. Go south from our current location to a small country that three major religions have claimed as their holy land. _____________ is where Jesus Christ was born and the Crusades took place. To the southwest of our current location travel to a sea that separates the Middle East from Africa. ___________ is an important waterway for world trade. From our last stop, travel northeast to a country that has a long history of warfare. __________________ is a country that the United States has been fighting an ongoing war in since September 11, It borders _________ on the southwest and _________________ on the southeast.