The Middle East Chapter 25

Where is the Middle East? The region was named by Europeans comparing where they lived to Asia, the far east. Middle Eastern culture is in Northern Africa and Southwestern Asia

The Crossroads of the World The region connects Africa, Asia, Europe It became a trade crossroads over land and water Goods would travel across Asia through the Middle East Across the Mediterranean to Europe Down the Red Sea to East Africa

Diffusion

What is more diverse, the United States or the Middle East? Pre-class What is more diverse, the United States or the Middle East? Why?

People

Strategic Position: Even Today Military and Economic Positions Commands major sea routes Suez Canal: Mediterranean to the Red Sea to Indian Ocean Bosporus and the Dardanelles Strait of Hormuz: mouth of the Persian Gulf Oil

Outsourced Stereotypes American Indian Cultural Differences

The population Ethnic Groups – Arabs, Persians, Kurds, Pakistanis, Afghans, Jews, Turks Total in Middle East – 197,090,443 Languages – Arabic and Persian are most common

Religion Islam Judaism Christianity

Goods/Trade/Inventions Our Alphabet Iron Making Sails

Pre-Class What ethnic groups live in the Middle East? What are the predominant language groups in the ME? Name three monotheistic religions that began in the Middle East

Major Regions

The Northern Tier Across Turkey and Iran Anatolian Plateau: ringed by mountains, fertile region, supports farming, large population Iranian Plateau: ringed by mountains, dry region, no farming, small population

Arabian Peninsula Home of Islam About 1/3 the size of the United States Borders major bodies of water Small population b/c most of it is a desert Major role in world economy OIL Home of Islam

Fertile Crescent Arc-shaped region Mediterranean Tigris & Euphrates Persian Gulf

Fertile Crescent Home to first civilizations: Mesopotamia Few natural barriers led to being conquered often throughout history Region floods unpredictably in spring or summer Too much=disaster; too little=drought

Geographic Advantages Nile Valley Geographic Advantages Ample natural barriers Deserts in the east and west Predictable & dependable flooding

The Maghreb Maghreb means ‘Western Isle’ in Arabic Northern Africa People concentrated near Mediterranean Coast Small population in Sahara and Atlas Mtns

Climate & Resources High Population Density in well-watered areas <10% of the land is farmable Resourceful irrigators since early civilizations Salt, phosphate, & copper = major resources Uneven oil distribution creates economic disparity

Early Civilizations

Early Civs Chart Civilization Location Accomplishments Sumerian Mesopotamia; Fertile Crescent Babylonians Hittites Fertile Crescent Phoenician Mediterranean Coast Persian Iran; across Fertile Crescent

Troupe’s & Ean’s Word of the Day Xerox – French – unoriginal or robotic individual Coinage – the usage of coins Mencolek – Indonesian – touching someone lightly with one finger in order to tease them

Development of Religion in the Middle East First religions – Polytheistic – animism (all parts of nature) Judaism – monotheism – 5717 years old 10 commandments – Torah prophets Christianity – monotheism – 2010 years old Based on Jesus – Bible

Judaism How did Judaism differ from other early religions? Who is the father of Judaism? What are the best known Jewish laws? What was promised to the Jews? What is the remaining wall of the temple called? Why is it important? What is a Diaspora? Define prophet What do Jews believe about the Messiah? Christianity Out of what religion did Christianity grow How do Christian beliefs about Jesus differ from other religions? How is the bible divided? What are the parts called? Why are the resurrection and ascension important to Christians? Why were Christians persecuted? Why did Christianity appeal to people? Why did it spread? What is the eastern Orthodox Christian Church?

Identifications Oasis Peninsula Strait Ziggurat Cuneiform Parable Martyr Pope Ten Commandments Gospels

Identifications Western Wall Carriers of Civilization Hittites Byzantine Church “First Civilization” Torah Abraham Monotheism Diaspora Crossroads of the World