Southwest Asia

The Fertile Crescent The Fertile Crescent, the area between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, stretches from modern Iraq to Israel. This area is known as the birthplace of civilization. Around 8000 B.C., hunter-gatherers first began to farm in this area – known as the agricultural revolution. This region has always been an area of conflict because: Its location in the center of three continents has made it important for trade. Religious differences.

Fertile Crescent

Physical Geography Mountains and arid plains cover much of Central and Southwest Asia, with many of the plains regions being desert. Much of the region has an arid to semiarid climate – the mountainous and coastal areas have more precipitation and cooler winters. The far northern areas of the region have cold, snowy winters.

The Central Asian Nations Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are independent nations formed from the break-up of the Soviet Union. Stan means “the land of” and the beginning of the country’s name refers to the largest ethnic group of the region. The various ethnicities and cultures of the region have one thing in common – the Islamic religion.

The Aral Sea The Soviet Union used the Aral Sea to irrigate the arid region around the sea – fresh water from the rivers which flow into the sea were diverted to water fields. With the loss of fresh water, the sea shrank and grew saltier – destroying the local fishing industry of the region.

The Aral Sea

Southwest Asia Southwest Asia is often referred to as the Middle East. This area has long been one of conflict and war. It’s the birthplace of three of the world’s major religions, Judaism, Islam and Christianity.

The Ottoman Empire By World War I, much of the Middle East was controlled by the Ottoman Empire. Arabs living in the Ottoman Empire were promised their own independent nations after the war if they would support the Allies. Instead, France and Great Britain established mandates – land governed by an outside power on behalf of the League of Nations until it was ready for independence.

The Middle East after World War I

Post World War I Middle East Palestine was claimed by two groups, Arabs and Jews. Jewish immigration to Palestine began to increase, especially as World War II began and after World War II there was increasing support for creating a Jewish homeland in Palestine. The problem was handed over to the United Nations, who decided to divide Palestine into two nations, Israel and Palestine. When Israel was formed in 1948, war broke out between Israel and its Arab neighbors – Israel conquered most of Palestine and Jordan and Egypt divided the rest, leaving the Palestinians with no country of their own.

Israel Today

Lebanon For many years, Lebanon was the most prosperous country of the region. In 1958 and 1975, civil war broke out among the various religious factions of the country. In 1982, Lebanon was invaded by Israel because of the actions of the Palestinian Liberation Organization. In 1983, Islamic radicals blew up the American embassy in Beirut and drove an explosive-filled truck into a U.S. Marine barracks – causing the U.S. to withdraw from the country. Peace was established in the 1990’s but the country still struggles with stability.

U.S. Marine Barracks in Beirut

Iraq Iraq has the well-watered plain between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers as well as large oil reserves. In 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait, leading to the first Persian Gulf War – Iraq suffered huge losses and also suffered through an embargo when it failed to comply with the cease fire agreement. The embargo – severe restriction on trade with other countries – led to great suffering among the Iraqi people. After 9/11, the Second Gulf War was started when the U.S. claimed that Iraq was a threat to international security. Saddam Hussein was removed from power but establishing an effective government has proven very difficult to do.

Syria Syria is currently involved in a civil war that is part of the larger movement known as the Arab Spring. The Arab Spring uprisings have come about because of discontent with current governments and economic issues. Almost 20 Middle Eastern and North African countries have been involved in the Arab Spring. The U.S. almost used military force against Syria after the Syrian government used chemical weapons against its own people.

The Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula is home to the Rub’ al-Khali, or Empty Quarter, the world’s largest sand desert. The Arabian Peninsula has the least amount of water of any large landmass. The Arabian Peninsula also has 75% of the world’s known oil reserves.

Wealth of the Arabian Peninsula The wealth brought by oil has allowed the many countries of the region to pay for the modernization of their countries. A major expense are desalination plants. In 1960, OPEC, or the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries was created to help control the production and prices of the oil.

Desalinization Plant

Desalinization Process

OPEC

Modernization and Islam The countries of the Middle East have tried not to let modernization upset the Islamic traditions of the region. The family is still the most important social unit of the region. Females have honored positions within society but are limited in many ways. Each year around two million Muslims from around the world make a pilgrimage to the Islamic holy city of Mecca, located in Saudi Arabia.

Mecca

Iran After the World Wars, Iran was ruled by a shah who worked to Westernize Iran, using profits form their oil industry. Many people opposed the shah’s changes, especially religious leaders known as ayatollahs who believed the country should be governed by strict, Islamic law. In 1979, the Ayatollah Khomeini took over the country and worked to remove all western influences in the country. Since his death in 1989, Iran has begun to change, but is struggling to overcome economic problems caused by Khomeini.

Ayatollah Khomeini

Cyprus One-fifth of Cyprus’ population are Muslim Turks. The rest of the population is primarily Greek. In the 1960’s, civil war split the island in two, with the Greek population wanting to reunite with Greece. Turkey prevented this from happening and even declared the northeastern part of the island independent, although most countries don’t formally recognize the region as a country.