NORTH AFRICA AND SOUTHWEST ASIA TODAY CHAPTER 4

Section 4-1 North Africa (pages 100–104)

Did You Know??? A common misconception about the Sahara, the world’s largest desert, is that a majority of its 3 1⁄2 million square miles is covered by sand. Most of this land, which is roughly equal to the size of the United States, is covered by rocky plateaus and gravelly plains, not sand.

I. Egypt (pages 100–101) A. Egypt is about the same size as Texas and New Mexico together, yet most of it is desert.

I. Egypt (pages 100–101) B. The Nile River supplies 85 percent of the country’s water.

I. Egypt (pages 100–101) C. Dams and channels control the river’s flow and its use for farming and generating electric power.

I. Egypt (pages 100–101) D. The Suez Canal is one of the world’s most important waterways. Ships use the canal to pass from the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea, thereby avoiding traveling all the way around Africa.

I. Egypt (pages 100–101) E. About 40 percent of Egypt’s people work in agriculture raising sugar cane, grains, vegetables, fruits, and cotton.

I. Egypt (pages 100–101) F. Egyptian factories make food products, textiles, and consumer goods. Egypt’s main energy resource is oil. Another important industry is tourism.

II. Libya (pages 101–102) A. Except for the coastal lowlands, Libya is a desert with only a few oases. An oasis is a green area in a desert fed by underground water.

II. Libya (pages 101–102) B. The Sahara covers more than 90 percent of Libya.

II. Libya (pages 101–102) C. Libya has no permanent rivers, but aquifers lie beneath the vast desert. Aquifers are underground rock layers that store large amounts of water.

II. Libya (pages 101–102) D. Poor soil and a hot climate mean that Libya has to import about three-fourths of its food.

II. Libya (pages 101–102) E. The discovery of oil in Libya in 1959 brought the country great wealth.

II. Libya (pages 101–102) F. Almost all of Libya’s 5 million people have mixed Arab and Berber heritage. Eighty-six percent of Libyans live along the Mediterranean coast.

II. Libya (pages 101–102) G. Libya is a Muslim country, and most of its people speak Arabic.

II. Libya (pages 101–102) H. In 1969 a military officer named Muammar al-Qaddhafi overthrew the king and became a dictator. For many years, the United States and other democratic nations have accused Qaddhafi of encouraging terrorism.

III. The Maghreb (pages 102–104) A. Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco form a region known as the Maghreb. These three countries make up the westernmost part of the Arabic-speaking Muslim world.

III. The Maghreb (pages 102–104) B. Tunisia is North Africa’s smallest country.

III. The Maghreb (pages 102–104) C. Tunisian farmers grow wheat, olives, fruits, and vegetables. Fishing is also an important industry. Tunisian factories produce food products, textiles, and oil products. Tourism is a growing industry.

III. The Maghreb (pages 102–104) D. Tunisia’s largest city today is Tunis, the capital city of more than 1 million people.

III. The Maghreb (pages 102–104) E. Algeria is the largest country in North Africa.

III. The Maghreb (pages 102–104) F. Algeria must import much of its food, which it pays for by selling oil and natural gas.

III. The Maghreb (pages 102–104) G. Algeria became a French possession in 1834, so many people in Algeria’s cities speak French as well as Arabic. In 1962, Algeria won its freedom from France.

III. The Maghreb (pages 102–104) H. Today, Algeria is a republic, with a strong president and a legislature. Since the early 1990s, however, there have been conflicts between the government and Muslim political parties.

III. The Maghreb (pages 102–104) I. Farmers in Morocco grow sugar beets, grains, fruits, and vegetables for sale to Europe during the winter. Morocco is a leading producer of phosphates, used in fertilizers. Tourism is also important to Morocco.

III. The Maghreb (pages 102–104) J. Morocco’s traditional culture is based on Arab, Berber, and African traditions.

III. The Maghreb (pages 102–104) K. Morocco is a constitutional monarchy.

Notes 4-2 Southwest Asia: Turkey and Israel (pages 105–108)

Did You Know??? Turkey is home to some of the oldest permanent human settlements. In Çatal Hüyük, Turkey, archaeologists have unearthed some of the oldest known examples of pottery, textiles, and plastered walls. Some of these artifacts date back to 7000 B.C.

I. Turkey (pages 105–106) A. Turkey has a unique location—it bridges the continents of Asia and Europe. Three important waterways—the Bosporus, the Sea of Marmara, and the Dardanelles—separate the Asian and European parts.

I. Turkey (pages 105–106) B. Turkey’s climate varies throughout the country, from hot, dry summers and cold, snowy winters in the central plateau to hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters on the coast.

I. Turkey (pages 105–106) C. Turkish farmers grow cotton, fruits, and wheat, and raise livestock. Turkey has many mineral resources such as coal, copper, and iron. Tourism is also a growing industry.

I. Turkey (pages 105–106) D. About 98 percent of Turkey’s nearly 66 million people are Muslims.

I. Turkey (pages 105–106) E. The Kurds, an ethnic group who make up about 20 percent of Turkey’s people have demanded their own independent state.

I. Turkey (pages 105–106) F. Almost 70 percent of Turkey’s people live in cities or towns.

I. Turkey (pages 105–106) G. Istanbul began as a Greek port called Byzantium. Later it was renamed Constantinople. When the Ottomans conquered the city in the 1400s, they renamed it Istanbul.

I. Turkey (pages 105–106) H. Turkey has been a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) since 1952 and is seeking to join the European Union.

II. Israel (pages 107–108) A. Israel is completely in Southwest Asia, but was founded by immigrants who came in large part from Europe, Central Asia, and the United States.

II. Israel (pages 107–108) B. Israel includes the mountains of Galilee, the Golan Heights, the Dead Sea, the desert of Negev, and the Jordan River.

II. Israel (pages 107–108) C. Israel’s best farmland stretches along the Mediterranean coastal plain and produces citrus fruits, such as oranges, grapefruits, and lemons.

II. Israel (pages 107–108) D. In very dry areas, Israel uses computers to release specific amounts of water from underground tubes to the roots of plants. As a result of technology, Israel’s farmers are able to export some food to other countries.

II. Israel (pages 107–108) E. Some Israelis live in farm settlements called kibbutzes, where property is shared. Other people live in moshavs where they share in farming, production, and selling, but may own private property as well.

II. Israel (pages 107–108) F. Israel’s skilled workforce produces electronic products, clothing, chemicals, food products, and machinery. Diamond cutting and polishing is also a major industry.

II. Israel (pages 107–108) G. Eighty percent of Israel’s people are Jews and the other 20 percent are Palestinians, who are Arabic. There are many conflicts between these two groups.

Notes 4-3 Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Arabia (pages 110–114)

Did You Know??? The northern segment of the Jordan Valley, known in Arabic as the Ghor, is Jordan’s most fertile region. It contains the Jordan River and extends from the country’s northern border south to the Dead Sea. Several degrees warmer than the rest of the country, its year-round mild climate, fertile soils, higher winter rainfall, and extensive summer irrigation have made the Ghor the food bowl of Jordan.

I. Syria (pages 110–111) A. Syria’s land includes fertile coastal plains and valleys along the Mediterranean Sea, and vast deserts covering the eastern regions.

I. Syria (pages 110–111) B. Agriculture is Syria’s main economic activity. Farmers raise mostly cotton, wheat, and fruits. The Euphrates River provides water for irrigation as well as hydroelectric power.

I. Syria (pages 110–111) C. Almost half of Syria’s 16 million people live in rural areas. A few are Bedouins—nomadic desert people who follow a traditional way of life.

I. Syria (pages 110–111) D. Damascus, the capital, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It was founded more than 5,000 years ago.

I. Syria (pages 110–111) E. Islam has deeply influenced Syria’s traditional arts and buildings.

I. Syria (pages 110–111) F. Syria became an independent country in 1946.

I. Syria (pages 110–111) G. Since the 1960s, one political party has controlled Syria’s government, and it does not allow many political freedoms. As of May 2000, Syria was one of seven nations named by the U.S. government as being “state sponsors” of terrorism.

II. Lebanon (pages 111–112) A. Because Lebanon is so small, you can swim in the warm Mediterranean Sea, then play in the snow in the mountains, both in the same day.

II. Lebanon (pages 111–112) B. More than 80 percent of Lebanon’s nearly 4.1 million people live in coastal urban areas.

II. Lebanon (pages 111–112) C. About 70 percent of the Lebanese are Arab Muslims and most of the rest are Arab Christians. Conflict between these groups led to a civil war lasting from 1975 to 1991.

II. Lebanon (pages 111–112) D. Arabic is the most widely spoken language. French is also an official language because France ruled Lebanon until its independence in the 1940s.

III. Jordan (page 112) A. Jordan stretches from the fertile Jordan River valley in the west to dry rugged country in the east

III. Jordan (page 112) B. The country lacks water resources, but small amounts of irrigated farmland lie in the Jordan River Valley.

III. Jordan (page 112) C. Jordan also lacks energy resources. Most people work in service and manufacturing industries.

III. Jordan (page 112) D. Most of Jordan’s 5.2 million people are Arab Muslims. They include more than 1 million Palestinian refugees.

III. Jordan (page 112) E. Jordan became independent from Great Britain in 1946 and now has a constitutional monarchy.

IV. Saudi Arabia (pages 113–114) A. Saudi Arabia is the largest country in Southwest Asia.

IV. Saudi Arabia (pages 113–114) B. The country is covered by vast deserts and has no rivers or permanent bodies of water.

IV. Saudi Arabia (pages 113–114) C. Saudi Arabia holds about 25 percent of the world’s oil and the nation belongs to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Today the 11 OPEC countries supply more than 40 percent of the world’s oil. By increasing or reducing supply, they are able to influence world oil prices.

IV. Saudi Arabia (pages 113–114) D. Oil has helped Saudi Arabia boost its standard of living. Aware that someday its oil will run out, the government is trying to broaden its economy through industry and agriculture.

IV. Saudi Arabia (pages 113–114) E. The capital and largest city, Riyadh, sits amid a large oasis in the center of the country.

IV. Saudi Arabia (pages 113–114) F. Makkah (Mecca), in western Saudi Arabia, is Islam’s holiest city. About 2 million Muslims from around the world visit Makkah each year.

Notes 4-4 Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan (pages 122–125)

Did You Know??? Iraqis eat a varied diet that includes vegetables, rice, flat bread, meat, fish, and dates. Bread and rice are the main foods at many meals. Grilled lamb, chicken, and fish are popular. Sanbusak, a traditional Iraqi dish, consists of moon-shaped dough stuffed with cheese or meat. Popular beverages in Iraq include tea, coffee, and fruit juices.

I. Iraq (pages 122–123) A. The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers are the major geographic features of Iraq.

I. Iraq (pages 122–123) B. Between the two rivers is an alluvial plain—an area that is built up by rich fertile soil left by river floods. Most farming takes place there.

I. Iraq (pages 122–123) C. Oil is the country’s major export.

I. Iraq (pages 122–123) D. About 70 percent of Iraq’s 23.6 million people live in urban areas.

I. Iraq (pages 122–123) E. Muslim Arabs make up the largest group in Iraq’s population. The second largest group consists of another Muslim people, the Kurds, who want to form their own country.

I. Iraq (pages 122–123) F. In 1958 the last king was overthrown. A recent leader, Saddam Hussein, was a dictator who ruled with an iron hand.

I. Iraq (pages 122–123) G. In 1990, partly because of a dispute over oil, Iraq invaded neighboring Kuwait. By April of 1991, at the end of the Persian Gulf War, a United Nations force led by the United States pushed Iraqi troops out of Kuwait.

II. Iran (page 124) A. Iran is an oil-rich nation, but is trying to become less dependent on oil earnings.

II. Iran (page 124) B. It has limited supplies of water, and less than 12 percent of its land can be farmed.

II. Iran (page 124) C. More than half of Iran’s 66.1 million people are Persians, not Arabs or Turks. They speak Farsi, or Persian.

II. Iran (page 124) D. Nearly 98 percent of Iran’s people practice some form of Islam.

II. Iran (page 124) E. In 1979 Muslim religious leaders overthrew the last monarchy, and Iran now has an Islamic republic, a government run by Muslim religious leaders. The government has introduced laws based on its understanding of the Quran and have forbidden many western customs.

III. Afghanistan (page 125) A. Afghanistan is a landlocked nation mostly covered with the rugged peaks of the Hindu Kush mountain range.

III. Afghanistan (page 125) B. The country’s 26 million people are divided into about 20 different ethnic groups.

III. Afghanistan (page 125) C. After a Soviet invasion, followed by civil war, the Taliban took control of the government, enforcing strict Islamic religious laws.

III. Afghanistan (page 125) D. In October 2001, the United States accused the Taliban of supporting terrorists and began bombing Taliban forces.

III. Afghanistan (page 125) E. By mid-November the Taliban government had collapsed and the United States began to work with local leaders to form a new government.