Southwest Asia Chapters 21-23

Landforms and Resources Not just sand dunes Ranges from green coastal plains to snow peaked mountains Serves as a land bridge connecting Asia, Africa, and Europe Arabian Peninsula Separated by the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf Anatolia Peninsula Begins the Asian continent

Landforms Arabian Peninsula Mountains Mostly covered by dry, sandy, and windy conditions Low hills, ridges and wadis- dry river beds until the rainy season People mostly live nomadic lifestyle due to harsh climate conditions Mountains Hindu Kush Mountains in Afghanistan Zagros Mountains in Iran

Bodies of Water Dead Sea Tigris and Euphrates rivers 9 times saltier than the oceans Cannot sink and nothing lives there Tigris and Euphrates rivers Supported several ancient river valley civilizations Called the Fertile Crescent Agriculture is still good here

Resources Oil Most valuable resource is water 1/2 of the world’s oil reserves are found in Southwest Asia Most valuable resource is water Some countries have an abundance (Afghanistan, Turkey, Iran, and Lebanon) Some countries have to guard and ration their water Other minerals are present but not in large quantities

Climate SW Asia is very arid Deserts Most areas receive less than 18 inches of precipitation a year Rivers do not flow year round Deserts Rub-al-Kali- known as the empty quarter About the size of Texas Salt deserts High mountains block rain and dry winds evaporate rain Chemicals stay in the soil as water leaves Two of these exist in Iran

Climate Well-Watered Coast Lands Semiarid Lands Along the Mediterranean coast Hot summers and rainy winters Like Southern California Semiarid Lands These surround the deserts Can produce wheat and cotton Found mainly in Turkey

Human-Environment Interaction Water Most important resource Includes dams and irrigation systems If you dam one part of the river, will less come down to other countries? Types of Irrigation: Drip: places water just at the root zone, reduces evaporation Qanat: Underground brick-lined tunnels and collect runoff

Oil Oil and natural gas deposits were formed millions of years ago Microscopic plants and animals lived and then died in waters, they mingled with sand and mud Over time, heat and pressure transformed them into hydrocarbons Oil is trapped in rocks and you cannot tell if you have a rock filled with oil without breaking it open

Oil Petroleum not processed is called crude oil Must be sent to a refinery either by shipment or by pipeline Always a risk for oil spills caused by accidents Exxon Valdez in 1989 in Alaska Worst was in 1991 during Persian Gulf War Underwater pipelines can crack Ships can run aground in the narrow straight of Hormuz or the Persian Gulf

The Arabian Peninsula Area includes: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen Many opportunities for trade The crossroads of 3 continents Islam Monotheistic Based on the teachings of Muhammad Sunni and Shia are the two main groups

Islam Five Pillars of Islam Faith: All believers must testify to the following statement: “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah” Prayer: Five times a day, Muslims face toward the holy city of Mecca to pray. They can do it at a mosque or wherever they may be. Charity: Muslims believe they have a responsibility to support the less fortunate Fasting: During Ramadan, Muslims do not eat or drink anything between sunrise and sunset Pilgrimage: All Muslims are expected to make a hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca once during their lifetime.

Islam Theocratic governments Religious control of the government Use religious laws Consult religious leaders about the issues Spread Islam through conquering territory from the sixth century Law of the land is known as Shari’ah

Eastern Mediterranean Holy place 3 religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam City of Jerusalem is holy place for all three Jerusalem for Jews: The Capital of Israel Temple Mount Western Wall Jerusalem for Christians Mount of Olives (Jesus’ crucifixion) Jerusalem for Islam Dome of the Rock

A History of Unrest Ruled by the Ottoman Empire from 1520-1922 Unable to grant freedom to countries and solve issues Colonized after WWI by France and Britain France= Lebanon and Syria Britain= Israel and Jordan Zionism- the movement of Jewish people back to the Holy Land At the end of WWII, Holocaust survivors started to immigrate to Israel. Was formally created in 1947

A History of Unrest Many Palestinians were forced out or moved due to the Jewish population rising. Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Formed in 1964 to make Palestine a country Has political and military agenda PLO and Hezbollah attack Jews of Israel and Israel retaliates. Many refugees result from these wars, beginning in 1948

Eastern Mediterranean Many ethnicities in this regions Lebanon hosts Christians and Shi’ite Muslims. Also include Orthodox and Druze faith. Druze= section of Shia Islam but includes Judaism and Gnosticism.

The Northeast Blend of many cultures Turkish, Farsi, and Arabic languages Sunni (4/5) and Shi’ite Muslims Early civilizations known as Mesopotamia Fights for land increased after WWI The Kurds have been a stateless nation since WWI. Iraq and Iran have prevented the Kurds from becoming a nation-state

The Northeast Taliban- Working toward modernization Islamic fundamentalist political group in control of Afghanistan Working toward modernization Turkey is developing its water supply and hydroelectric power Iran trying to get rid of harsh government Modernization slow because of wars and oil disputes

Southwest Asia Issues Population Relocation Life in 1900 was not much different than life in 1100 Guest Workers- immigrants doing jobs that the local population finds unacceptable Stateless Nations Kurds Refugees Palestine (West Bank and Gaza Strip) How can governments work together to create peace in the region? Is this issue able to be resolved only through diplomacy?

Southwest Asia Issues Oil Wealth and Fuels Change Strategic commodity- a resource so important that nations will go to war over it 64% of oil reserves and 34% of natural gas deposits found here Drive to modernize their infrastructures Where does agriculture fit into the equation? What could a new role for women do for the economy? Can countries share wealth and resources?