Chapter 16: North Africa and Southwest Asia Today Section 2 Resources and Religion

The Importance of Oil Today, nearly half the world’s oil is found mainly in Saudi Arabia, Iran, Kuwait, and Iraq. Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil- producing country, is also one of the largest oil exporters to the United States. After world War II, many nations in the region chose to nationalize, or have their governments take over the running of, their oil industries.

The Importance of Oil In 1960, four countries – Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait – joined with Venezuela, an oil rich country in South America, to form the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC. OPEC decides the price and amount of oil produced in each country each year. In, 1973 OPEC placed an embargo on the export of oil to countries that supported Israel. Gaining Control

The Importance of Oil Since the early 1900’s, oil has been the most important primary product, or raw material. Many countries have also developed secondary products, or goods manufactured from primary products. Example: In Iraq, date palms are an important primary product and they are used to produce date syrup, paper and other products Developing New Products

The Importance of Oil Oil rich countries also use the oil to make secondary products. Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf countries have been refining crude oil and natural gas. They also make petrochemicals from crude and natural gas. Petrochemicals are used in the manufacture of cosmetics, plastics, detergents, fertilizers and other products. Other Industries

Religion in the Region Islam is the dominate religion, but not the only one. Islam influences every country in the region. It shows through the Five Pillars of Islam, which are woven into the fabric of daily life. People stop and pray five times a day, no matter what they are doing. Television and radio air programs devoted to reading from the Qur`an many times a day All Muslim try to go on a haj, or pilgrimage to Mecca, once in a lifetime.

Religion in the Region During Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic year, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. `Id al – Fitr, the Feast of Breaking the Fast, ends Ramadan and lasts for several days. For Muslims, the calendar begins the year Muhammad fled to Medina, A.D. 622 Each Islamic year has 12 months of about 29 days each. Each day starts at sunset.

Westernization vs. Traditional Culture Many people in this region think western nations have to much influence over their culture. Fast food restaurants, T-shirts, television, and rap music are examples of westernization. Some believe that westernization will give them a higher standard of living and easier life. Others believe the loss if their traditional culture id too great a price to pay.

The Roles of Women In countries like Israel, Jordan, and Egypt, many women are educated and hold important positions in business, politics, and the military. In other countries, the roles of women are limited based on religious beliefs. For example, Saudi Arabian women are not allowed to attend gatherings with men and are forbidden to drive cars. Very few Saudi women work outside the home.

Clothing and Culture The culture dictates what is worn in the region. In Israel, some women and men dress in fashionable Western clothing. Orthodox Jewish women wear a more modest dress and men often were black suits and hats and grow long hair from their ears. In some Islamic countries, women wear chadors, floor length cloaks that cover everything but the eyes.

Nomads Nomads are disappearing from the culture. Only 1% of the population is nomadic. Governments encourage nomads to settle down and make it difficult for them to travel across borders.