The Last Word: Map activity due tomorrow FrontPage: What is the most important resource in the Middle East? The Last Word: Map activity due tomorrow

The Middle East Land and People

The Middle East General Facts A.k.a., “Southwest Asia” **Why “Middle East”? Has been called the “crossroads of the world” Connects three continents – which 3? Often includes North Africa Strong ties to MidEast Contains 5 major geographic regions

The Middle East 5 Major Geographic Regions The Northern Tier The Arabian Peninsula The Fertile Crescent The Nile Valley The Maghreb

The Northern Tier Includes the nations of Turkey and Iran Region of mountains (Elburz and Zagros) and plateaus (Anatolian, Iranian) Contains fertile soil and can support farming Has large population

The Arabian Peninsula

The Arabian Peninsula Plateau about 1/3rd the size of the US Lack of water = small population Life centered around oases – fertile desert areas Major resource – oil Has brought great wealth to certain nations **Birthplace of Islam – most people in the Middle East are Muslims

The “Fertile Crescent”

The “Fertile Crescent” Arc-shaped fertile region of the MidEast Also known as “Mesopotamia” (the land between the rivers) Flooding of the Tigris/Euphrates rivers carries fertile soil to nearby areas

Tigris and Euphrates Rivers Form the “Fertile Crescent” One of world’s oldest civilizations emerged here **Called the “birthplace of civilization”

The “Maghreb”

The Maghreb The “Western Isle” of Islamic civilization Consists of the nations of Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and Libya Connected geographically and culturally with the Middle East – Islam and Arabic Most people live along the Mediterranean coast

People of the Middle East 350 million people in 19 different countries Arabs (those who speak Arabic) are the majority group 3 major religions: Islam – most Arabs, many non-Arabs Judaism – centered in Israel Christianity – located in various nations

Questions for Discussion: Why does the Middle East have strategic (economic and military) importance? Which resource, oil or water, do you think is more important to people in the Middle East?