1. Southwest Asia

2. Climate
The countries of Southwest Asia have a primarily desert and semi-arid climate, which means there is little to no rainfall in the area.

3. Geography Afghanistan - Hindu Kush Mts. & Khyber Pass
Iran - Caspian Sea & Persian Gulf
Iraq - Tigris & Euphrates Rivers
Israel - Galilee Mountains & Dead Sea
Jordan - Jordan River Valley & Dead Sea
Lebanon - Lebanon Mountains & Bekaa Valley
Saudi Arabia - Rub Al-Khali Desert & Red Sea
Syria - Syrian Desert & Euphrates River
Turkey - The Dardanelles, Sea of Marmara, and Bosporus Strait

4. Governments Afghanistan - Republic
Iran - Islamic Republic, a government run by Muslim religious leaders.
Iraq - Under Saddam Hussein – Dictatorship, Today - Parliamentary Democracy
Israel - Parliamentary Democracy
Jordan - Constitutional Monarchy
Lebanon - Democratic Republic Parliamentary
Saudi Arabia - Absolute Monarchy
Syria - Military Republic
Turkey - Republican Parliamentary Democracy

5. Economies Afghanistan - Dependent on foreign aid & Agriculture
Iran - Oil & Agriculture: cotton, & pistachios
Iraq - Oil
Israel - Industry, Tourism, & Agriculture: cotton; beef, poultry, dairy products
Jordan - Industry, Tourism, & Agriculture: wheat, olives
Lebanon - Tourism & Agriculture: grapes, olives, tobacco
Saudi Arabia - Oil
Syria - Oil & Agriculture: wheat, cotton, olives, beef,
Turkey - Tourism & Agriculture: tobacco, cotton, olives

6. Afghanistan

7. History
During the 1980s, Soviet troops invaded Afghanistan, when they left in 1989, the Afghans faced poverty, food shortages and crime. The country then went into a civil war. The people turned to the Taliban, a group of fighters educated at strict Islamic schools in Pakistan.
In October 2001, The U.S. accused the Taliban of supporting terrorists, a group who threatens or frightens others, and started bombing them. By mid-November the government collapsed and the U.S. began working with local leaders to create a new government for Afghanistan.

8. Culture
Afghanistan’s official language is Pash & Dari. Their major religion is Islam and it governs much of their personal and political lives.
Family plays a major part of Afghan’s lives. Marriages are sometimes arranged for children. Men & Women do not speak directly to each other in public, only within the family home.

9. Iran

10. History
About 2,000 years ago, Iran was the center of the powerful Persian Empire ruled by shahs, or kings. In 1979 Muslim religious leaders overthrew the last monarchy.
In the 1980s, Iran fought a bloody war with its neighbor Iraq, who was given help from Western and Arab countries. Recently, Iran has been accused by Western governments of supporting terrorism and having nuclear weapons.

11. Culture
More than half of Iran’s 66.1 million people are Persians, not Arabs or Turks. Kurds make up a large percent of the population. Their official language is Farsi (Persian), and other languages include Kurdish, Arabic, and Turkish.
Islam is the major religion but there are a small amount of Christians & Jews living in Iran.

12. Iraq

13. History
In 1990, partly because of oil disputes, Iraq invaded Kuwait, this started the Persian Gulf War. By April 1991, the war was ending because of a UN, an international organization formed to promote international peace, force led by the U.S. to push the Iraqi troops out of Kuwait, this was known as Desert Storm.
After the war Saddam Hussein refuse to cooperate with the UN’s demands, so the U.S. and other nations put an embargo, an order that restricts trade with other countries, on trade with Iraq.

14. History
After the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, President Bush began calling for a “regime change” in Iraq. This was because of Hussein’s links to terrorism and human rights abuses.
On March 20, 2003, the war against Iraq began and 8 months later Hussein was captured and killed. On August 31, 2010, U.S. President Obama announced the end of U.S. combat operations in Iraq.

15. Culture
Muslim Arabs make up the largest group in Iraq’s population. The second largest are the Kurds, who want their own country. The languages spoken are Arabic and Kurdish.
Islam is the major religion in Iraq. About 70% of the 23.6 million population lives in urban, or city areas.

16. Israel
Insert a map of your country.

17. History
In 1948, the country of Israel was created. The land of Israel was once Palestine and parts of neighboring countries. Ever since becoming a country the Israelis, the Palestinians, and their Arab neighbors have fought over the land and religious differences.
After the Holocaust during WWII the Jews wanted a national homeland, a safe place for Jews. Jews from all over the world especially Eastern Europe started to immigrate to the area.
Insert a map of your country. 17

18. History
The idea of Jews returning to the Holy Land, the area of land that makes up Israel, Palestine and parts of Jordan and Lebanon, had a long history in Judaism. The land is important because of the religious significance of Jerusalem, the holiest city to Judaism, the birthplace of Christianity, and the third-holiest city to Islam.
The Palestinians have understandably not been able to see why they should be displaced and mistreated because of another people’s religious claim to the land or as payment for sins against the Jews.
Insert a map of your country.

19. History
The Arab and Palestinian people displace by the Israeli settlements have generally not wanted to accept Israel’s right to the land. Israel with U.S. support has taken aggressive measures to ensure its survival as a country.
Their survival tactics have often been in defiance of world opinion and international law regarding occupied territories, land taken by the Israelis as a result of wars.
Insert a map of your country. 19

20. History
There have been repeated Israeli military attacks on towns and seizure of lands in the area. There have also been regular extremists suicide and terror attacks on mainly civilian targets against Israel.
Insert a map of your country.
As of today, peace talks and negotiations are going on now to provide a solution to the fight over the land in this area, and make Palestine an independent state, or country. 20

21. Culture
The official language of Israel is Hebrew. Arabic and English are also spoken in the country.
About 80% of the 6 million people in Israel are Jews. The other 20% are Palestinians who are Muslims and Christians.
Insert a map of your country.

22. Jordan
Insert a map of your country. 22

23. History
During the early 1900s, the Ottoman Empire ruled this area. After their defeat in WWI, the British set up a territory known as Jordan, which gained independence in 1946.
From 1952 to 1999 King Hussein I ruled Jordan, he worked to blend the country’s traditions with modern ways of life. In 1994, he signed a peace treaty with Israel.
Insert a map of your country. 23

24. Culture
Most of Jordan’s 5.2 million people are Arab Muslims. They include 1.3 million Palestinian refugees.
The official language in Jordan is Arabic and English is also spoken. The major religion is Islam, but there are also Christians in the country.
Insert a map of your country.

25. Lebanon
Insert a map of your country. 25

26. History
France ruled Lebanon before the country became independent in the 1940s.
From 1975 to 1990 there was a civil war between Muslims and Christians. Many lives were lost in the war, many people fled as refugees, and Lebanon’s economy was almost destroyed. Israel invaded Lebanon during the civil war.
Insert a map of your country. 26

27. Culture Nearly 4.3 million people live in coastal urban areas.
Arabic is the most widely spoken language in Lebanon, however, English and French are also spoken. The religions in Lebanon are Islam and Christianity.
Insert a map of your country. 27

28. "There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the messenger of Allah"
Saudi Arabia
Insert a map of your country.
"There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the messenger of Allah"

29. History
Saudi Arabia is the homeland of the Arab peoples, it is thought that the first Arabs originated on the Arabian Peninsula. The people of Saudi Arabia were once divided into many different families. In 1932, a monarchy led by the Saud family unified the country. The Saud family still rules today
Saudi Arabia's relations with the U.S. were strained after the 9/11, 15 of the 19 suicide bombers were Saudis. Saudi Arabia has been criticized of allegedly financing terrorists. While the government has arrested a of number suspected terrorists, several attacks against Westerners took place in 2003 and 2004.
Insert a map of your country. 29

30. Culture
Arabic is the official language in Saudi Arabia. The government doesn’t allow freedom of religion, so the religion in is 100% Islam. It is the homeland of Islam, in the A.D. 600s, the prophet Muhammad preached in Makkah.
Women aren’t treated fairly and live mostly restricted segregated lives. They are required to wear a full black cloak with a head covering (abaya) and face veil (niqāb), and aren’t allowed to drive cars.
Insert a map of your country.

31. Syria
Insert a map of your country. 31

32. History
In 1946, Syria became an independent country. As of May 2000, Syria was one of seven nations named by the U.S. as being “state sponsors” of terrorism. This means that the U.S. believes they are giving money to help organize terrorist attacks.
As of present date Syria is in a Civil War. In 2011 several Syrian groups started a protest against the Syrian government. Some of these groups have been liked to terrorist. The Syrian government has also been accused of using chemical weapons on the Syrian people.
Insert a map of your country. 32

33. Culture
Arabic is the official language of Syria. However other language such as Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, French, and some English are also spoken in the country.
Insert a map of your country.
The religions in Syria are Islam 85%, Christianity 10%, and a small number of Jews in the capital of Damascus. 33

34. Turkey
Insert a map of your country. 34

35. History
Istanbul began as Byzantium, a Greek port more than 2,500 years ago. It was later renamed Constantinople after the Constantine the Roman emperor.
In the 1400s, the city was renamed Istanbul when it was conquered by the Ottoman Empire. It was home to the powerful Muslim empire that ruled much of southeastern Europe, North Africa, and Southwest Asia until its breakup after WWI.
Insert a map of your country. 35

36. Culture
Many of Turkey’s people today are descendants of an Asian people called Turks. Turkish is the official language, but Arabic and Kurdish are also spoken.
Insert a map of your country.
About 98% of Turkey’s more than 66 million people are Muslim. There are also Christians and Jews in the country. 36