2. Middle East? OR Near East? OR Southwest Asia? OR….?

3. HERE IS THE WORLD… …AND HERE IS NORTH AFRICA AND SOUTHWEST ASIA Due to the location, it’s called the Crossroads of Continents: Europe, Africa, and Asia

4. SOME COUNTRIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST ARE: ISRAEL SAUDI ARABIA TURKEY IRAN KUWAIT QATAR AND THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (UAE) IRAQ AFGHANISTAN

5. The Fertile Crescent

6. The Tigris & Euphrates River System Mesopotamia: ”Land Between the Two Rivers” Marsh Arabs, So. Iraq

7. Fertile Crescent

8. Dust Storms Along the Tigris-Euphrates Flood Plains

9. Dead Sea: Lowest Point on Earth Highest Salt Content (33%) 2,300’ below sea level

10. MOSQUES : places of worship for Muslims. Typical features are domes and minarets DOME MINARETS

11. The Hagia Sofia in Istanbul, Turkey. Built between 532 and 537 by the Christian Emperor Justinian I as a Byzantine church, which it functioned as for the next 900 years. In 1453, the Islamic-faithed Ottomans took over Constantinople (now Istanbul). They wasted little time in converting the Hagia Sophia into a mosque. It served the Muslims for almost 500 years. The Ottomans painted over the Christian mosaics - and erected the four defining minarets we see today. In 1934, Turkey changed the Hagia Sofia's status from mosque to museum and uncovered the priceless Byzantine mosaics.

12. http://www.sacredsites.com/1st30/domeof.html The Dome of the Rock Jerusalem: This Muslim holy site was built on the remains of the Temple of Solomon, a holy site for Jews

13. http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~brvs/kaaba.html The Kaaba Located in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the Kaaba is the most sacred site for Muslims. A Muslim must take the haj (pilgrimage) to Mecca at least once in his/her life.

14. http://www.israel-mfa.gov.il/mfa/go-visual.asp?MFAJ01wh0 The Church of the Holy Sepulcher Jerusalem: This church was built on the site where Christians believe that Jesus Christ was crucified.

15. http://www.igc.apc.org/ddickerson/western-wall.gif The Western Wall in Jerusalem: Also known as the Wailing Wall http://www.sacredsites.com/1st30/domeof.html

16. Part 2

17. Other notable cultural landmarks: A “Bazaar” is an open-air market, usually in the center of a Middle eastern town. This bazaar specializes in woven Arabian carpets- verrrrrrry popular!!!! Bazaars are also called “suqs”

18. Cultural Landscapes are old…. Like the many walled cities around the Arab World…

19. …and new Like the oil rigs around the Middle East

20. The Jordan River System: Israel & Jordan--A Fight Over Water Rights?

21. Mountain Ranges in Mid-East Elburz Mts., Iran Zagros Mts., Iran Lebanese Mts. Taurus Mts., Turkey

22. Wadis – Instant Springs

23. Desert Bedouins

24. Breeding Areas of Desert Locusts

25. Swarms of Desert Locusts! Locusts Swarm the Pyramids Complex at Giza! Israel Hit By Worst Locust Plague Since the 1950s!

26. Rub al-Khali: “The Empty Quarter”

27. Desert Oases: Water at a Premium!

28. Fresh Groundwater Sources

29. Desalinization Plants

30. The Middle East vs. the U. S. Latitude Lines

31. Middle East: Climate Regions

32. Middle East: Population Density

33. The Middle East: Natural Vegetation

34. The Natural Resources of the Middle East

35. World Oil Reserves

36. Persian Gulf Oil Exports (2003)

37. Saudi Oil Fields & Refineries

38. Kuwait: An Island Floating on a Sea of Oil Kuwait City

39. Leading U. S. Oil Suppliers The U. S. imports 30% of its oil needs from the Middle East.