1. SOUTHWEST ASIA (Middle East)
Geographic Understandings

2. SS7G5 – The student will locate selected features in Southwestern Asia (Middle East).

3. SS7G5 – a. Locate on a world and regional political map: Euphrates River, Jordan River, Tigris River, Suez Canal, Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, Arabian Sea, Red Sea, and Gaza Strip.
Rivers are important because much of this region is dry and desert or semi-desert
Euphrates River
begins in Turkey and flows through Turkey and Iraq
Tigris River
joins Euphrates in southern Iraq to form one waterway known as Shatt al-Arab
Then flows along border of Kuwait and Iran and empties into Persian Gulf

4. Persian Gulf Strait of Hormuz Arabian Sea
SS7G5 – a. Locate on a world and regional political map: Euphrates River, Jordan River, Tigris River, Suez Canal, Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, Arabian Sea, Red Sea, and Gaza Strip.
Persian Gulf
Main way to ship oil from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iran
Strait of Hormuz
Connects Persian Gulf to Arabian Sea
Arabian Sea
Once through the Strait of Hormuz you enter the Arabian Sea

5. Red Sea Suez Canal Jordan River
SS7G5 – a. Locate on a world and regional political map: Euphrates River, Jordan River, Tigris River, Suez Canal, Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, Arabian Sea, Red Sea, and Gaza Strip.
Red Sea
After the Arabian Sea ships can enter the Red Sea and go up to the North to the manmade Suez Canal
Suez Canal
Allows ships to get to Mediterranean Sea without having to sail around the continent of Africa
Jordan River
Main source of water for Israel, Jordan, parts of Syria, and much of West Bank and Gaza Strip

6. Dead Sea Where did the name come from? Water that goes here stays here
SS7G5 – a. Locate on a world and regional political map: Euphrates River, Jordan River, Tigris River, Suez Canal, Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, Arabian Sea, Red Sea, and Gaza Strip.
Dead Sea
Where did the name come from?
Water that goes here stays here
High salt due to desert evaporation leaving only salt behind
No animals live in the Dead Sea

7. SS7G5 – a. Locate on a world and regional political map: Euphrates River, Jordan River, Tigris River, Suez Canal, Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, Arabian Sea, Red Sea, and Gaza Strip.

8. Afghanistan Located at far eastern edge of Southwest Asia
SS7G5 – b. Locate on a world and regional political-physical map the nations of Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey.
Afghanistan
Located at far eastern edge of Southwest Asia
Landlocked: no seacoast
Very mountainous
Many different ethnic groups or tribes

9. Iran West of Afghanistan
SS7G5 – b. Locate on a world and regional political-physical map the nations of Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey.
Iran
West of Afghanistan
One of the largest countries in Southwest Asia
Mountainous as well with long seacoasts
Uses Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea, and Strait of Hormuz to ship goods

10. Iraq Tigris and Euphrates Rivers flow through Iraq
SS7G5 – b. Locate on a world and regional political-physical map the nations of Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey.
Iraq
Tigris and Euphrates Rivers flow through Iraq
Number of disputes over access to waterway known as Shatt al-Arab

11. Saudi Arabia Turkey Israel Largest country of Arabian Peninsula
SS7G5 – b. Locate on a world and regional political-physical map the nations of Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey.
Saudi Arabia
Largest country of Arabian Peninsula
Turkey
Shares a border with Iraq, Syria and Iran.
Tigris and Euphrates begin in Turkey
Israel
Created by United Nations in 1948 as homeland for Jewish people of the world
Bound by the Gaza Strip and West Bank to the east
Jordan River forms boundary between West Bank and Jordan

12. SS7G5 – b. Locate on a world and regional political-physical map the nations of Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey.

13. Rivers Tigris Euphrates Jordan What about the rest of the region?
SS7G6 – a. Explain how water pollution and the unequal distribution of water impacts irrigation and drinking water.
Rivers
Tigris
Euphrates
Jordan
What about the rest of the region?
How do they get water?
IRRIGATION!!!

14. SS7G6 – a. Explain how water pollution and the unequal distribution of water impacts irrigation and drinking water.
Irrigation
Found in Southwest Asia as farmers bring water to their farms
Underground aquifers: layers of underground rock where water runoff from rains and streams is trapped
Fossil water: water that has been underground for centuries tapped into by farmers through wells.
Drip irrigation: used to measure how much water each plant receives
Desalination: process of removing salt from water

15. Pollution Growing problem
SS7G6 – a. Explain how water pollution and the unequal distribution of water impacts irrigation and drinking water.
Pollution
Growing problem
Need for irrigation has caused overuse of rivers and streams
Chemical fertilizers contaminate water supply
Rush to develop cities without effective sewage and garbage disposal
Poor access to water
Hydroelectric power used to generate electricity reduces amount of water available to other countries located downstream

16. SS7G6 – a. Explain how water pollution and the unequal distribution of water impacts irrigation and drinking water.

17. Middle Eastern Natural Resources
SS7G7 – a. Explain how the distribution of oil has affected the development of Southwest Asia (Middle East).
Middle Eastern Natural Resources
Oil and Natural Gas
Discovered in early 1900’s
U.S. and Europe controlled most drilling at first
Now oil operations are controlled by the countries themselves
Over ½ of worlds oil is found in Middle East
Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, and Kuwait have the most

18. OPEC: Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
SS7G7 – a. Explain how the distribution of oil has affected the development of Southwest Asia (Middle East).
OPEC: Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
Developed in 1960’s to have more control over price of oil on the world market

19. What do the Tigris, Euphrates and Jordan Rivers provide?
SS7G7 – b. Describe how the deserts and rivers of Southwest Asia (Middle East) have affected the population in terms of where people live, the type of work they do, and how they travel.
What do the Tigris, Euphrates and Jordan Rivers provide?
Boundaries between nations
Drinking water
Irrigation
Transportation for trade routes
Large populated cities found along these bodies of water

20. Deserts of Southwest Asia
SS7G7 – b. Describe how the deserts and rivers of Southwest Asia (Middle East) have affected the population in terms of where people live, the type of work they do, and how they travel.
Deserts of Southwest Asia
Syrian Desert
Shared between Syria and Iraq
Rub al-Khali or “empty Quarter”
Southern Saudi Arabia
Create natural barriers against invasion
Bedouins: desert nomads, tent camps, sheep and camel herders, trade animals and handmade goods…this way of life is disappearing

21. Southwest Asia generally has hot and dry climate
SS7G7 – b. Describe how the deserts and rivers of Southwest Asia (Middle East) have affected the population in terms of where people live, the type of work they do, and how they travel.
Southwest Asia generally has hot and dry climate
Mountain ranges block rain coming from the nearby bodies of water
Coastal areas as well as large rivers support agriculture and towns and cities of significant size

22. Why is Southwest Asia such a good place for trade?
SS7G7 – b. Describe how the deserts and rivers of Southwest Asia (Middle East) have affected the population in terms of where people live, the type of work they do, and how they travel.
Why is Southwest Asia such a good place for trade?
Between 3 major continents: Europe, Africa and Asia
Bodies of water: Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, Red Sea, Suez Canal and Strait of Hormuz

23. SS7G8 – a. Explain the differences between an ethnic group and a religious group.
A group of people who share cultural ideas and beliefs that have been a part of their community for generations.
Common characteristics: language, religion, shared history, types of food, set of traditional stories, beliefs, or celebrations
What do we share in the United States
Make a Bubble Map

24. SS7G8 – a. Explain the differences between an ethnic group and a religious group.
Shares a belief system in a god or gods, with a specific set of rituals and literature.
Different ethnic groups may share same religion, even from very different cultures
Christianity, Islam, and Judaism started in this region

25. SS7G8 – a. Explain the differences between an ethnic group and a religious group.

26. Shia Muslims Sunni Muslims Christians
SS7G8 – b. Explain the diversity of religions within the Arabs, Persians, and Kurds.
Shia Muslims
Believed Muhammad’s son-in-law was to be next Caliph after Muhammad’s death (Ali)
15% of Muslims are Shia
Sunni Muslims
Believed Muhammad’s father-in-law was to be next Caliph after Muhammad’s death (Abu Bakr)
85% of Muslims are Sunni
Christians
Many Arabs are Christians

27. Persians Those who live in modern country of Iran
SS7G8 – b. Explain the diversity of religions within the Arabs, Persians, and Kurds.
Persians
Those who live in modern country of Iran
Descended from different group than Arabs and Jews
Ancestors were Indo-European, from Central Europe and Southern Russia
Persia became known as Iran after World War I
Speak Farsi: uses Arabic alphabet but is different language
Most belong to Shia Muslim group

28. SS7G8 – b. Explain the diversity of religions within the Arabs, Persians, and Kurds.
Ethnic group that lives in several different countries in Southwest Asia
Mostly found in mountains of Syria, Turkey, Iran and Iraq
Speak their own language (Kurdish)
Hope to have a nation of their own someday
Caused much conflict with countries where they live
Most are Sunni

29. SS7G8 – b. Explain the diversity of religions within the Arabs, Persians, and Kurds.

30. SS7G8 – c. Compare and contrast the prominent religions in Southwest Asia (Middle East): Judaism, Islam, and Christianity.
Islam
Judaism
Christianity
GOD
JESUS
HOLY BOOK
HOLY SITES
PLACE OF
WORSHIP
IMPORTANT PEOPLE

31. SS7G8 – c. Compare and contrast the prominent religions in Southwest Asia (Middle East): Judaism, Islam, and Christianity.
Islam
Judaism
Christianity
GOD
One god - Allah
One god –
God or Lord
One god
a triune being= God
JESUS
A prophet but not the son of God
A Jewish teacher but not the Messiah
Devine Son of God who was virgin born
The world’s savior
HOLY BOOK
Koran or Qur’an
Torah -
1st 5 books of the Old Testament and additional laws and rules for living
Bible
HOLY SITES
Mecca
Dome of the Rock
Wailing Wall – only part of the original temple
Church of the Holy Sepulcher –
where the resurrection took place
PLACE OF
WORSHIP
Mosque
Synagogue led by a Rabbi
Church led by a priest, minister, or pastor
IMPORTANT PEOPLE
Muhammad
Messiah – future political and military deliverer
Jesus

32. SS7G8 – d. Explain the origin of the division between Sunni and Shia Muslims.
After Muhammad died, there was disagreement about who should lead the Muslim community
Battle soon followed and led to death of Muhammad’s grandson transferring power to the Umayyad family and the Sunni supporters
Sunni
Thought leadership should go to most able to keep the community together
Abu Bakr
Shia
Felt leadership should go to direct descendent of Muhammad
Ali

33. Does the literacy rate affect standard of living?
SS7G8 – e. Evaluate how the literacy rate affects the standard of living.
Does the literacy rate affect standard of living?
Literacy: ability to read and write
Those who can’t read and write have a hard time finding decent jobs
What is the key to any society?
EDUCATION!!!
The higher the literacy rate the higher the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita
GDP: the value of all goods and services produced within a nation in a given year
Per capita: per person – gives you the general welfare of a country