1. What is culture? A group of people’s particular way of life
Cultural Hearths are places in which religions, language, government organization, inventions, etc. have had the most effect on the rest of the world.
The seven original culture hearths are:
1) The Nile River Valley 2) The Indus River Valley 3) The Wei-Huang Valley 4) The Ganges River Valley 5) Mesopotamia 6) Mesoamerica 7) West Africa

2. What is cultural diffusion?
The spreading of cultures
Some cultures are near each other or trade with each other and mix and blend over time (Soccer?)
Sometimes they are spread by war. In this case, those who conquer try to force their beliefs on others because they think themselves to be superior. This is called ethnocentrism.

3. See, Think, Wonder
Make observations about what you see, hear and generally notice. (I See…)
What thoughts were triggered as you made your observations? Connections to your experiences; connections to culture; emotional reactions and judgments; fascinating and interesting observations (I think…..)
What puzzles you? What questions do you have? What are you wondering about? (I wonder…)

5. SW Asia and Middle East

6. SW Asia in the World

7. Southwest Asia and Middle East

8. Speaking of ethnocentrism….
Why is this part of the world known as the Middle East.?
The term Middle East was popularized by an American naval officer named Alfred Thayer Mahan in 1902, but it might have been used by the British during their years of colonialism in the region. China and Japan for example were considered to be the Far East so the region between the Far East and The West then became the Near East or the Middle East. It now generally means the Middle East plus Turkey and Iran. The terms Middle East and Near East are Eurocentric because they describe a region in relation to Europe or The West. Despite this, the term is now accepted and even people in the Middle East call it that (Al-Sharq Al-Awasat means Middle East in Arabic).

9. ANCIENT HISTORY Home of the first Cultural Hearth
Centers of ideas, innovations and ideologies
Mesopotamia
Between Tigris and Euphrates River
Farmers used irrigation and food storage
Domesticated cereal, vegetables, fruits, animals
Developed calendar, math, astronomy, government and engineering
Many Empires have controlled
Sumerian, Persia, Mongols, Romans, Ottoman Turks

10. HISTORY cont. Ottoman Turk Impact Oil Ruled from 1453 until after WWI
After WWI divided region into Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen controlled by British and French
Didn’t adequately define border so when colonies gained independence, created problems
Oil
Most important resource for outside world
Within the realm, water and land most important
About 65% of known reserves in world located here

11. Impact of Oil
Middle Easterners who were mostly herders and fishermen became rich.
Most countries have high standard of living.
Countries have built desalinization plants, improved education and health.
Not all oil is distributed evenly. Most around the Persian Gulf
First oil in region found in 1908 in Iran. First discovery in Saudi Arabia in 1932.
Shiites and Palestinians move into Arabia
Saudi Arabia has 5 million foreigners in population of 23 million
Disparities between oil rich and oil poor countries
Foreign investment

12. IRAQ
Size of California with 65% of total land and 42% of regions wealth
Major oil reserves and large areas of irrigated farmland
Site of Mesopotamia culture hearth
Modern Iraq
Adversarial with neighbors
Turkey, Iran, Kuwait, Jordan, Syria
3 regions
Core: around Baghdad, heart of country
South: around Basra, major oil fields, invasion of Kuwait in 1990
North: Land of Kurds and Sunni, but not Arab Sunni’s
Kurds want own country
Treated poorly under Suddam

13. Arabian Peninsula Saudi Arabia Periphery
Mostly desert with huge oil reserves
Absolute monarchy
Created in 1920’s and stabilized now friendly to west
Currently trying to update social programs
Economy entirely dependent upon oil
Periphery
Kuwait: tiny but lots of oil
Bahrain: island with dwindling oil supply
Qatar: declining oil but increasing natural gas
UAE (United Arab Emirates) unique government
Oman: absolute monarchy that controls choke point of Hormuz Strait
Yemen: united in 1990’s and created democracy, only one in region

14. Dubailand

15. And if that isn’t impressive enough!!!

16. Try Hydropolis: An Underwater Hotel

17. And there’s more! The Palms: 3 Artificial Islands in the shape of a tree!

18. IRAN Formerly Persian Empire that ruled for 2500 years
Controls area between Caspian Sea and Persian Gulf
69.4 million population with 63% urban
Struggle between modernity and traditional Islamic rulers
Revolution in 1979 that put in Ayatollah Khomeini
fought war with Iraq that left Iran very weak
Late 1990’s saw desire to liberalize, but put down by government
Government is theocracy run by religious law
Current US policies becoming a question. Nuke Threat?

19. MODERN ISSUES Economically dependent on oil
OPEC: Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
Food importers
Growing cities
Capital of Islamic world
What to do with Iraq?

20. EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN

21. ISRAEL
Creation
Created in 1948 as Jewish homeland with UN support with idea of “Zionism”
May 14, 1948 created Israel with Arabic neighbors immediately attacking
At end of war, Israel controlled 80% of what had been Palestine
Wars
1967 week long war where Israel gains Golan Heights, West Bank and Sinai Peninsula
1973 war forces withdraw from Suez Canal
1978 Israel gives all of Sinai Peninsula back to Egypt

22. MAJOR ISSUES: MODERN ISRAEL
Golan Heights
Syria wants it back but Israel wants to keep it
West Bank
Originally set as Palestinian Homeland but Jewish migration now makes it difficult
1977 5,000 Jews in West Bank
,000 Jews in West Bank
Palestinians
Nation without a state
Many live in Jordan but still large percentage living in Israel

23. JERUSALEM Major issue in Middle East
Suppose to be international city, but captured by Israel in 1967
Now considered capital of Israel
History
Moses leads Jews into Philistine land and created Jerusalem where lived 40 centuries
After King Solomon, kingdom divided and conquered
AD 70 Rome destroys 2nd temple leaving only part of West Wall
Under Rome: became focus for Christians
700 AD Muslims move into Jerusalem

24. JERUSALEM, cont. Holy Site for 3 major religions Modern Issues
Western Wall: Jewish
Church of Holy Sepulcher: Christians, place where Jesus buried
Dome of the Rock: Muslims. Muhammad's ascension to heaven on Temple Mount
Modern Issues
captures only part of Jerusalem
Tel Aviv suppose to be capital of Israel
Jerusalem divided into 2 sections: Old and New

25. MODERN ISSUES, cont. Jerusalem Modern Issues
1967 Israel conquered West Bank and reunited Jerusalem with West mostly Jewish and East mostly Arabic
1980 called foreign nations to move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, but most didn’t and Israel began huge resettlement attempt
1990’s UN tells Israel to stop construction and settlement, but Israel not listening
Modern Issues
One of wealthiest nations in region
90% of population urban
Water issues: 30 % of useable water under West Bank but Israel uses 4X as much water as Palestinians
Finding peace biggest issue and problem

26. OTHER NATIONS IN REGION
Syria
Shares border with Israel
Lost Golan Heights in 1967; military republic since 1963
75% Sunni, but ruled by Alawites who suppress all dissension
On Mediterranean Coast so can grow crops creating come self-sufficiency
Damascus: believed to be longest lived in city in world
Needs Modernization
Jordan
East of Israel and depends upon Lebanon for Port Access
1946 population 400,000 with 1 million Palestinians refugees coming in 1948
Received lots of aide, but hasn’t really helped

27. Other Nations, cont. Lebanon Turkey
25 % population is Christian creating Civil War
1975 civil war after Muslim population grows and Christian doesn’t
Beirut destroyed and only 150,000 still lived there out of 1.5 million; now being rebuilt
Turkey
Influenced by Chinese, Mongols, Russians, Byzantium and Islam
Modern Turkey is remnants of Ottoman Turkish Empire
Modern Problems
20 % of population Kurdish creating human rights violations
Islamic Fundamentalism gaining some support and strength
Cultural conflict between Alevis Islam and Sunni Islam
Wants EU membership but not likely
Controls Bosporus and Dardanelles