1. Cultural Characteristics of the Middle East 7 th Grade TAG Social Studies

2. Background  Arab peoples make up almost the entire populations of Jordan, Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, and other states of Southwest Asia.  Arab culture has a long history and rich traditions.  Arabs are the largest ethnic group in the Middle East, but many other cultures also live in the region.

3. Background  Christianity and Judaism are major religions practiced in Southwest Asia.  Most people in the Middle East are Muslims.  This means that they practice the religion of Islam.  Ninety percent of people in the region are Muslims.

4. Turkish  The Turks are an ethnic group based on language—Turkish.  They live mostly in Turkey and Iran.  Most of the people who live in Turkey are of Turkish descent.  Most Turks practice some form of Islam.  Like Kurds, Turkish people are rarely strict about some Islamic practices.

5. Turkish  Both Kurds and Turks live in Turkey and often fight over issues not related to religion - for example, education is a controversial issue between these two groups.  The Turkish people are well known for their architecture.  Mosques in Turkey are a good example of Turkish architecture.

6. Arab  Arabs comprise most of the population of Southwest Asia.  However, many Arabs also live in Northern Africa, Canada, Europe, and the United States.  Most Arabs practice Islam and speak Arabic.  Small numbers of Arabs practice other religions.

7. Arab  Islam consists mostly of two different groups.  The majority of Muslims practice Sunni Islam.  Most others practice Shi’a Islam.  Sunnis and Shi’a disagree about who is in charge of the Muslim world.

8. Persian Persians live in the modern country of Iran. Persia became known as Iran after World War I. Descended from a different group than people who are Arabs or Jews. Ancestors were Indo-Europeans from Central Europe and Southern Russia.

9. Persian  The Persians are an ethnic group that lived in Iran before the arrival of Islam in the 7th century.  Persians make up about half of Iran’s current population.  They have their own language called Farsi.  Most Persians in Iran today practice Shi’a Islam, but some are Sunni and other religions.

10. Persian  Persian women have faced many challenges as a result of strict cultural and religious practices.  Through struggle, Persian women have increased their personal freedoms over the past forty years.  Persian art and architecture is well known.  Many people consider Persian rugs to be among the finest in the world.

12. Kurds Ethnic Group (Kurds)- live in mountain regions of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. Almost one-fifth of the population of Turkey is Kurdish. Speak Kurdish Do not have their own homeland or government They are a minority group ruled by the government of the country in which they live

13. Orange signifies Kurdish Population

14. Kurds  Most Kurds today are Sunni Muslims  Kurdish Muslims are usually less strict about Islamic practices.  There are fewer laws for how Kurdish women should dress than there are for Iranian and Arab women.  Kurds share many aspects of their culture with Iranians.