Transcript North Africa and Southwest Asia (Middle East)

The Middle East
Cradle of Culture
and
Center of Conflict
Statues and
Monuments of local,
national or global
significance.
The Ka’aba is a sacred black
stone located in the Main
Mosque in Mecca.
The Western Wall: Remains
of the Temple of Solomon in
Jerusalem.
Dome of the Rock: Holy
Islamic site where
Mohamed ascended into
heaven.
Inside the Dome of the Rock
Mosque.
Church of the Holy
Sepulcher
Site of the crucifixion and
burial of Jesus.
Pyramids in Egypt:
tombs/monuments for the
pharaohs.
Examples of Religious
themed diverse art.
Stained Glass:
King David-Jerusalem.
Arabic Calligraphy
decorating
a mother of pearl
plaque.
A Byzantine mosaicIstanbul Turkey.
A Turkish prayer rug, used
by Muslims to kneel and
face Mecca when they
pray 5 times a day.
“There is no God, but Allah
and Mohammed is His
prophet.”
Prayer
Rug
Baghdad
located near Tigris river.
Outdoor Market in
Baghdad
Baghdad Mosque
Note: minarets.
A Suq in Baghdad
Cairo on the Nile
Istanbul on the Bosporus
Straits.
The Byzantine cathedral of
Hagia Sophia is located in
Istanbul.
Inside Hagia Sophia.
Hagia Sophia at Night.
The Central Mosque in
Mecca.
Zagros Mtns. Overlook
Tehran.
The Golan Heights in Syria.
These heights were occupied
by Israel in 1967.
Birthplace of the Three
Monotheistic Religions
Belief in One God.
Judaism
Christianity
Islam
Three religions with so
much in common and so
much in conflict. Whether
or not they can find a
common ground on which
to build a lasting peace
will determine the future
of the Middle East.
Southwest Asia
(North Africa & The Middle East)
North Africa &
the middle East
Leading countries according to
GDP
 Kuwait
 United
 Qatar
 Israel
Arab Emirates (U.A.E.)
Leading countries according to
Land size
 Algeria
 Saudi
 Libya
Arabia
Leading countries according to
population
 Iran
 Turkey
 Egypt
Physical Characteristics
 Area
is the crossroads of
Europe, Africa, and Asia
 It
has a primarily desert or
semi-arid climate
 Sahara,
Sahel, and steppes are
the primary vegetation region
Crossroads of Continents
Africa
Europe
Asia
 Sahara--world’s
largest
desert, it stretches over
most of North Africa and is
growing
 Sahel--area separating the
Sahara from the tropical
rainforest of Africa.
Horned Viper
Houbara
Fennec Fox
Jeroba
Desert Hedgehog
Monitor
Sand Cat
Scarab Beetle
 The
Sahel is an area of
temperate grassland
(steppe) moving into sparse
desert scrub-like vegetation
 Three
 1.
main mountain ranges:
Atlas Mountains in northern
Algeria and Morocco
 2. Taurus Mountains in southern
Turkey
 3. Zagros Mountains in western
Iran
Atlas Mountains of Morocco
Atlas Mountains in Morocco
 Even
though this is a dry
area, water plays a very
large role
 There are several large
bodies of water which
play a major role in world
politics
Examples
:
Persian Gulf/Arabian Gulf
Strait of Hormuz
Arabian Sea
Red Sea
 Other
important bodies of
water
 Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea,
Bosporus Strait, Dardanelles
Strait, Nile River (longest in the
world), Tigris and Euphrates
(home to the world’s first
civilization) and the Jordan
River
 The
area is also subject to
seasonal flooding, alluvial
soils, delta regions, oases,
and wadis
 Seasonal
flooding--several
of the rivers flood regularly
(Nile) which deposit rich
alluvial soil for farming
 The
desert regions are home
to many Oases (a place
where fresh water makes it
possible for life to exist in a
dry area) and wadi (a gully
or usually dry river bed cut
by running water after a
downpour)
Economic Characteristics:
 The
area has a heavy reliance
on Primary economic activities
such as oil drilling, agriculture
and herding/grazing
 The
area is the home of the
Organization of Petroleum
Exporting Countries (OPEC)
 Many countries in the area still
belong today
 Major producers of the world’s
oil
 Provide large oil revenues
 Positive
effects--jobs, revenue,
position of power
 Negative
effects--reliance on
one industry, pollution,
unequal distribution of wealth
 Water
is the region’s MOST
PRECIOUS resource
 Aswan
High Dam has had
positive and negative effects on
the region.
 Suez
Canal enhanced shipping
routes in the region
Suez Canal
The 101-mile waterway
connects the Mediterranean
Sea to the Red Sea.
* The Suez Canal is used to
transport goods to and from
all three continents.
*
 Positive
effects of the Aswan
High dam
Controls flooding, recreation
areas, power
 Negative effects of the Aswan
high Dam
land losing fertility, lost
homes when dam built,
 There
is a great variation in
the standard of living in the
region.
 It ranges from the relatively
high to the poverty stricken.
 There is also a wide range of
per capita income and
differing levels of development
 Trade
has been important to
the region from the earliest
time.
 Today regional conflicts and
political unrest have affected
trade and tourism
 The area today has
contemporary trade routes (sea
lanes)
Cultural Characteristics:
 The
area has experienced
rapid urbanization
 Most modernization has
centered around urban areas
and more traditional life has
continued in the rural areas
 Large
percentage of the
population is under the age of
15 due to conflict, disease and
the hardships associated with
the region.
 The population is generally
unevenly distributed due to the
environment and resources
 All
but three of the countries
are Arab nations and they use
the Arabic language.
 Turkey,
Iran and Israel are
the non-Arab countries
 North
Africa and Southwest Asia
are the birthplace to three major
monotheistic religions: Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam.
 All three claim similar holy places
and the dominant group has
changed over the years.
 Since
1949, the region has
been in conflict over the area
known as Palestine. This
area is present day Israel.
Sinai
Peninsula
located
between
Egypt
and the
Arabian
Peninsula
 Much
of the region has a
nomadic lifestyle
 NOMADIC-to
wander from
place to place behind a food
source or for other reasons
 The
art of the region reflects
the diversity of the religions;
 stained
glass, geometric tiles,
calligraphy, mosaics, and
prayer rugs
Cities as centers of trade and
culture:
 Baghdad,
Iraq
 Cairo, Egypt
 Istanbul, Turkey
 Jerusalem, Israel
 Mecca, Saudi Arabia
 Tehran, Iran
Cultural Landscape
 Mosques,
minarets
 Church of the Holy Sepulcher
 Hagia Sophia
 bazaars, sugs
 Western Wall (of Jerusalem)
 Dome
of the Rock
 Ka’aba
 Pyramids
 Oil rigs
 walled cities
Sahara desert
Oasis
Stained Glass/Mosaics
Prayer Rugs
Oil Rigs
Ka’aba
Dome of the Rock
Hagia Sophia
Church of the Holy Sepulcher
Pyramids
Western Wall
Western Wall