The Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan
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Transcript The Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan
The Arabian Peninsula,
Iraq, Iran, and
Afghanistan
Physical Geography
This area is often called the Persian Gulf,
named for the water it surrounds. It is
also called the Middle East.
The Arabian Peninsula consists of several
countries: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain,
Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman, and
Yemen
Physical Geography
Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan are located
north and east of the Arabian Peninsula
Most of this region has a desert or steppe
climate. Temperatures in the desert can
reach 129 degrees in the summer—and
dip below freezing in the winter nights.
Resources
Water is an important resource because it
is scarce.
Oil/Petroleum is the region’s most
important resource. Most of the countries
here rely heavily on oil for their
economies.
Religion
Islam was founded by a merchant named
Muhammad. He was from the Arabian
town of Mecca (now in Saudi Arabia).
Around AD 610 he had a vision that he
had been named a prophet by Allah, or
God.
Religion
The religion of Islam spread quickly to
North Africa, much of Asia, and parts of
Europe.
Followers of Islam are called Muslims.
Religion
Muslims follow a set of rules to guide their
behavior. These rules are outlined by the
Five Pillars of Islam (more on this later).
Religion
There are two main branches of Islam.
Followers of the largest branch are called
Sunni. Followers of the second-largest
branch are called Shia.
Early in Islam’s history, these two groups
disagreed over leadership in the Islamic
world. This dispute still causes problems
today.