Transcript Background: The Middle East

 “Middle East” is a term invented by Europeans to
describe the geographical region that lies between
Europe and distant parts of Asia (what they called the
far east).
 The “Middle East” is on the continent of Asia but
many parts of North Africa have strong cultural and
geographic ties with the Middle East.
 Consists of Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan,
Lebanon, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria,
Turkey, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Yemen
• Palestinian Territories are not a recognized
country.
 Captures the Middle East perfectly.
 Events in the Middle East are often
unpredictable and illogical (just like the story).
 The history of this region has contributed to the
behaviors it exhibits today and might help
explain what the future may hold.
 The Middle East is on our daily news, political
debates, and a major concern for governments
throughout the world.
1. It was the Cradle of Civilization
 First urban civilizations appeared
along the Tigris and Euphrates
Rivers
2. Birthplace of 3 major religions:
 Judaism , Christianity, Islam
3. Terrorism: Copious political and religious
organizations that tend to be radical in
nature have evolved in this region.
4. Oil: World’s largest oil reserves: the US,
along with other countries of the world,
have relied heavily on the Middle East for
oil.

The physical geography of the Middle East
is varied.
Peninsulas
Plateaus
Deserts
Mountains
Rivers
Seas
Straits
 Arabian Peninsula is made up of the Arabian
Desert
 “Empty Quarter” is the largest sand desert in
the world and is found in the southern area.
 Water is very hard to find and is very valuable.
 The little water in the desert is found at oases.
 Oasis – a place in a desert where water is
available near the surface.
Key Terms
 Monotheistic
 a religion with the belief in one God (examples include
Islam, Christianity, and Judaism)
 Diaspora
 a scattered population with a common origin in a
smaller geographic area (i.e. Jews)
 Anti-Semitism
 prejudice, hatred of, or discrimination against Jews
 Pogrom
 a violent riot aimed at massacre or persecution of an
ethnic or religious group, particularly one aimed at Jews
Key Terms
 The Crusades
 military campaigns conducted Catholic Church
(Christian) during the Middle Ages, with the goal of
restoring Christian control of Jerusalem
 Zionism
 the national movement of Jews that supports the creation
of a Jewish homeland in the territory defined as Israel.
 Palestine
 a geographic region in Western Asia between the
Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River; also known as
the Land of Israel
 After the SykesPicot Agreement;
Britain officially
took control of
Palestine
 Map showing the areas of
Jewish Land Ownership in
Mandatory Palestine, 1947
(blue). This information was
used during the discussions
ahead of the United
Nations Partition Plan for
Palestine, which carved it
into two states – one for
Jews and one for Arabs.
 UN Partition Plan: All
areas in green would
have been controlled by
Palestine. The area
outlined in red is
Jerusalem and would
have been administered
by the UN.
 United Nations
Partition for Palestine.
Green areas are Arab.
This map was valid
between the years of
1948-1967.
1993 – present
Gamal Nasser, Egypt
Suez
Crisis,
1956
After 1967
War
Intifada, 1987
Saddam Hussein
Yitzhak Rabin, Oslo Peace
Accords, 1993
Mahmoud Abbas
West Bank Barrier