Transcript Middle East Powerpoint

Middle East? OR Near East?
OR Southwest Asia? OR….?
HERE IS THE WORLD…
…AND HERE IS NORTH AFRICA AND SOUTHWEST ASIA
Due to the location, it’s called the
Crossroads of Continents:
Europe, Africa, and Asia
SOME COUNTRIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST ARE:
AFGHANISTAN
TURKEY
IRAQ
SAUDI
ARABIA
IRAN
KUWAIT
QATAR
ISRAEL
AND THE UNITED ARAB
EMIRATES (UAE)
The Fertile Crescent
The Tigris & Euphrates
River System
Mesopotamia:
”Land Between the Two
Rivers”
Marsh Arabs, So.
Iraq
Fertile Crescent
Dust Storms Along the
Tigris-Euphrates Flood Plains
Dead Sea: Lowest Point on Earth
2,300’ below sea
level
Highest
Salt
Content
(33%)
MINARETS
MOSQUES:
places of
worship for
Muslims.
Typical
features are
domes and
minarets
DOME
The Hagia Sofia in Istanbul, Turkey.
Built between 532 and 537 by the
Christian Emperor Justinian I as a Byzantine church, which it functioned
as for the next 900 years. In 1453, the Islamic-faithed Ottomans took over Constantinople (now Istanbul).
They wasted little time in converting the Hagia Sophia into a mosque. It served the Muslims for almost 500
years. The Ottomans painted over the Christian mosaics - and erected the four defining minarets we see
today. In 1934, Turkey changed the Hagia Sofia's status from mosque to museum and uncovered the
priceless Byzantine mosaics.
The Dome of the Rock
http://www.sacredsites.com/1st30/domeof.html
Jerusalem: This Muslim holy site was built on the
remains of the Temple of Solomon, a holy site for Jews
The Kaaba
http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~brvs/kaaba.html
Located in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the Kaaba is the most
sacred site for Muslims. A Muslim must take the haj
(pilgrimage) to Mecca at least once in his/her life.
The Church of the Holy Sepulcher
http://www.israel-mfa.gov.il/mfa/go-visual.asp?MFAJ01wh0
Jerusalem: This church was built on the site where
Christians believe that Jesus Christ was crucified.
The Western Wall in Jerusalem:
Also known as the Wailing Wall
http://www.sacredsites.com/1st30/domeof.html
http://www.igc.apc.org/ddickerson/western-wall.gif
Part 2
Other notable cultural landmarks:
A “Bazaar” is an open-air market,
usually in the center of a Middle
eastern town. This bazaar
specializes in woven Arabian
carpets- verrrrrrry popular!!!!
Bazaars are also called “suqs”
Cultural Landscapes are old….
Like the many walled cities around the Arab World…
…and new
Like the oil rigs around the Middle East
The
Jordan River
System:
Israel &
Jordan--A Fight Over
Water Rights?
Mountain Ranges in Mid-East
Elburz Mts., Iran
Lebanese Mts.
Zagros Mts., Iran
Taurus Mts., Turkey
Wadis – Instant Springs
Desert Bedouins
Breeding Areas of Desert Locusts
Swarms of Desert Locusts!
Israel Hit By Worst
Locust Plague Since
the 1950s!
Locusts Swarm
the Pyramids
Complex at Giza!
Rub al-Khali:
“The Empty Quarter”
Desert Oases: Water at a Premium!
Fresh Groundwater Sources
Desalinization
Plants
The Middle East vs. the U. S.
Latitude Lines
Middle East: Climate Regions
Middle East: Population Density
The Middle East:
Natural Vegetation
The Natural Resources of the
Middle East
World Oil Reserves
Persian Gulf Oil Exports (2003)
Saudi Oil Fields & Refineries
Kuwait:
An Island Floating on a Sea of Oil
Kuwait
City
Leading U. S. Oil Suppliers
The U. S. imports 30% of its oil needs from the
Middle East.