Transcript Asia - RCSD

Central, Southwest, South, East, and Southeast
Central Asia
I.
Central Asia is made up of five
countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and
Turkmenistan) which are all
landlocked. “Stan” means place where
one stays.
Central Asia was once part of Russia.
Russia conquered and colonized
Central Asia in the mid-1800s
Resistance to Russian rule grew during
the 1910s. However, the Soviet
government, which took power in
Russia after the Russian Revolution in
1917, eventually crushed the resistance
and made Central Asia part of the
Soviet Union.
As the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991,
the Central Asian countries declared
their independence.
A.
Central Asia is a land of great
contrasts in elevation – ranging from
below sea level to high mountain
peaks.
Tectonic forces pushing up created
the mountain ranges of Altray Shan,
Tian Shan, and Pamirs.
B.
At the region’s western edge lies the
Caspian Sea, which is the world’s
largest lake. East of the Caspian Sea is
the Aral Sea, both of these lakes has no
outlet to the ocean.
Just two major rivers flow all the way
across Central Asia; the Amu Dar’ya
and the Dar’ya.
Irrigation drains much of the water
from these two rivers.
II.
Climates and Natural Resources
A.
Most places in Central Asia have harsh
climates. Summer temperatures can
rise to 115°F and winter low of -36°F.
This region has two large deserts – the
Kara-Kum (“Black Sand”) and
Kyzyl Kum (“Red Sand”).
B.
The region’s highest peaks are too cold,
dry, and windy for vegetation. Forest
grow at middle elevations. Central Asia
is known for its many walnut trees.
C.
Animals that live in the mountains
include deer, pheasants and wild
boar. One of the world’s most
beautiful and endangered big cats,
the snow leopard, also lives in the
high mountains.
D.
A tree unique to Central Asia, the
saxaul, is one of the few large plants
found in the desert. The tree’s dense,
heavy wood burns like charcoal.
Desert peoples have used it as
firewood for thousands of years.
E.
Water is the most precious natural
resource.
Coal deposits are common in
Kazakhstan. Oil fields are located
near the Caspian Sea, but difficult to
get to them.
Turkmenistan has large natural gas
reserves.
III. Culture
A.
Irrigated farming was the traditional
way of life in the region’s southern
areas.
Herding was traditional way of life. A
large segment of the population was
made up of nomads. Nomads are
people who move often from place to
place.
B.
The region’s nomads moved herds
from mountain pastures in the
summer to lowland pastures in the
winter.
Unique homes, called yurts, made
moving with the herds possible.
A yurt is a moveable round house of
wool felt mats. The mats are placed
over a wood frame.
C.
Almost two thirds of Central Asians
speak a Turkic language.
Islam is the main religion. During the
Soviet era, the government tried to get
rid of all religions. It closed more than
35,000 mosques (Islamic churches) and
Islamic schools.
Since 1991 the remaining buildings have
reopened.
D.
Textiles are among Central Asia’s
best-known art forms.
Sheep, goats, and other animals grow
long hair that is excellent for weaving
into carpets.
Red colors and geometric designs are
common on most of the carpets.
IV.
Economic Changes
A.
Agriculture remains important to
Central Asia. Traditional herders raise
camels, cattle, goats, horses, and
sheep.
Uzbekistan is the world’s third-largest
exporter of cotton.
B.
Central Asia has relatively few big
cities because, throughout history,
most of the people have been nomad
farmers.
Tashkent, the region’s largest city, has
mud-brick homes.
C.
Many of the people are poor and have
few opportunities to improve their
lives.
Corruption and the lack of democracy
(right to vote) are major obstacles to
economic growth.
I.
Landforms and Rivers
A.
Southwest Asia includes Saudi
Arabia and the smaller countries of
the Arabian Peninsula.
Bahrain
Kuwait
Oman
Qatar
United Arab Emirates
Yemen
B. This region is often referred to as the
Middle East.
The Arabian Peninsula lies between
the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf.
To the north and east of the Arabian
Peninsula is a region called
Mesopotamia, which lies mostly in
Iraq. Mesopotamia means “between
the rivers.” These rivers are the Tigris
and Euphrates.
II.
Climate, Plants, and Animals
A.
Hot and dry climates dominate the
region. Rains come mostly during the
winter.
The southern interior is a mostly
uninhabited desert called the
Rub’al-Khali or “Empty Quarter.”
B.
Shrubs and grasses cover the region’s
wide dry plains.
Trees are common only in mountain
regions.
Nearly all the region’s plants have
adopted to survive long periods
without rain.
III. Natural Resources
The region’s two most important
natural resources are oil and water.
Oil is the region’s most valuable
natural resource. The oil reserves
along the Persian Gulf are the largest
in the world.
IV.
History and Culture
A.
The world’s first civilizations
developed in Mesopotamia around
3000 B.C.
The people that settled this region were
known as the Sumerians.
B.
The prophet Muhammad, who lived in
this region from about 570 A.D. to
632 A.D., established Islam.
At age 40, he reported that a messenger
from God, the angel Gabriel, told him
to preach the word of God. The word
God in Arabic is Allah.
C.
Muhammad spread Allah’s message to
his followers, called Muslims. Muslims
are people who practice Islam.
A holy book called the Qur’an (Koran)
contains what Muslims believe to be
Allah’s message to Muhammad.
The Koran is the teaching of God
(or Allah) on how all Muslims should
live.
D.
Most people in Southwest Asia are
Arabs, and Arabic is the dominant
language.
Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest oil
exporter. It is a key member of the
Organization of Petroleum Exporting
Countries, or OPEC, which influences
oil prices by controlling supply.
By reducing or increasing oil
production, OPEC can affect the price of
oil and ultimately the price of gasoline.
E.
Until 2003 Iraq was ruled by a dictator,
Saddam Hussein, who used the
country’s oil reserve to build a large
military.
Under Saddam, Iraq invaded its
neighbors –Iran in 1980 and Kuwait in
1990 – seeking to gain control of their
oil.
A group of countries led by the U.S.
drove back Iraqi forces in 1991 in a
conflict known as the Persian Gulf War.
I. Landforms and Rivers
A.
The eastern Mediterranean region is
part of an area often called the
Middle East.
It consists of six countries: Israel,
Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, and
the island of Cyprus.
B.
The region lies on two continents. A
small portion of Turkey is located in
Europe with the majority of the
country located in Asia.
C.
The Jordan River flows south into the
Dead Sea. The Dead Sea lies 1,312 feet
below sea level.
Its shore is the lowest land on the
Earth’s surface. The sea is so salty that
all swimmers can easily float in it.
D.
The Dead Sea provides Israel and
Jordan with certain minerals, including
potash and magnesium.
Potash is used to process wool and to
make certain fertilizers, glass, and soft
soaps.
II.
Palestine and Modern Israel
A.
Jews have been persecuted for 3000
years. They were led by Moses out of
bondage in Egypt to the promised land
(Israel).
Although the Jews thought they could
live in peace in Israel, they were driven
from their homeland by several
conquering empires.
B.
The Muslims conquered the area once
known as Israel around 1300 A.D. and
renamed the area Palestine.
During World War II,
German Nazis
murdered
six million Jews
in what became
known as the
Holocaust.
C.
A movement known as Zionism began
to grow after World War II. Zionism
called for Jews to set up their own
country or homeland in Palestine,
which was originally the Jewish
homeland.
Arabs (mainly Muslims) already living
in Palestine soon became angry at the
growing Jewish population in their
country.
D.
In 1947 the United Nations voted to
divide Palestine into Jewish and Arab
states. Palestine for Arabs and Israel
for the Jews.
Since 1947
the Jews and
Arabs have
fought
several wars
for control of
land.
E.
Most people in eastern Mediterranean
are Muslim, Jewish, or Christian. All of
these faiths are monotheistic, meaning
the belief in one God.
Jewish religious laws influences Israel’s
traditions and customs. For example,
because Saturday is the weekly
holy day in Judaism, most Israeli
businesses are closed on that day.
I.
Physical Features
A.
The Himalayas are one of India’s main
landform regions. They are the
highest mountains in the world.
B.
The Himalayas affect weather patterns
in India.
India’s monsoons strongly influence to
country’s climate. The wet summer
monsoon usually begins about June.
Some areas receive 400 inches of rain
per year.
C.
The great Ganges (GANjeez) River
begins high in the Himalayas’ with
melting snow and glaciers.
It then flows more than 1,500 miles
across India’s northern plains.
People use the Ganges as a source of
drinking water and fishing. Farmers
use it to irrigate their crops.
D.
To many people, the Ganges is much
more than a river. It is Hinduism’s
holy river.
Hindus believe that just touching the
water can wash away their sins. People
with various ailments come from near
and far seeking the healing powers of
the water.
E.
Tradition says that the Ganges is pure
and that nothing can pollute its water.
Yet huge amounts of sewage flows into
the river, making it one of the world’s
most polluted waterways.
In spite of these dangers, devout
Hindus readily drink and bathe in the
Ganges waters.
II.
British Rule
A.
By the mid-1800s Britain was in
complete control of India.
The British brought the English
language and English systems of
education, law, and government.
Beginning in the early 1900s, the people
of India began to demand
independence from Britain.
B.
A young lawyer named Mohandas
Gandhi led the independence
movement. His followers called him
the Mahatma, or “Great Soul.”
C.
Gandhi led peaceful protest marches
and urged Indians to boycott, or refuse
to buy, British goods.
After World War II the British
government granted India its
independence. To avoid a religious
civil war the British government
divided the colony into two parts,
India and Pakistan.
Pakistan was created
for the Muslims.
India was created
for the Hindus.
III. Religion
A.
About 80 percent of India’s people are
Hindu. Hindus are people who
practice Hinduism. There are many
gods and goddesses in Hinduism.
B.
Followers of Hinduism believe that the
soul is reborn again and again in
different forms. This process is called
reincarnation.
The importance of doing the right
thing in life is called dharma.
Karma is the positive or negative force
caused by a person’s actions.
C.
Hindus believe that people who fulfill
their dharma earn good karma and
may be reborn as persons of higher
status. (doctor, lawyer, politician)
Those with bad karma may be reborn
as people with lower status or as
insects.
IV.
India’s Economy
A.
India’s economy is extremely varied
and is expanding rapidly. From
agriculture in the rural areas to
technology in the cities.
B.
Farming is still the basis of India’s
economy. It contributes 25 percent of
the country’s gross domestic product
(GDP).
GDP is the total value of goods
produced and services provided in a
country during one year.
C.
Farms cover about half of India’s total
area. Some of the major crops are rice,
wheat, tea, and sugarcane.
No country grows more peanuts,
sesame seeds, or tea than India.
D.
Millions of Indian women make a
living by working at home in
small-scale industries called cottage
industries.
They weave silk fabrics. Ikat is the
traditional weaving process in India.
Textiles (making of cloth products) is
the leading exporting industry in
India.
E.
The government has been successful
in attracting high-tech businesses to
the city of Bangalore.
Bangalore is the second largest
computer software producing city in
the world.
With nearly 5 million people, it is one
of the fastest-growing cities in Asia.
V.
Cities and Villages
A.
Crowding, noise, smog, and traffic are
part of the daily life in India’s cities.
City workers wear European-style
clothing and speak English.
The working middle class makes up a
larger part of urban society. Most live
in small apartments with women
working alongside men in professional
and factory jobs.
B.
Bombay has about 18 million people. It
is the center of India’s huge movie
industry. So many films are produced
there that the city has been nicknamed
Bollywood.
Calcutta has more than 12 million
people and is one of the world’s busiest
seaports. India’s growing population is
the cause of most of India’s problems,
estimates suggest that India’s
population will surpass that of China’s
in 2030 with 1.4 billion people.
C.
Villages tend to have large families
because children have to help in the
fields.
In general, sons are valued more highly
than daughters. Sons will also take
care of their parents when they are old.
Many rural families will continue to
have children until they have two boys.
D.
Women typically wear traditional
style clothing in both the rural villages
and in the city. The sari is a rectangle
of cloth,
that is wrapped
around the woman’s
body. A tight- fitting
blouse called a choli
is worn underneath.
E.
A man in the city will wear traditional
European clothing, but those in the
rural villages men will wear more
looser
fitting clothing.
Like the sari, a
lungi is a length
of fabric wrapped
around the waist.