Hartanto, S.I.P, M.A.
 Lies on peninsula known as Asia Minor
 Lies on the continent of Europe & Asia
 Severe earthquakes occur in northern Turkey
 Anatolia – plateau region rimmed by mountains in
central Turkey.
 Most people live in the northern part of Anatolia, on
coastal plains, or in valleys.
 About 100% are Mulsims
 Turkish is the official language
 Istanbul – largest city and only city in world located on
2 continents
 Once part of the Ottoman Empire, Byzantine Empire,
and Roman Empire
 Woven rugs
 http://www.travelerswonder.com/turkey/turkeytravel-information.html
Dead Sea located between Israel and Jordan
Desert in south
Mediterranean climate
Major agricultural export = citrus fruits
Most industrialized country in SW Asia
Mining is important to Israel’s economy
About 80% of people in Israel are Jewish. The other 20%
belong to an Arab people called Palestinians. Most are
Muslims but there are a few Christians.
 West Bank and Gaza Strip – two areas given to the
Palestinians
 Diplomatic Republic







 Deserts cover the region
 Water comes from wadis – dry riverbeds filled by rainwater





from rare downpours
Holds major share of the world’s oil
Oil helped improve standard of living. $ helps build
schools, hospitals, roads, and airports.
Islamic holy city of Mecca (Makkah) is located in Saudi
Arabia
Islam influences life. Gov’t, business, school, and home
schedules are timed to Islam’s five daily prayers and 2 yearly
celebrations.
Strict rules for women
 Once known as Persia
 An oil-rich nation
 World’s largest producer of pistachios
 More than ½ are Persians not Arabs or Turks
 Official language is Farsi, or Persian.
 Tehran – largest city and capital
 98% are Muslim
 Many refugees from Iraq and Afghanistan have fled to
Iran
 Islamic Republic – gov’t run by religious leaders
 Landlocked & covered by Hindu Kush mountain range.
 Khyber Pass – major trade route
 20 different ethnic groups. 2 largest are Pashtuns and
Tajiks.
 70% of people farm and herd sheep & goats
 Fought Soviet in the 1980s. Then faced poverty, food
shortages, and crime so turned to Taliban for leadership.
 Taliban – group of fighters educated at Islamic schools.
Enforced strict laws
 Men had to grow beards
 Women had to completely cover themselves in public
 Women couldn’t hold a job or go to school
 There are many different types of economic systems in
Southwest Asia.
 Many countries have mixed economies with different
levels of government control.
 Some countries are less developed than others in the
region.
 Southwest Asian countries have thrived on producing
exports to other countries.
 Cash crops have included grain, silk, and cotton.
 For the last sixty years, the region’s main export has
been oil.
 The region imports much of its food and other
essential products.
 Israel has a mixed economy that is also technologically
advanced.
 The Israeli government and private Israeli companies
own and control the economy.
 Israel does not have many natural resources.
 Israel has to import grain, oil, military technologies,
and many other goods.
 The country is a producer of high-tech equipment,
some crops, and cut diamonds.
 The service industry accounts for much of Israel’s
economy—areas such as insurance, banking, retail,
and tourism account for over half of it.
 Israel relies heavily on U.S. economic and military aid.
 Saudi Arabia also has a mixed economy. The
government largely controls the economy.
 Saudi Arabia’s main export is oil.
 The oil industry has made the Saudi royal family quite
wealthy.
 In fact, several members of the royal family are among
the wealthiest people in the world.
 Oil accounts for well over half of the country’s
economy.
 Oil funds the country’s education, defense,
transportation, health, and housing.
 The government of Turkey controls the country’s
economy.
 Turkey’s economy, however, is not entirely a
command economy.
 A large part of the country’s economy is based on
farming.
 The Turkish government has had many disputes
with other countries over its use of natural
resources, such as the Euphrates River.
 Clothing and textiles are the country’s major
industries.
 The service industry makes up about half of
Turkey’s economy, as it does Israel’s economy.
 The entrepreneur Aydin Dogan controls the largest
oil and gas company in Turkey, as well as two
television networks and two newspapers.
 Such entrepreneurs are new to Turkey.
 Economic growth has been difficult to achieve for
many Middle Eastern countries.
 War is a major threat to the region’s economies.
 For example, both war and a large number of
immigrants present challenges to the Israeli
economy.
 The Israeli government has taken control of
certain economic activities in order to address
these problems.
 The Israeli government controls most activities
related to agriculture.
 In the last century, the Turkish government has played
a major role in helping its economy to grow.
 After World War I, the Turkish government invested
large amounts of money in Turkey’s weapons and steel
industries.
 After World War II, many people objected to the
Turkish government having so much control over the
economy.
 By the 1980s, the government had begun to allow
private businesses more control.
 Today, entrepreneurs play an important role in Turkey.
 Some gulf countries invest money to make their
economies more diverse.
 In the last few decades, Saudi Arabia has begun
encouraging the development of industries other than
oil in order to make its economy stronger.
 In 1976, the Saudi government created the Saudi Basic
Industries Corporation.
 The Saudi Basic Industries Corporation invests in
capital goods.
 These capital goods have made the country a steady
producer of steel, industrial gases, plastics, and
petrochemicals.
 The natural resources of a country can affect
economic growth.
 Most Southwest Asian economies were once based
on farming.
 When oil was discovered, it became the main
source of money for many countries in the region.
 Governments with large oil reserves stopped
investing in other parts of their economies.
 Countries in the Southwest Asia that do not have
oil are often poorer than countries that do.
 The region has many deserts and mountains and
few rivers.
 This physical makeup causes it to be more difficult
to produce and transport goods.
 Countries often spend money made from
exporting oil on imports of items that are not
available in the region.