Southwest Asia
The Fertile Crescent
1. The Fertile Crescent, the area between the Tigris
and Euphrates Rivers, stretches from modern Iraq
to Israel.
2. This area is known as the birthplace of civilization.
3. Around 8000 B.C., hunter-gatherers first began to
farm in this area – known as the agricultural
revolution.
4. This region has always been an area of conflict
because:
1. Its location in the center of three continents has made
it important for trade.
2. Religious differences.
Fertile Crescent
Physical Geography
1. Mountains and arid plains cover much of
Central and Southwest Asia, with many of the
plains regions being desert.
2. Much of the region has an arid to semiarid
climate – the mountainous and coastal areas
have more precipitation and cooler winters.
3. The far northern areas of the region have
cold, snowy winters.
The Central Asian Nations
1. Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan,
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are independent
nations formed from the break-up of the Soviet
Union.
2. Stan means “the land of” and the beginning of
the country’s name refers to the largest ethnic
group of the region.
3. The various ethnicities and cultures of the
region have one thing in common – the Islamic
religion.
The Aral Sea
1. The Soviet Union used the Aral Sea to irrigate
the arid region around the sea – fresh water
from the rivers which flow into the sea were
diverted to water fields.
2. With the loss of fresh water, the sea shrank
and grew saltier – destroying the local fishing
industry of the region.
The Aral Sea
Southwest Asia
1. Southwest Asia is
often referred to as
the Middle East.
2. This area has long
been one of conflict
and war.
3. It’s the birthplace of
three of the world’s
major religions,
Judaism, Islam and
Christianity.
The Ottoman
Empire
1. By World War I, much of
the Middle East was
controlled by the
Ottoman Empire.
2. Arabs living in the
Ottoman Empire were
promised their own
independent nations after
the war if they would
support the Allies.
3. Instead, France and Great
Britain established
mandates – land
governed by an outside
power on behalf of the
League of Nations until it
was ready for
independence.
The Middle East after World War I
Post World War I Middle East
1. Palestine was claimed by two groups, Arabs and Jews.
2. Jewish immigration to Palestine began to increase,
especially as World War II began and after World War II
there was increasing support for creating a Jewish
homeland in Palestine.
3. The problem was handed over to the United Nations,
who decided to divide Palestine into two nations, Israel
and Palestine.
4. When Israel was formed in 1948, war broke out between
Israel and its Arab neighbors – Israel conquered most of
Palestine and Jordan and Egypt divided the rest, leaving
the Palestinians with no country of their own.
Israel Today
Lebanon
1. For many years, Lebanon was the most
prosperous country of the region.
2. In 1958 and 1975, civil war broke out among the
various religious factions of the country.
3. In 1982, Lebanon was invaded by Israel because
of the actions of the Palestinian Liberation
Organization.
4. In 1983, Islamic radicals blew up the American
embassy in Beirut and drove an explosive-filled
truck into a U.S. Marine barracks – causing the
U.S. to withdraw from the country.
5. Peace was established in the 1990’s but the
country still struggles with stability.
U.S. Marine Barracks in Beirut
Iraq
1. Iraq has the well-watered plain between the Tigris and
Euphrates Rivers as well as large oil reserves.
2. In 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait, leading to the first Persian Gulf
War – Iraq suffered huge losses and also suffered through an
embargo when it failed to comply with the cease fire
agreement.
3. The embargo – severe restriction on trade with other
countries – led to great suffering among the Iraqi people.
4. After 9/11, the Second Gulf War was started when the U.S.
claimed that Iraq was a threat to international security.
5. Saddam Hussein was removed from power but establishing
an effective government has proven very difficult to do.
Syria
1. Syria is currently involved in a civil war that is
part of the larger movement known as the Arab
Spring.
2. The Arab Spring uprisings have come about
because of discontent with current governments
and economic issues.
3. Almost 20 Middle Eastern and North African
countries have been involved in the Arab Spring.
4. The U.S. almost used military force against Syria
after the Syrian government used chemical
weapons against its own people.
The Arabian
Peninsula
1. The Arabian Peninsula is
home to the Rub’ alKhali, or Empty
Quarter, the world’s
largest sand desert.
2. The Arabian Peninsula
has the least amount of
water of any large
landmass.
3. The Arabian Peninsula
also has 75% of the
world’s known oil
reserves.
Wealth of the Arabian Peninsula
1. The wealth brought by oil has allowed the many
countries of the region to pay for the
modernization of their countries.
2. A major expense are desalination plants.
3. In 1960, OPEC, or the Organization of Petroleum
Exporting Countries was created to help control
the production and prices of the oil.
Desalinization Plant
Desalinization Process
OPEC
Modernization and Islam
1. The countries of the Middle East have tried not to
let modernization upset the Islamic traditions of
the region.
2. The family is still the most important social unit of
the region.
3. Females have honored positions within society but
are limited in many ways.
4. Each year around two million Muslims from
around the world make a pilgrimage to the Islamic
holy city of Mecca, located in Saudi Arabia.
Mecca
Iran
1. After the World Wars, Iran was ruled by a shah
who worked to Westernize Iran, using profits form
their oil industry.
2. Many people opposed the shah’s changes,
especially religious leaders known as ayatollahs
who believed the country should be governed by
strict, Islamic law.
3. In 1979, the Ayatollah Khomeini took over the
country and worked to remove all western
influences in the country.
4. Since his death in 1989, Iran has begun to change,
but is struggling to overcome economic problems
caused by Khomeini.
Ayatollah Khomeini
Cyprus
1. One-fifth of Cyprus’ population are Muslim
Turks.
2. The rest of the population is primarily Greek.
3. In the 1960’s, civil war split the island in two,
with the Greek population wanting to reunite
with Greece.
4. Turkey prevented this from happening and even
declared the northeastern part of the island
independent, although most countries don’t
formally recognize the region as a country.