ETHNIC GROUPS
OF THE
MIDDLE EAST
JIGSAW
ARABS
Arabs originally came from the Arabian
Peninsula, which is the central and northern
section of the Middle East. In their early
history, many Arabs were Bedouins, or
nomads who wandered throughout harsh
deserts. As these nomads migrated and
eventually settled along rivers and coasts,
they established permanent villages. These
villages became centers of trade and
commerce in the Middle East. Arabic became
the predominant language of the region and
a unifying factor among the ethnic groups.
At first, many Arabs practiced the
traditional religions of their ancestors or
converted to Christianity or Judaism. But
after the prophet Muhammad brought the
teachings of Islam, many Arabs converted
and became Muslim. As these Muslim Arabs
moved to new parts of Southwest Asia (the
Middle East) and other parts of the world,
they spread their culture and religion.
Today, most Arabs live in the Middle East
and northern Africa. They are the biggest
ethnic group in the Middle East. However,
large groups of Arabs live in other parts of
the world, too.
Many Arabs live across
Northern Africa and in
the Middle East
KURDS
Referred to as Kurdistan by the
Kurds, this region is generally
where the Kurds live in the
Middle East.
The Kurd are an ethnic group the inhabits
the mountainous regions of northern Iraq, Syria,
and southern Turkey. They were once a nomadic
and tribal people. Things changed for them after
WWI. New natural boundaries meant the Kurds
could no longer freely wander the Middle East.
They were forced to abandon their traditional
lifestyle and began to establish villages.
When new boundary lines were first drawn
in the Middle East, many Kurds believed they
would get their own country. Unfortunately,
none of the proposed treaties that would give
the Kurds a homeland was ever signed or
ratified. Today, many Kurds like to refer to a
land called Kurdistan, which is not an official
country. It covers about 74,000 square miles
(roughly the size of South Dakota) in Syria,
Turkey, Iraq, and Iran.
An interesting face about the Kurds is that
they are a critical force behind the fight against
the ISIS terrorist group. Backed by the United
States, these fighters are relentlessly fighting
against ISIS to hopefully secure the land which
they call home—Kurdistan.
PERSIANS
Persians are the largest ethnic
group living in modern Iran. They are
not Arabs. Persians are united by
their Farsi language. Many of them
trace their culture and ethnic
heritage back thousands of years to
the once large and powerful Persian
Empire, which stretched across
much of Southwest Asia (the Middle
East).
Early in their history, many
Persians were followers of a religion
called Zoroastrianism. But as
Persians encountered migrants who
followed Islam, many Persians
converted and became Muslims.
Today, most Persians are Muslim, but
some follow Christianity, Judaism, or
even Zoroastrianism.
Areas where Persians live
ETHNIC GROUPS IN
SOUTHWEST ASIA
I can describe the diversity of religions within Southwest Asian (Middle Eastern) ethnic groups
(Arabs, Persians, and Kurds).
ARABS
KURDS
PERSIANS
Where do they
live?
What language
do they speak?
What religion(s)
do they
practice?
Based on what you have learned about the ethnic groups of Southwest Asia, why is there a
diversity of religions among the Arabs, Kurds, and Persians?