The Persian Gulf and Interior.
●Identify the landforms and rivers of
the Persian Gulf area and interior
Southwest Asia.
 ●Explain the effect the region’s
geography has on its climates and
biomes.
 ●Identify the region’s natural
resources.


Mesopotamia 
Greek for “between
the rivers”
◦ Tigris and Euphrates,
flow into one channel
known as the Shatt al
Arab.


Location :
Northeastern
Afghanistan
Name: Hindu
Kush
This is where bin Laden
was hiding.
Picture of Hindu Kush
 Elburz
Mountains &
Caspian Sea
 Zagros
Mountains
Location

Due to the
orographic effect
areas on the
windward sides of
mountains get
more moisture
allowing more
plants to grow.
Why
In the day it can climb as high
as 114F & the night time
temperature can be as low as
30F. This is due to a lack of
moisture in the air



Grasses
Shrubs
Trees in dry river
bends
◦ Usually are small and
thin

Plants have had to
adapt to limited
amounts of water,
by storing water.








Gazelles
Wild goats
Wild Camels
Wild Donkeys
Hyenas
Leopards
Lions
Tigers
Name 3 more reptiles.
Lions having lunch!




Domesticated
Camels
Domesticated
Donkeys
Lizards
Poisonous Snakes
What are the 2 most important resources in
this area?
Oil and Water.
Why are these so important to
the region?

Rivers (Tigris &
Euphrates)

Canals

Rain



Oasis
Wells( ground &
fossil water)
Saltwater
(Desalinization)
◦ This is expensive
 ●Describe
how peoples, empires,
and Islam have affected the
history of the Persian Gulf area
and interior Southwest Asia.
 ●Identify the major features of
the region’s cultures.

Persian Empire
◦ 550BC  Marked the beginning of
their occupation
◦ Conquered Mesopotamia & Asia
Minor with the use of troops and
advanced weapons
◦ Located the center of their empire in
Persia or what is now present day
Iran.

Founded by Muhammad
◦ At the age of 40, while in Mecca, the Angel Gabriel
to him to preach the word of Allah (God)



Wrote down the message in a book known as
the Koran (Qur’an)
He was forced from Mecca & would later
settle in Medina
After his death, Islam would spread to Spain
in less that 100 years



1200’s  Mongols control Central Asia,
Afghanistan, Iraq, & Iran
1500’s  Safavids control Iran & Afghanistan,
this was know as the golden age of Persian
Culture and lasted until the 1700’s. Ottoman
Turks controlled Mesopotamia & the East and
West coasts of the Arabian Peninsula until the
early 1900’s
1800’s  British & Russian empires tried to
control Iran & Afghanistan

1900’s  Iran & Afghanistan become
independent
◦ Britain takes over the area formerly controlled by
the Ottoman Turks.


1932  Iraq and Saudi Arabia emerge as
independent countries
1960-1970  Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, United
Arab Emirate, & Yemen become independent
Group
Location
Language
Arabs
Persian Gulf and
Interior SW Asia
Arabic
Kurds
Iran, Iraq, Syria,
Turkey
Kurdish
Persian
Iran
Farsi
Baloch, Bakhtiari, &
Hazara
Iran
Language similar to
Farsi
Turkmen
Northeastern Iran
Turkic
Group
Location
Language
Azeri
Northwestern Iran
Turkic
Qashqai
Southern Zagro Mnts
Turkic
Pashtun
Scattered across the
region
Pashtu
Tajiks
Northern Afghanistan
& Eastern Iran
Pashtu
 ●Identify
the activities on which
the region’s economies depend.
 ●Describe the region’s cities.
 ●Explain some important issues
in the region today.
Petroleum
Agriculture
Nomadic
Herding
Manufacturing
Main source of
income for the
area.
Saudi Arabia
produces 8.25
million barrels a
day.
Some
subsistence
farming, but
mainly
specialized
farms (flowers
shipped to
Europe)
“Bedouins”
Trade animal
products and
hand crafts.
Many are leaving
to take jobs on
farms and in the
city
Building
materials, food
products, &
household
supplies






Life is much like
centuries ago
1 & 2 story buildings
Narrow twisting
streets, not for cars
Bazaars for shopping
Crafts sold in markets
Neighborhoods
centered around
churches or mosques
Old







Modern buildings
Air Conditioning in
buildings
Shopping malls
Wide streets and
highways
Traffic jams
People live in high rise
apartments
Fast food and gas
stations on most streets
New

Organization of Petroleum Exporting
Countries
◦ Influences oil prices by controlling
supply
 Increase or decrease can affect
economies around the world by
causing the price and value of oil to
rise and fall based on supply.
Conservative Monarchy 
defends Arab traditions and
economic success have kept
them in power.
 Rebellion
against monarchy to a
theocracy (ruled by religion)
◦ Now controlled by the ayatollahs
 religious leaders of high
authority
What type of government did Iraq have?
Dictatorship controlled by Saddam
Hussein. After his capture and death
was changed to a democracy, with a
freely elected president




1980  Invaded Iran to take over is rich oil
fields. 10 years later no one had won.
1990  Iraq invades Kuwait to control oil
fields
1991  group of countries led by the US
drove Iraq back out or Kuwait
2000’s  US over took and helped the new
government with training a new military and
improving the infrastructure.
 Ethnic
rivalries & competing
political factions have fought
each other since the 1970’s
 1990  Taliban came to
power till now.



Destroyed Buddhist
statues because their
were seen as an
affront to Islam,
most Muslims
disagree
Use their
interpretation of
Islam to limit the role
of women in society
Limit access to
education for women
& banned them from
the workplace




Education for everyone
Influence of foreign cultures
Oil becoming an increasingly valuable
resource
Communication technology expanding
making information more widely available