1. This Week: Earth’s Population will hit 7 BILLION
2. Notes: The Middle East – Brief History
3. Choose Countries tomorrow…

World Geography
Mr. Thomsen
Fall 2011

• Arabian Peninsula: Known as one of the “Cradles of Civilization
– Many of the first civilizations arose in this area
• Mesopotamia (between Tigris and Euphrates Rivers)
• Muhammad founds religion of Islam ~600AD
• Islamic Core Beliefs
– Allah is the only God (same God as Jews and Christians)
– Muhammad is the final Prophet (Jesus, Abraham also Prophets)
– 5 Pillars
• Profession of Faith ( Shahada )
• Prayer 5 times Daily ( Salat )
• Almsgiving – Charity ( Zakat )
• Holy Month of Ramadan ( Sawm )
• Pilgrimage to Mecca ( Hajj )
• Divisions of Islam:
– Sunni (Largest Segment) and Shia, or Shi’ite
– Differences in Leadership, some religious practices
– Sunni-dominated countries: Saudi Arabia, Jordan
– Shia-dominated countries: Iran, Iraq

• Oldest organized religion (8,000 BCE)
• Main Figures:
– Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael
– Jesus a prophet, but not “Messiah”
• Main text: Torah (Old Testament)
• Divisions within Judaism:
– Reform
– Orthodox
– Conservative
• Important Holidays:
– Yom Kippur, Chanukah,

• Jesus as “Son of God”,
Messiah
• Old Testament = Judaism;
New Testament = Jesus &
Disciples
• Main Text: Bible
• Catholic Church dominant until 1500s – then
Protestant groups
(Calvinism, Lutheranism, etc.)

• What were the causes for the Crusades?
– Christian Church attempt to conquer Holy Lands; Muslims defend
• What were the outcomes of the Crusades?
– Christian, Muslim, and Jewish mutual distrust

• Centered around modern-day
Turkey
• Osman I consolidated power in late 13 th century
• At height, Ottoman Empire encompassed:
– Southeastern Europe, Anatolia
(Turkey), Iraq, Western Iran,
Greater Syria, Egypt, West
Arabian Peninsula & Northern
Africa
Source: MSN Encarta Online

Britain, France expand colonial territories
Extensive colonization in Africa; deals made with Ottomans for trade, resources
In Middle East, Arab Nationalism grows
In Europe, the Jewish “Zionist”
Movement gains strength
Jewish Homeland in Palestine
Jews had been driven out of
Palestine in 200s

• Ottoman Empire sides with
Central Powers (Germany,
Austro-Hungarian Empire)
• Allied Powers (Britain,
France, Italy, USA) devise
Picot-Sykes Agreement
– Secret plan to divide Middle
East after war
– Balfour Declaration
• Letter from British government declaring support for Zionist
Movement

• Mandate system in
Middle East
– “Supervisory” control over territories
• England: Iraq, Palestine,
Transjordan (now Jordan)
• France: Syria & Lebanon
– Turkey – resists Europe,
Ätaturk creates modern secular state
Ataturk.com
Israel.org

• Due to Balfour
Declaration, Jewish immigration into
Palestine rose dramatically from 1920 to 1935
Jewish Immigration Into
Palestine
• Beginning in 1936,
Arabs revolted and fought against the immigration
• Britain issues “White
Paper” of 1939, which limits Jewish immigration into
Palestine
34,386
37,337
8,223
66,472
39,195
4,592
19
20
19
25
19
33
19
35
19
39
19
41
70,000
60,000
50,000
40,000
30,000
20,000
10,000
0

• Nationalist movements lead to some Arab Independence
– Egypt (1922)
– Iraq (1932)
– Iran (1935)
• However, western powers still influence Arab governments
– I.e. Britain keeps troops in
Egypt, Iraq

– England
– France
– Russia
– United States
– Italy (1943-45)
– Germany
– Austria
– Japan
– Italy (1940-1943)

1200s to 1930s
Lingering Anti-Semitism in Western European Society
1920
Treaty of Versailles
Germany forced to pay huge war reparations after World War I
1929
Onset of world-wide economic depression
1933
Hitler blames woes on Jewish population
Comes to power

• By 1945, approximately 6 million
Jews had been killed across
Europe
– Nazi Death Camps such as
Auchwitz
– Stalin purges Jewish Communities in Soviet Union
Encarta.com
Encarta.com

• United Nations founded in 1945
• Britain steps up plans to create Jewish Homeland
– Jewish settlers begin armed attacks versus
British occupation and
Arab groups
• United States, now a dominate world power, lends support to movement as well
• United Nations Partition
Plan of 1947

• Jewish immigrants approve of UN
Partition Plan
• Arab population does not approve
• Britain turns mandate over to United
Nations, withdraws from Palestine on
May 14, 1948
• David Ben-Gurion, leader of Jewish settlers, declares the state of Israel on
May 15, 1948
• Arabs flee across Jordan River; Egypt,
Syria attack new nation
Worlgeography.abc-clio.com

• Argument for Israel
– Followed UN Partition
Plan (I.e. world support)
– Historic Homeland, right to exist
• Argument for Arab
Palestinians
– Under British Occupation
– no control in Jewish
Immigration
– Horror of the Holocaust – needed specific place
– Majority of land in UN
Partition plan went to minority Jews
– Defended against Arab invasions – Historic Homeland,
– No military support
Which do you believe has the stronger claim?