YEAR 11 HISTORY
MAPPING THE
MIDDLE EAST
Mapping the evolution of the Modern Middle East
MAP 1: Draw the outlines of the Ottoman Empire and surrounding polities before
its surrender in World War one. You are asked to label the capital and major cities
and next to each country name that country’s leader in 1910.
Map 2
You are to draw the new states of the Middle East created after World War I. You are
asked to label the capital and major cities and next to each country name that country’s
leader in 1925
MAP 3
You are to indicate on your map the ethnicity, language, and religious composition of the
Middle East. Identifying concentration of groups using a color or pattern code with a key,
pie chart, or other indicator. Groups should include, for example Muslim Turks, Muslim
Arabs, Christian Arabs, Kurds, Armenians, and Jews etc.
Map 4
You are to indicate the physical geography and natural resources of the Middle East. You
should identify the major rivers and other bodies of water, major mountain ranges,
forests, arable land, deposits of oil, gas, and minerals, etc.
Resources
Resources
Core Resources:

Map 1880: Middle East Political Borders
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/globalconnections/mideast/maps/pol.html

Map 1920: Middle East Political Borders
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/globalconnections/mideast/maps/pol.html

Map 2002: Middle East Political Borders
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/globalconnections/mideast/maps/pol.html

Map Middle East Topographic Map
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/globalconnections/mideast/maps/topo.html

Map Middle East Religion, Ethnic Groups, and Language Distribution
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/globalconnections/mideast/maps/demo.html

Map The Ottoman Empire
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/ottoman1683_shepherd.jpg
A map of the Ottoman Empire from 1683 to 1923

Map Oilfields in the Middle East
http://www.stanford.edu/class/history187b/oilfield.htm
A map of the oil fields in the Middle East
QUESTIONS
1)
What boundaries remained the same? Why? What political boundaries changed?
2)
How were the borders and foreign zones of influence or control determined?
3) What European power got control over which country?
4) Are there any apparent alignments between particular ethnic and religious groups
and certain European powers?
5) What ethnic groups with concentrations of population in the Middle East did not
end up with a nation-state? Why do you think this happened?
6) How does the distribution of natural resources coincide with post-WWI
boundaries?
7) What countries are rich in water, oil, and other natural resources? Which are
poor?