NorthAfrica&SouthwestAsiaa.k.a.theMiddleEast

MajorPhysicalFeaturesofNorthAfrica&SouthwestAsia

•Deserts:• SaharaDesertinAfrica• Largestdesertintheworld• Ergs – vastareasofsandthatcover25%oftheSahara

• TheArabianDesertinSWAsia• Rub’alKhali(EmptyQuarter)– thelargestsandseaintheworld• Nofreshwaterlakesorrivers• Someoases exist(areainthedesertwhereundergroundwaterallowsplantstogrow)

MajorPhysicalFeaturesofNorthAfrica&SouthwestAsia

•Mountains• CaucasusMountains• dividetheregionfromEurope

• AtlasMountainsà• inMorocco&Algeria• BlockmoistairfromtheAtlanticOcean

• ZagrosMountains,Iran•HinduKush,Afghanistanà

MajorPhysicalFeaturesofNorthAfrica&SouthwestAsia

•Waterways:• Rivers:• Tigris&EuphratesRivers• Formanalluvialplain calledMesopotamia

•NileRiver– longestriverintheworld• NileDeltaà• NOriversontheArabianPeninsulaorSahara

• Seas:• RedSea– betweenMiddleEast&Egypt• PersianGulf– betweenIran&SaudiArabia• DeadSea– sosaltynofishcansurvive•MediterraneanSea

ClimateofNorthAfrica&SWAsia

•Arid&SemiaridclimateeverywhereintheMiddleEast&NorthAfricaexceptthecoasts&mountains• wadis – drystreambedsthatfloodwhenitrains• Sandstorms– hotdryairblowsdust&grità

•Mediterraneanclimate• Alongthecoasts

History&ReligioninSWAsia&NorthAfrica

HistoryofSWAsia&NAfrica

•Mesopotamia - 8,000yrs ago–beginningofcivilization(present-dayIraq)• Hunters&gatherersbegantofarmandcreatevillages&writingsystems•Wheat,cattle,horsesoriginatedthere

•Egypt - 5,000yrs ago– oneofthe1stgovernments,religions,&writtenlanguages(hieroglyphics)• 200BC- world’s1st libraryinAlexandria• Pyramids,mummies,&pharaohs (kings)

HistoryofSouthwestAsia

•Birthplaceofmonotheistic (one-god)worldreligions- earlyreligionspriortothiswerepolytheistic (manygods)•Judaism– ~2000BC•Christianity– ~AD30•Islam– ~AD600s

Judaism

•God(“Yahweh”)creatednature,butisnotfoundinnature•Aloving,personalgod•HolyCity:Jerusalem

Christianity

• Jesus – Jewishteacher•Teachings:• The“GoldenRule”• Humility,charity,“loveyourneighbor”

•Followers(apostles)believedhewasChrist(amessiah)&thesonofGodsenttofreetheJewsfromtheirenemies•HolyCity:Jerusalem

Islam

•Today,mostpeopleintheMiddleEastareMuslims• BelieveGod(“Allah”)spoketoaprophet(Muhammad)inAD610anddictatedaholybook(Qurʼan)intheArabiclanguage•WorshipinmosqueswhereMuslimsarecalledtoprayerà• HolyCities:Mecca&Medina,SaudiArabia• 2maingroups:Sunni&Shia

The“FivePillarsofIslam”

•FiveactionsMuslimsstrivetodo:1.Publicstatementoffaith(“IbelieveinAllah…”)2.5prayers/day3.Givecharitytopoor4.FastduringthemonthofRamadan5.Pilgrimage(Hajj)toMecca atleastoncealifetime

CultureofSaudiArabia

•GovernmentisanabsolutemonarchythatruleswithSharia(Muslim)law• Religionhelpsdetermineslaws• KingSalmanbinAbdull azizà

•Family– VERYimportant• Nosocialactivitiesoutsideofthefamily

•Women’srights•Maleguardianshipsystem

TheSpreadofIslam

•AD600s-900s-IslamicEmpiresledbycaliphs (Muslimrulers)tookovertheSWAsia&NorthAfrica• Jews,Christians,&Muslimsarealllivingonthesameland!

ContinuedConflictintheRegion

•1100-1200s:Crusades– militaryexpeditionsofEuropeanChristianstofreetheHolyLandfromthe“infidels”• TheCatholicPopepromisedforgivenessofsinsforallwhowenttotheMiddleEasttofight

•1200s: MongolsinvadedSouthwestAsia•1300s:OttomanTurkscreatedanEmpireintheregion

NorthAfricaiscolonized

•1500s– Spain&PortugalcapturedMorocco•1800s– FranceseizedAlgeria&Tunisia,ItalytookLibya,andtheUKcontrolledEgypt•1950s-60s– NorthAfricacountriesrevolted&tookbackcontroloftheirgovernments• Establisheddemocracies&militaryregimes

WorldWarI– 1910s

•TheMuslimOttomanEmpirefoughtwithGermany&ItalyinWWI• LeadersontheArabianPeninsulaagreedtohelptheAlliesfighttheOttomansinexchangeforautonomyafterthewar• Instead,afterthewarG.B.&FrancetookoverSyria,Palestine,Jordan,&Iraqasmandates(acountryisrunbyanothercountryuntilitisreadytoruleitself)

Palestine

•2groupshaveclaimeditastheirhomelandduringitshistory• Arabs(Muslims)• Jews– hadlivedthereuntil1000BCwhentheywereexiled(kickedout)byinvaders• Somereturned,butmostmovedtootherplaces•Werepersecutedinthoseotherlands&“Zionists”wantedtocomebacktotheirHolyLand

•HowwillWWII&theHolocaustaffectPalestine?

WorldWarIIincreasestheConflict

•AftertheHolocaust,manyJewsfledEurope&movedbacktotheir“HolyLand” ofPalestine• ConflictbetweenArabs&Jewishimmigrants

•WhatcouldbethesolutiontothisArab/Jewproblem?

TheDivisionofPalestine,1948

•TheUnitedNationstookover&dividedPalestineinhalf.• Palestine&Israel

Arab/IsraeliWar!

•ThesurroundingArabnationsattackedIsrael• Israeltookover¾ofPalestine,andEgypt&Jordantooktherest!• NOMOREPALESTINE!

TheWestBank&GazaStrip

•PalestinianterritoriesthatweretakenoverbytheIsraeligovernment• Israelishavemovedintotheseterritories&arepushingoutthePalestinians

ThePalestinianLiberationOrganization(PLO)

•ThePalestiniangovernmentinexile• RefusetorecognizeIsraelasacountry• SomeconductterrorismonIsrael&itssupporters

TheMunichOlympics,1970

•PLOterroristskidnappedmembersoftheIsraeliOlympicteam• Goal:tousethemashostagestogetPalestinianprisonersfreedfromIsraeliprisons• ActualResult:noprisonerswerefreed,alloftheterrorists&hostageswerekilled

PalestinianRefugees

•ManyPalestinianArabsfledIsraelduringthewars.• Somefoundjobs&homesinotherArabcountries• Otherscontinuetoliveincrowdedrefugeecamps,hopingtoreturntoPalestinesomeday

IsraelToday

•80%ofthepopulationisJewish• Jewshavemovedtherefrommanydifferentcountries• DifferentJewishcustoms&beliefsmakeithardfortheirgovernmenttoworktogether

•20%ofthepopulationisArab• Havefullrights,butfeeltheyarediscriminatedagainstforjobs,education,etc.

EconomicsofNorthAfrica&SouthwestAsia

EconomicsofNorthAfrica&SouthwestAsia

•Mostareasareverydry,sopeopletendtoliveinlargecitiesalongrivers&coasts•World’stallestbuilding- theBurj Khalifa,Dubai,UAE

•Smallruralvillages&nomadiclivestockherders

FindingWaterintheMiddleEast

•Majorissue– findingenoughwaterforhumanuse,irrigation,&animals•Hydropolitics – politicsrelatedtowaterusage&rights

•Overallwaterriskaroundtheworld:

FindingWaterintheMiddleEast

•Desalination• Processofturningsaltwaterintofreshwaterusingevaporation

•Oases&aquifers• Aquifers – undergroundlayersofrockinwhichwatercollects• Fossilwater - Waterthatfellasrainthousandsofyearsagoandistrappedbelowground

•Tigris,Euphrates,&NileRivers

Economics:OilinSouthwestAsia

•Oil&naturalgas•World’slargestoilreserves

•OPEC(OrganizationofPetroleumExportingCountries)• Iran,Iraq,Kuwait,SaudiArabia,&Venezuela•Whydotheycollaborate?

Economics:Israel•Hightechindustries• Medicallasers• High-techweapons• Aerospaceequipment

• Services&Tourism• TheDeadSeaà• Highlevelsofsalt,potash,&bromine,sonofishinit,butcanextractthemineralsforexport

• Strugglestoconvincepeopletoliveinthedesert• Drainswaterfromswamps&irrigates

desertsforfarming

Oman&Yemen

•Mostlyfarmers&herders• Usethefalaj systemtoirrigatetheirfarmsusingcanalstobringwaterfromthemountains

•Poor,butstartingtodrill&selloiltoimprovetheireconomies

EconomicsinNorthAfrica

•Oil&naturalgasinLibya&Algeria• Phosphates (forfertilizer)inTunisia&Morocco• Egypt– moderntechnology&traditionalfarmingdonebyfellaheen (poorfarmers)• Largecitieshavesouks (traditionalopen-airmarkets)à• Cairo,Algiers,Casablanca

• TraditionalnomadicherdingisstilldonebyBerbersneartheSaharaDesert

ConflictsinSouthwestAsia&NorthAfrica

ConflictinSouthwestAsia:Afghanistan• Taliban– radicalMuslimgroupthatruledharshly&trainedterroriststoattacktheWest• OsamabinLaden– SaudiArabianmillionairewhorantheterroristgroupAl-Qaida• Responsibleforthe1998bombingsofUS’sKenya&Tanzaniaembassies,USshipinYemen,9/11/2001attacks

• After9/11,theTalibanhelpedhidebinLaden• TheUS&othercountriessenttroopstoattacktheTaliban&AlQaidatrainingcamps

ConflictinSouthwestAsia:Iran

•MostlyMuslim•1925- RuledbyaUS-supportedshah(dictator)•1979 – Revolutionreplacedtheshahwithanayatollah(Islamicleader)republic•1980-88– warwithIraqoveroillandsinIran• PutbothIran&Iraqintodebt

•Today– corruptMuslimextremistgovernmentthatmaysecretlybebuildingnuclearweapons&threateningIsrael&westernnationsw/terrorism

ConflictinSouthwestAsia:Iraq•1st PersianGulfWar,1991• IraqinvadedKuwaittotaketheiroil,sotheUSsenttroopsandtheUNimposedanembargo(traderestrictions)

•2nd PersianGulfWar,2003-2010• USthoughtSaddamHusseinwasmaking“weaponsofmassdestruction,”sotheUSinvadedtoremovehimfrompower• Kurds– separateethnicgroupwithnocountryoftheirown,manywerekilledbySaddamHussein

ConflictinNorthAfrica:Tunisia&TheArabSpring

•Dec.2010– AmaninTunisiaprotestedhismistreatmentbyoppressivegovernmentpolicebyself-immolation•Sparkedthe“ArabSpring” – protestsinseveralArabcountriestooverthrowdictatorships&demanddemocraticreform• Tunisia,Egypt,Libya,Yemen,Bahrain,Jordan,UAE,Syria

ConflictintheNorthAfrica:Egypt

• InFebruary2011,protestorsinCairo’sTahrirSquareforced30-yearpresidentHosniMubaraktostepdown•Hasbeenachallengetowriteanewconstitution(setofrulesforanewgovernment)•Western-styledemocracyorMuslimfundamentalism (beliefthatgov’tshouldbebasedonMuslimlaws)?

ConflictinNorthAfrica:Libya

•Muammaral-Gaddafià• Hadbeendictatorsince1969

•Gotridof“Westerninfluences”• Nojeans,bars,pants(forwomen)

•Builtupthemilitarytoattackitsneighbors•AllowedterrorismontheUSuntil1999• Libyanpeopledidnotgetashareofoilprofits!

ConflictinNorthAfrica:Libya• Libyanrebelsw/NATOairsupportfoughtan8-monthcivilwar beforecapturingandkillingGaddafiinOctober2011

ConflictinSouthwestAsia:Syria

•March2011:PeacefulproteststurnedintoarmedconflictwhenPresidentBasharAl-Assad’soppressivegovernmentcrackeddownwithviolence.•TofighttheSyriangovernment,rebelsformedtheFreeSyrianArmywithmanygroupsinvolved,someaffiliatedwithal-Qaida• 170,000dead&6.9millionsdisplacedfromtheirhomes(4millionasrefugees)• Aug2013:thegov’tusedchemicalweaponstokill1400civilians

ISIS:IslamicStateinIraq&Syria

• ExtremistgroupthattookoverterritoryinIraq&Syriain2014

• Usesbrutaltacticsto• controlitsterritory,ruling

withSharia(Islamic)law• trytouniteallMuslims• wagejihad(holywar)on

non-Muslimsaroundtheworld