Chapter6
- 1. World Regional Geography Chapter 6: A Geographic Profile of the Middle East & North Africa
- 2. Middle East and North Africa “ Middle East” is Eurocentric 21 Countries, Palestinian Territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and the disputed Western Sahara Area of 5.9 million square miles Population of 500 million people (2007) Turkey, Iran & Egypt each have more than 70 million people People locate where water is abundant in this arid region Region on the whole is 56% urban High rate of population growth across region Many oil-rich countries of the Gulf region have more foreigners than citizens living in them 6.1 Area & Population
- 3. Middle East and North Africa
- 5. Comparison in Area & Latitude Middle East & North Africa vs. Conterminous U.S.
- 8. Margins of region are oceans, seas, high mountains, and deserts Atlantic Ocean to the west Sahara to the south Mediterranean, Black, and Caspian Seas to the north Hindu Kush and Baluchistan Desert to the east Land composed of arid plains and plateaus Large areas of rugged mountains Isolated “seas” of sand 6.2 Physical Geography & Human Adaptations
- 10. Climate Aridity 75 percent of region receives < 10” of annual precipitation Higher precipitation around Mediterranean or up at elevation Strategies of drought avoidance and drought endurance Temperature Large daily and seasonal ranges Very hot days and surprisingly cool nights Summer relocation of government in Saudi Arabia Tectonic Processes Collision zones have resulted in mountain building Frequent earthquakes for places like Turkey, Iran, and Afghanistan 6.2.1 Region of Stark Geographic Contrasts
- 11. Climate Types
- 12. Biome Types
- 13. Great Sand Sea in Egypt
- 14. Land Use
- 15. The Treasury
- 16. Pontic Mountains in Turkey
- 17. The West Bank and The Dead Sea
- 18. Taurus Mountains of Turkey
- 19. Solar Boat of King Cheops
- 20. Middle Eastern Ecological Trilogy Villagers Subsistence farmers of rural areas where dry farming or irrigation is possible Pastoral Nomads Desert peoples who migrate through arid lands with livestock, following rainfall and vegetation patterns Urbanites Inhabitants of large towns and cities, generally located near bountiful water sources 6.2.2 Villager, Pastoral Nomad, Urbanite
- 22. Historically, agricultural villagers represented the majority populations in the region Villages located near reliable water sources with cultivable lands nearby Production and consumption focus on a staple grain Reliance on nomads for pastoral produce Effects of exposure to outside influence Introduction of cash crops Improved and expanded irrigation Modern technology Rural-to-Urban Migration 6.2.3 The Village Way of Life
- 23. Pastoral Nomadism Emerged as offshoot of village way of life Vertical Migration in mountainous areas Horizontal Migration in flatter expanses Sedentarization is a recent trend Nomads in region number estimated 5 to 13 million Identified by their tribe, not be their nationality 6.2.4 The Pastoral Nomadic Way of Life
- 24. The city was the final component to emerge in the ecological trilogy Mesopotamia, 4000 B.C.E. Egypt, 3000 B.C.E. Medina (classic Islamic city) High defensive wall Congregational mosque Administrative and educational complex Bazaar or Suq (Commercial Zone) Residential areas based on ethnicity, not income Rural-to-Urban Migration New modern urban development in oil-rich countries 6.2.5 The Urban Way of Life
- 25. Model of the Medina
- 26. Bazaar in Cairo, Egypt
- 27. Indoor Ski Resort in Dubai, UAE
- 28. Egypt and Mesopotamia are among the world’s great culture hearths Language Families Afro-Asiatic Family Examples: Semitic (Arabic & Hebrew), Berber, and Bedawi Altaic Family (Turkic) Caucasian Family Indo-European Family (Farsi and Kurdish) Nilo-Saharan Family Religious Hearth Monotheistic faiths of Judaism, Christianity & Islam 6.3 Cultural & Historical Geographies
- 29. Languages of the Middle East & North Africa
- 30. Religions of the Middle East & North Africa
- 31. Judaism First significant monotheistic faith Practiced today by 14 million worldwide Torah is the Jewish holy scripture Unlike Christianity, Jesus not seen as a savior Ethnic, not proselytizing religion Western Wall in Jerusalem The most sacred site in the world accessible to Jews 6.3.1 The Promised Land of the Jews
- 32. Holy Places in Jerusalem
- 33. Christianity Offshoot of Judaism that emerged in Palestine Jesus Christ Born in Bethlehem around 4 B.C.E. His teachings denied validity of many Jewish doctrines and protesters called for his death Jesus was put on trial, was found guilty of being a claimant to Jewish kingship, and was crucified Christians believe Christ was resurrected from the dead two days later and ascended into heaven Seldom has Christianity been majority religion in the land where it was born Crusades (11 th – 14 th centuries) 6.3.2 Christianity: Death & Resurrection in Jerusalem
- 34. Church of the Holy Sepulcher
- 35. Islam Monotheistic faith Dominant religion by far in Middle East & North Africa Prophet was Muhammad, who was from Mecca Qur’an is the holy book of Islam Five Pillars of Islam Profession of the faith Prayer five times daily toward Mecca Almsgiving Fasting during Ramadan Hajj, a pilgrimage to Mecca (Islam’s holiest city) 6.3.3 The Message of Islam
- 36. Great Mosque in Mecca
- 37. Oil dominates the region’s economic geography Large reserves Role of OPEC Aim of taking joint action to demand higher profits Other resources include: Remittances Revenues from ship traffic through Suez Canal Exports of cotton, rice, and other commercial crops 6.4 Economic Geography
- 38. Historically, region has been a geographic crossroads Geopolitical Interests Narrow Waterways Access to Oil Access to Freshwater Terrorism 6.5 Geopolitical Issues
- 39. Chokepoints Strategic narrow passageways on land or sea that may be easily closed off by force or even the threat of force Examples Links: Suez Canal Mediterranean & Red Seas Strait of Tiran Gulf of Aqaba & Red Sea Strait of Hormuz Persian Gulf & Arabian Sea Bab el-Mandeb Red Sea & Indian Ocean Bosporus Mediterranean & Black Seas Dardanelles Mediterranean & Black Seas Strait of Gibraltar Mediterranean Sea & Atlantic Ocean 6.5.1 Chokepoints
- 40. Chokepoints
- 41. History of War in the Suez Canal Zone
- 42. Region’s oil is marketed primarily in western Europe and Japan American Interest in Oil Support for Israel while courting Israel’s oil-rich enemies Carter Doctrine U.S. would use any means necessary to defend its vital interests (i.e., Maintaining a secure supply of Gulf oil) Gulf War U.S. led coalition of Western and Arab allies against Iraq U.S. Invasion of Iraq in 2003 About weapons of mass destruction or control of oil? 6.5.2 Access to Oil
- 43. Hydropolitics 90 percent of usable freshwater in the region crosses one or more international borders Role of water in Palestinian-Israeli conflict Water is a critical issue blocking a peace treaty between Israel and Syria Nile Water Agreement Signed by 10 countries in 1926 Guaranteed Egyptian access to water Many countries have defied the treaty in recent years Upstream country is usually able to maximize its water use at expense of a downstream country Exception with Israel on the Yarmuk 6.5.3 Access to Freshwater
- 44. Water Developments in the Nile Basin
- 45. Waterfall on Tigris River in Turkey
- 46. Terrorists pursued by U.S. are Islamist militants Islamist Groups Hizbullah Hamas Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) Al-Qa’ida President Bush’s “Axis of Evil” Iran, Iraq, and North Korea Tiny minority of Muslims have carried out terrorist actions that the great majority of Muslims condemned 6.5.4 Terrorism
- 47. Terrorist Attacks Linked to al-Qa’ida, 1998-2007
Editor's Notes
- #4: Fig 6.1
- #5: Table 6.1
- #6: Fig 6.2
- #7: Fig 6.3
- #8: Fig 6.3
- #10: Fig 6.4
- #12: Fig 6.5
- #13: Fig 6.5
- #14: Fig 6.6
- #15: Fig 6.7
- #16: Fig 6.8
- #17: Fig 6.9
- #18: Fig 6.10
- #19: Fig 6.11
- #20: Fig 6.12
- #22: Fig 6.13
- #26: Fig 6.14
- #27: Fig 6.15
- #28: Fig 6.16
- #30: Fig 6.17
- #31: Fig 6.18
- #33: Fig 6.19
- #35: Fig 6.20
- #37: Fig 6.21
- #41: Fig 6.22
- #42: Fig 6.23
- #45: Fig 6.24
- #46: Fig 6.25
- #48: Fig 6.26