History and government

Prehistoric People 10,000 years ago 6000 B.C. Hunters and Gatherers settled 6000 B.C. Farming communities along Nile, Mediterranean, and the Taurus and Zagros mountains First in world to domesticate plants and animals Cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, and camels

Early Civilizations Mesopotamia Egyptian Hieroglyphics Area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers World’s first culture hearths Center where cultures developed and from which ideas and traditions spread outward Also known as the Fertile Crescent Developed first written record system Cuneiform – wedge shaped symbols written on wet clay tablets then baked to harden them Egyptian Hieroglyphics Form of picture writing

Empires and Trade 500 B.C. – Persian Empire Silk Road Extended from the Nile to the Aegean Sea and to the Amu Darya Developed qanats – system of underground canals to carry water Silk Road Trade route to connect China to the Mediterranean in 100 B.C.

3 Major Religions Judaism Christianity Islam Oldest monotheistic faiths Jerusalem is capital and religious center Christianity Islam Mecca is religious center in Arabian Peninsula

Modern Era Nationalism Independence Belief that ethnic groups need to have their own independent country Independence After WWII countries gained independence from Europe Other nations didn’t gain freedom until the end of the Soviet Union

Arab-Israeli Conflict Israel is only non Arab or Muslim nation Arabs and Muslims constantly have conflicts with the Israelis Gaza Strip Territory bordering Egypt to the south

War in Afghanistan 1970s 1990s Soviet Invasion Afghans won Taliban invaders took over

Border Conflicts Iraq and Iran 1980 border dispute led to oil embargo (ban of trade) Persian Gulf War Saddam Hussein of Iraq invaded Kuwait American troops came in and drove the Iraq armies out of Kuwait

Questions What are some of the main reasons for conflict in the region? What is the desire for an ethnic groups own independent country called? Why was the domestication of plants and animals so important to the early people of the region?