Availability of water determines where people live in this area. Water = People. The Middle East is a crossroads – Many civilizations have crossed this area.

North Africa / Central Asia Geographically – The Middle East is a perceptual region – some people also include North Africa and Central Asian nations because many countries share common characteristics: –Islam –Arabic –Similar history –Desert / steppe climates –Level of development

Culture Hearth – Mesopotamia. This area is also known as the Fertile Crescent (crescent shaped area of arable land – between two rivers – Euphrates & Tigris. This area was probably the first to domesticate (take from wild and make useful to humans) both plants and animals.

Mesopotamia is a region, not a country. The Sumerians Babylonians, and Assyrians are from this area Sumerian Achievements: Code of Laws – Hammurabi’s Code Writing – Cuneiform System for calculating time and angles based on 60 – sexagesimal system

Phoenicians – 1200BC – 500AD. First to use an alphabet (symbols have sounds)

Three religions began in this region – Judaism, Christianity, & Islam (the Abrahamic Religions)

Monotheism spreads Great Famine – Hebrews flee to Egypt. Moses leads the Hebrews back to the Promised Land. Hebrews are Jewish. Judaism started with Abraham.

1020 BC – 930 BC Kings Saul, David and Solomon unify the Hebrews and build a temple in Jerusalem.

Starting about 100BC – The Silk Road was a trade route connecting China with the Mediterranean Sea. Cities grew along the trade routes.

586 BC Babylonians conquer and destroy temple. Israelis taken captive as slaves in Babylon. When return – build second temple.

550 – 331 BC Conquered by the Persians. Alexander the Great is leader of Persia during this time period.

61 BC – 313 AD Romans ruled Palestine. Destroyed 2 nd Temple. Beginning of Diaspora (Jews living away from Holy Land)

AD Byzantine Empire Eastern Roman Empire centered at Constantinople. Orthodox Christians. Artistic revival – Greek influence. Justinian I most successful leader.

622AD Islam founded and spread across the area. 634 – 1099 Arab rule. Jerusalem sacred to Muslims (site where Muhammad left the earth to go to Heaven). Arabs would not tolerate the Jews in the area.

AD – The Crusades a series of Christian holy wars to liberate Palestine from the Muslims. Christians are unsuccessful.

Ibn Battuta was a Muslim explorer, trader, writer, and cartographer.

1517 – 1917 AD Ottoman Empire – Ottomans (Turkey) took all the wealth and left the Arabs poor. Millet System allowed the religions to live in peace – had to pay taxes and show allegiance to the Sultan (Muslim leader). Muslims controlled this area for 10 centuries from the time of Muhammad.

1922 – 1948 League of Nations (becomes UN) gives Palestine to Britain. Britain splits land at the Jordan River into Palestine (Jewish) and Transjordan (Arab - Muslim)

AD World War II. The Holocaust – 6 million Jews (1.5 million children) killed by the Nazis. 2/3 of all Jews in Europe were killed or died. 500,000 Jews had moved to Israel by end of WWII and sentiment for a Jewish homeland grew worldwide.

Zionism - the international movement for the return of the Jewish people to their homeland and the resumption of Jewish sovereignty in the Land of Israel

11/29/1947 – UN Resolution 181 states that there will be two separate countries in Palestine. Jerusalem would remain an independent city under UN control. Jews say YES! Arabs say NO! Arabs outnumber Jews 2 – 1, but get less land. Jews in Arab land and Arabs in Jewish land move.

5/14/1948 Israel declares independence. 780,000 Arabs are displaced. 5/15/1948 – Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia attack Israel. Israel wins and gains Galilee and the West Bank. Some Palestinian land is claimed by Egypt and Jordan.

11/22/ UN Security Council Resolution 242 Can not keep land won in the war and must withdraw end state of war and have lasting peace in region Israel, Egypt, Syria, and Jordan must recognize each other and have defensive boundaries. Refugees problem must be addressed and fixed. Israel - YES Arab Nations - NO

Yom Kippur (October War) – Most Holy day in Jewish year. Syria and Egypt (backed by USSR) attack Israel. Egypt took back Sinai and Syria the Golan Heights, but Israel rallies and wins war.

9/5-9/ Camp David Accords. US President Jimmy Carter, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin sign the framework for peace.

11/4/1979 Ayatollah Khomeini leads Iran. Iranian hostage crisis. Diplomats are held until 1981.

Iran – Iraq War. US backs Iraq. War left both countries weak and endangered oil supply. Both nations had ballistic missiles and chemical weapons.

10/23/1983 – 241 American Servicemen killed at the Marine Barracks in Beirut, Lebanon. UN forces withdraw in /20/1984 – 25 more killed in rebuilt embassy. 4/18/ killed in US Embassy bombing in Lebanon.

12/ 1987 Intifada is launched. Goal is to end Israel’s occupation of the Gaza and West Bank. Arabs under Israeli occupation will use any means necessary in this Palestinian uprising. Also called the War of Rock Throwers because the news often showed many young people throwing rocks and home made “Molotov cocktails” Israel was not able to stop the uprising that escalated to car bombs and suicide bombings.

11/15/1988 Palestine National Congress (now called Palestine National Authority) recognizes Israel’s right to exist and calls for an independent Palestinian state. Wants Israel to stand by UN Resolutions 242 and 338. They would reject terrorism. US opens talks with PLO. Israel angry with US. Suicide bombings from the Hamas and Islamic Jihad continue.

8/1990 – 4/1991 Persian Gulf War. Iraqi President Saddam Hussein ordered the invasion of Kuwait. US and UN coalition unite against Iraqi aggression. Palestinians hope for Iraqi victory and Arab unity. Iraq lost.

1990 – 1991 Dissolution of the USSR – removed Moscow’s influence on the region. PLO and Syria left without a supplier. 100,000 Jews are allowed to immigrate to Israel. Many move onto land in the occupied territories which upsets Palestinians. Palestinians would once again like a nation of their own.

Nationalism is the belief in the right of each people to be an independent nation. Current in region: Palestine (Israel) Kurdistan (Turkey & Iraq) Balochistan (Iran & Pakistan)

9/13/1993 – Yassir Arafat (PLO / PNA) and Yitzhak Rabin (Israel) sign peace agreement known as the Oslo Declaration of Principles – a framework for peace that included the transfer of the Gaza Strip and West Bank area of Jericho to the Palestinian National Authority. Israel recognized the yet undefined state of Palestine. 5/1994 Israel begins to withdraw from Gaza Strip 11/4/1995 Rabin assassinated for giving too much to Palestinians.

September 11,2001 US attacked by al-Qaeda. US starts war on terror.

Iraq US – Iraq War (March 20, 2003 to December 18, 2011) OUTCOMES: Overthrow of Ba’aath Party government and execution of Saddam Hussein Insurgents, foreign terrorist operations, and sectarian violence disrupted efforts by allies. Allied group tried to make improvements in public security Re-establishment of democratic elections and formation of a new government President Jalal TALABANI

Israel Hamas won election in Gaza Strip Some Israelis are trying to return land to the Palestinians in exchange for peace Palestinian suicide bombs continue and are met with force by Israel Israel builds “Defensive Fence” Palestinians call it the “Apartheid Wall” The wall keeps the Palestinians in the refugee camps – not citizens so no vote. Only allowed into Israel to work. UN Security Council (US has veto power) unanimously passes Resolution 1515 that calls for a two state solution to the Palestinian – Israeli conflict. President Shimon Peres Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu President of the Palestine National Authority Mahmoud Abbas

Syria Government – Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party (Same as Saddam Hussein) Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says Syria's President Bashar al-Assad fits the definition of a war criminal. Over 7,500 civilians have died within the last year in violence. Citizens want a constitution & Democracy President Dr. Bashar al-Assad

Afghanistan Operation Enduring Freedom October 7, 2001 – present US aim to eliminate al-Qaeda Taliban removed from power. People given the right to vote. USSR occupied Afghanistan 12/ /1989 President Hamid Karzai Afghani women in burqas

Iran Islamic Revolution 1979 – theocracy established - US hostages taken Shiite leadership has called for the destruction of Israel and US Iran claims nuclear program is to produce electricity. US & others are skeptical. US proposed sanctions – Iran threatens to close Straits of Hormuz Supreme Leader Ayatollah Syyed Ali- Khameni President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Saudi Arabia Home of the two most holy mosques in Islam – Mecca and Medina Absolute monarchy – King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz. Voting is permitted on issues, but not on leadership. Citizen votes are considered, but not always enacted reforms granted women the right to vote, but not to drive. Shiite minority has very few rights. 2 nd largest oil reserves (Venezuela is #1) and 2 nd largest oil exported (Russia is #1)

Arab Spring Define: a wave of revolutions and demonstrations occurring in the Arab world from Dec to present. To date, rulers have been forced from power in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Yemen. Civil uprisings have erupted in Bahrain and Syria Major protests have broken out in Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, and Oman Minor protests have occurred in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan.