Location: Southwest Asia At the Crossroads of 3 Continents The Middle East Location: Southwest Asia At the Crossroads of 3 Continents

Much of the region is desert Ex. Sahara (Hot & Lacks Water) Geography Much of the region is desert Ex. Sahara (Hot & Lacks Water) Greatest population around coast & rivers Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea,Persian Gulf Nile River, Tigris-Euphrates Provides half the worlds oil (OPEC)

Switch from hunting and gathering to farming and permanent settlement Neolithic Revolution Switch from hunting and gathering to farming and permanent settlement Civilizations grew near sources of water Ex. Early River Valley Civilizations

Early River Valley Civilizations Located around Fertile Crescent Mesopotamia “Land between 2 rivers” Phoenicians, Sumerians,Egyptians,Babylonians,Persians, Hebrews

Fertile Crescent

Cuneiform (Sumerians) Hieroglyphics (Egyptians) Accomplishments Law: Hammurabi’s Code Writing Systems: Cuneiform (Sumerians) Hieroglyphics (Egyptians) Phonetics (Phoenicians) Architecture: Pyramids-Egypt Ziggurat-Sumerians Hanging Gardens- Babylon The Wheel, Calendar, etc.

Phoenetics Cuneiform Hieroglyphics

Birthplace of Religions Egyptians- Polytheistic Judaism Christianity Eastern Orthodox Islam

Empires Assyrian Persian Byzantine Ottoman

Arab-Israeli Conflict Modern Conflicts War in Afghanistan Civil War in Lebanon Iran Iraq War Persian Gulf War Arab-Israeli Conflict

Brutal Civil War between Muslims & Christians Civil War in Lebanon 1975-1990 Brutal Civil War between Muslims & Christians Palestinian refugees & PLO leaders settle in Lebanon Muslims gain majority over Christians Israel & Syria both enter conflict Uneasy truce in 1992

Islamic Fundamentalism Belief that Muslims should strictly follow Islamic law & resist Western influences Ex. Iranian Revolution, Afghanistan

Modernization vs. Traditionalism Pro-Western Shah overthrown Iranian Revolution 1979 Modernization vs. Traditionalism Pro-Western Shah overthrown Ayatollah Khomeini establishes a religious state based on Islamic law Ex. limited woman rights Seizes U.S. Embassy/Hostage Crisis Vs.

444 Days of Captivity

Muslim rebels overthrow Soviet puppet government Afghanistan 1979 Muslim rebels overthrow Soviet puppet government Taliban set up extremist Islamic State Men cannot cut beards, Women must be covered,cannot attend school Taliban ousted by U.S. forces following 9/11

Border dispute explodes into full scale war Iran Iraq War 1980-1988 Border dispute explodes into full scale war Ayatollah Khomeini vs. Saddam Hussein Ravages both nations economies Iraq demands financial aid from Kuwait Cause of the Persian Gulf War 1990

Iraq invades & annexes Kuwait Operation Desert Shield Persian Gulf War 1991 Iraq invades & annexes Kuwait Operation Desert Shield US led coalition defends Saudi Arabia from Iraq Operation desert Storm Coalition destroys Iraqi forces & liberates Kuwait UN levies sanctions against Iraq

Diaspora-dispersal of Jews from Palestine Arab Israeli Conflict Jewish sovereignty in Palestine goes back 3000 years until they were driven out in 135 A.D. Diaspora-dispersal of Jews from Palestine Arab Sovereignty dates back to the 7th century Both groups stake claim to the region

Zionism- movement to establish a Jewish homeland in Palestine(1890’s) Balfour Declaration-statement that British made supporting a Jewish homeland in Palestine (WWI) Nazi persecution of the Jews sparks movement to Israel(WWII)

Partition of Palestine 1947- UN partitions Palestine into a Palestinian & Jewish state Palestinians rejected partition 1948 David Ben Gurion announced creation of the state of Israel Arabs react by waging war in 1956,1967, 1973 Defeated each time

1948- War for Independence 1956- Suez Crisis 1967- Six Day War Conflicts 1948- War for Independence 1956- Suez Crisis 1967- Six Day War 1973 Yom Kippur War

1978 Camp David Accords- Brokered by President Carter Attempts @ Peace 1978 Camp David Accords- Brokered by President Carter Peace Treaty between Israel (Menachem Begin) & Egypt (Anwar Sadat) Israel returns Sinai Peninsula Sadat is eventually assassinated

The Oslo Accords Portions of the West Bank & Gaza were to be governed by a Palestinian authority led by Yasir Arafat Attempts at peace today have been hindered by terrorist attacks

Palestinian Liberation Organization Led by Yasir Arafat The PLO Palestinian Liberation Organization Led by Yasir Arafat 1970’s & 1980’s PLO militants began a terror campaign against Israel Intifada- Militant uprising inside Israel Terror attacks, boycotts, demonstrations continue today

Terrorist Groups Militant group such as Hamas, Hezbollah, Jihad,& Al Qaeda commit acts of terrorism among Israel and its supporters

Modernizes/Westernizes Turkey Democracy Kemal Ataturk (1923) Father of the Turks Modernizes/Westernizes Turkey Democracy Secularization-Legal System based on European rather than Islamic Law

1967: Six Day War- Israel occupied Gaza Strip, Golan Heights and the West Bank 1973: Egypt attacked Israel’s occupation of troops in the Sinai Peninsula, Syria attacked in Golan Heights 1978: Camp David Accords-Israel’s Begin, Egyptian’s Sadat and U.S.’s Carter Egypt recognized Israel 1993: Israel and PLO self government for West Bank Palestinians