Download presentation
Presentation is loading. Please wait.
Published byDwayne Peters Modified over 8 years ago
1
CHAPTER 19 THE PERSIAN GULF AND INTERIOR >
2
NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS CHAPTER 19 – SECTION 1
3
QUESTIONS What landforms and rivers can be found in the Persian Gulf area and the interior of Southwest Asia? How does the region’s physical geography affect its climates and biomes? What natural resources does the region have?
4
LANDFORMS The region formed by the Persian Gulf and interior Southwest Asia includes the following countries: Saudi Arabia. Bahrain. Kuwait. Oman. Qatar. United Arab Emirates. Yemen. The Arabian Peninsula is often referred to as the Middle East.
5
BODIES OF WATER The Arabian Peninsula lies between the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. To the south – the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea. Beyond those two bodies of water is the Indian Ocean. North and northwest of the Arabian Peninsula are three large countries: Iran and Iraq which have coast on the Persian Gulf. Afghanistan which is landlocked. <>
6
TECTONIC ACTIVITY Tectonic activity shaped most of the physical features in the area. Southwest Asia sits on the intersection of the African, Eurasian, and Arabian Plates. Mountains, valleys, plateaus. The Red Sea is becoming wider as the African and Arabian plates move apart.
7
MESOPOTAMIA The land between two rivers. The Tigris and the Euphrates. Exotic rivers – rivers that begin in humid regions and flow across dry areas.
8
HINDU KUSH MOUNTAINS Extension of the Himalayas. Difficult to cross with only a few major passes.
9
CLIMATES Hot and dry climates dominate the region. Rains come mostly in the winter. Southern interior is mostly uninhabited desert called the Rub’al-Khali (Empty Quarter) and the An Nafud, a desert of reddish sand. Region’s mountains provide water to the valleys. Orographic effect produces humid climates with water picked up along the Caspian Sea. Lowlands of Saudi Arabia along Persian Gulf are among hottest places on Earth. Over 114 ⁰. Little rain but high humidity.
10
PLANTS AND ANIMALS Shrubs and grasses grow on the wide dry plains, adapting to climates without water. Trees grow only in mountains and dry streambeds. Highest plains are grasslands. Soil is so salty in some places that nothing can grow. Hunting and domestic animals has made life hard for larger wild animals. Gazelles, lions, wild goats, hyenas, leopards, wild camels and donkeys are rare and mostly limited to game preserves.
11
NATURAL RESOURCES Two most important natural resources are water and oil. In Iraq, rivers are the main source of water. In Iran, farmers depend on rain and irrigation. Surface water in desert areas can only be found at an oasis. Bubbling surface waters have been turned into producing wells. Desalinization. Only wealthy countries can afford to make freshwater this way. Oil reserves are the largest in the world. Countries in the region have few other resources to develop.
12
HISTORY AND CULTURE CHAPTER 19 – SECTION 2
13
QUESTIONS How have peoples, empires, and Islam affected the history of the Persian Gulf area and interior of Southwest Asia? What are the major features of the region’s cultures?
14
FROM EMPIRES TO INDEPENDENCE Fertile Crescent. The world’s first civilizations developed in this arc of productive land. 3000 B.C. the Sumerians built the first known cities in southern Mesopotamia. Traders continually traveled through the area. Akkadians conquered the Sumerians. Later the Persians, Greeks, and Romans controlled much of the region.
15
THE RISE OF ISLAM Muhammad established Islam when he was 40 years old and was visited by the Archangel Gabriel. Muhammad was to spread the word of Allah to his followers, Muslims. Allah’s message is contained in the Qur’an. Muhammad established a Muslim community in Medina when he was forced to leave Mecca. Eventually Islam spread throughout North Africa, Spain, Central and Southeast Asia, and India.
16
GAINING INDEPENDENCE Mongul rulers conquered Central Asia in the 1200s. The Safavids came to power in Iran in the early 1500s and seized Afghanistan from the Muslims. Lasted more than 200 years. Considered to be the golden age of Persian culture. In the western part of the Persian Gulf, the Ottoman Turks conquered Mesopotamia. The British took over the area in the early 1900s.
17
CULTURE Islam is the unifying cultural feature of the region. Many empires and migrating peoples have coexisted in the presence of many ethnic groups in the region.
18
PEOPLE AND LANGUAGES Most people in the region are Arabs and Arabic is the dominant language. The Qur’an in written in Arabic. Arabic place-names can be found throughout the Eastern Hemisphere as a result of trade, migration, and Islam.
19
NON-ARABS Iraq is an Arabic country. More than a million Arabs live in southern Iran. Non-Arab ethnic groups live in the area. Kurds live in Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey and are Muslims, have never had their own country and have often been persecuted. Most of Iran’s Persians speak Farsi. Other groups that live in Iran: Baloch, Bakhtiari, Hazara, Turkmen, Azeri, Qashqai. In Afghanistan, the Pashtun are the largest ethnic group. Most people’s loyalties lie with their clan and family, rather than an ethnic group.
20
RELIGION AND SOCIETY Islam has split into two main groups – Sunni and Shia. Difference centers around who can be a leader within the religion – imams (spiritual leaders). Sunnis choose their imams – lead prayer. Shia allows only descendents of Muhammad to become leaders – interpret the Qur’an. 90% of Muslims are Sunnis and 10% are Shia.
21
THE REGION TODAY CHAPTER 19 – SECTION 3
22
QUESTIONS On what activities do the region’s economies depend? What are the region’s cities like? What are some important issues in the region today?
23
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Oil and gas production is central to their economies. Oil wealth has helped modernization. Some still follow traditional ways. Farmers – subsistence agriculture. Bedouins – nomadic herders. Traditional crafts. Modern manufacturing is limited.
24
URBAN ENVIRONMENTS The largest cities in the regions are the national capitals. Tehran, Baghdad, Kabul, Riyadh. People move to the cities looking for jobs. Most cities are ancient and contrast with the newer sections.
25
GOVERNMENTS, ISSUES AND CHALLENGES Politics and concerns for the future center around three basic themes. Use of oil wealth. Preservation of authority of traditional leaders. Role of Islam in a modernizing world.
26
OIL WEALTH AND POWER Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest oil exporter. Key member of OPEC. Controls Islam’s holies city, Mecca. Absolute monarch who maintains Arab traditions. Iran suffered a revolution in 1979, deposing the shah and replacing the leadership with religious leaders or ayatollahs. Government is a theocracy.
27
IRAQ Iraq was ruled by a dictator, Saddam Hussein, until 2003. After raising a large military, Saddam invaded Iran in 1980 and Kuwait in 1990. Coalition forces, led by the U.S., liberated Kuwait in the Persian Gulf War. U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003 after Iraq refused to allow U.N. inspectors to check for violations of U.N. sanctions. New government was elected in 2005.
Similar presentations
© 2024 SlidePlayer.com Inc.
All rights reserved.