1. Unit 1 Geography of the Middle East (Ethnic/Religious Groups of the Middle East)

2. Unit 1 Geography of the Middle East (Religious and Ethnic Groups)
Religious Group
Religious Group- Shares a belief system in a god or gods
Three (3) Major Religions in the Middle East are Judaism(Oldest), Christianity, and Islam
Islamic religion is divided between the Sunni and Shia Muslims

3. Unit 1 Geography of the Middle East (Religious and Ethnic Groups)
Ethnic Group- people who share cultural ideas and beliefs that’s a part of their community
Major Ethnic Groups of the Middle East are;
1. Persians Jewish
2. Turkish Kurdish
3. Arabs

6. Arabs Largest ethnic group in Southwest Asia
Descendant of Abraham in the bible, through his son Ishmael
Most Arabs practice Islam
Speak Arabic
Have a long history and rich traditions, using calligraphy and geometric designs

8. Jewish
Anyone born to a Jewish mother or gone through the formal conversion process
Descendant of Abraham in the Bible, through his son Isaac
National language is Hebrew
Read the Torah
Israel is home for most of the Jewish population in the Middle East.

10. Kurdish Live in mountainous areas of Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran
Most Kurds are Muslims.
Speak Kurdish language, a branch of the Iranian language
Kurdish women enjoy greater freedoms; they do not cover their faces and they do not wear the full-cover garments

12. Turkish Live in Turkey (mostly Muslim)
Practice some form of Islam; rarely strict about some Islamic practices
An ethnic group based on language, Turkish
Well known for their architecture
Ancestors were part of the Ottoman Empire

13. Persian
Ethnic group that lived in Iran before arrival of Islam; today make up about half of Iran’s population
Speak Persian
Most practice Shia Islam
Persian women have faced many challenges as a result of strict religious practices.
Persian rugs are among the finest in the world.