1. Today’s Issues:
Southwest Asia
Oil and religion have shaped modern Southwest Asia, but they’ve also brought the region lasting, often devastating conflicts and challenges.
Kurdish refugees from Iraq travel through Turkey.
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2. Southwest Asia Today’s Issues: Population Relocation SECTION 1
Oil Wealth Fuels Change
Case Study
Religious Conflict Over Land
Unit Atlas: Physical
Unit Atlas: Political
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3. Population Relocation
Section 1
Population Relocation
• Economic growth brings foreign workers to the region.
• Political factors have shifted the region’s population.
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4. Population Relocation
SECTION
Population Relocation 1
New Industry Requires More Workers
The Oil Boom Changes Economies and Lives
• Life in Southwest Asia doesn’t change much from 1100–1900
- some people live in villages, cities; others live
nomadic lives
• Petroleum, natural gas discovered in early 20th century
- Western oil companies leased land, brought in
technology, workers
• Oil profits bring wealth to countries, urbanization begins
- road construction makes cities accessible
- thousands migrate to cities for jobs
Continued . . .
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5. SECTION 1
continued New Industry Requires More Workers
Foreign Workers
• Oil creates so many jobs that local workers can’t fill them all
- oil companies employ “guest workers” from
South, East Asia
- mostly unskilled laborers; do jobs native peoples
find unacceptable
• In places, immigrant works outnumber native workers
- 90% of United Arab Emirates’ workers are
immigrants
Continued . . .
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6. Problems of Guest Workers
SECTION 1
continued New Industry Requires More Workers
Problems of Guest Workers
• Cultural differences exist between guest workers, employers
- misunderstandings over customs can bring
severe penalties
• Often, workers live in special districts away from Arab population
- some are abandoned or don’t get wages for
months
• Concerns over intolerance, violence toward workers
• Some fear immigrants weaken countries’ national identities
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7. Political Refugees Face Challenges
SECTION 1
Political Refugees Face Challenges
Stateless Nation
• After WWI, land intended for Kurds was kept by Turkey, Iraq, Syria
• Kurds a stateless nation—people without land to legally occupy
• Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Syria try unsuccessfully to absorb Kurds
- Kurds resist governments’ control, are forcibly
moved
• Iraq forces Kurdish migration, uses chemical weapons on settlements
- In 2000, 70,000 Kurds are displaced, many
forced into camps
Image
Continued . . .
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8. SECTION 1
continued Political Refugees Face Challenges
Palestinian Refugees
• Palestinians—Arabs and descendents who lived in Palestine—displaced
- stateless nation; living in relocation camps in
Israel, elsewhere
• When Israel is created, Palestinian Arabs are promised a homeland
- during Israeli war of 1948, Israel occupies some
of those lands
• As many as 1 million Palestinians flee Israel, become refugees
- 52 camps in Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, West Bank,
Gaza Strip
Image
Chart
Continued . . .
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9. SECTION 1
continued Political Refugees Face Challenges
Palestinian Refugees
• West Bank—strip of land on west side of Jordan River
- originally controlled by Jordan, but lost to Israel in 1967
• Gaza Strip—along Mediterranean Sea northeast of Sinai Peninsula
- occupied by Israel in 1967
• Refugees unable to return to Israeli areas they claim
- 8.2 million worldwide by 2005
• Their demand to return to Palestine is at heart of many regional conflicts
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10. Oil Wealth Fuels Change
Section 2
Oil Wealth Fuels Change
• Oil wealth brings political and economic changes to the region.
• To achieve a diversified economy, countries need to improve infrastructure and resource use.
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11. Oil Wealth Fuels Change
SECTION
Oil Wealth Fuels Change 2
Meeting the Global Demand
The Pros and Cons of “Black Gold”
• Oil (“black gold”) fuels world industries, transportation, economies
- strategic commodity—important resource
nations will fight over
• Region has 64% of world’s oil deposits, 34% of natural gas reserves
- by 2020 will provide 50% of world demand
• Oil prices rise, fall unpredictably; revenue not assured
- makes steady economic growth difficult; nations
need to diversify
Chart
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12. Using Oil Wealth to Diversify
SECTION 2
Using Oil Wealth to Diversify
Modernizing the Infrastructure
• Saudi Arabia builds roads, irrigation networks, agricultural storage
- also, desalinization plants to remove salt from
seawater
• Other nations build airports, malls, ports
- efforts are not always well planned
- UAE builds four international airports that are underused
• Nations have made an effort to build information technology systems
Continued . . .
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13. SECTION 2
continued Using Oil Wealth to Diversify
Developing Resources
• Nations seek to diversify, develop non-oil resources, agriculture
- governments build dams, dig wells to tap
underground reservoirs
• Saudi Arabia uses oil profits to improve agriculture, water supplies
- by 1985 it met its demand for dairy, meat, poultry, eggs
- by 1992 it produced enough grain for own needs, some export
• Oman revives copper, chromium industries, reduces oil dependence
Image
Continued . . .
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14. SECTION 2
continued Using Oil Wealth to Diversify
Human Resources
• Human resources—skills and talents of a nation’s people
- nations must invest in people, including women
- must provide education, technology training
- Kuwait has free education through university level
- Kuwait also pays fees, expenses if students study abroad
• Many societies have strict rules about women’s roles
- hard to get education or jobs; shortages create
opportunities
Image
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15. Who Should Control Jerusalem?
Case Study
Religious Conflict Over Land
Who Should Control Jerusalem?
BACKGROUND
• Land conflicts between Jews, Arabs disrupt life in Southwest Asia
• Jerusalem is sacred to Jews, Christians, and Muslims
• The issue of control of the city affects the area’s politics, people
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16. Case Study Control of Jerusalem Conflicts Over Holy Sites
• After WWII, the UN designated Jerusalem an international city
- intended to be controlled by international body
• City is divided in 1948 after the Arab-Israeli war
- Arabs take Old City, East Jerusalem in West Bank
- Israelis control West Jerusalem, then after capture rest of city
• Muslims keep control of Haram ash-Sharif (Temple Mount to Jews)
• Israelis settle nearby Arab lands; Palestinian Arabs flee
- UN Resolution 194 supports Palestinians’ “right of return”
Interactive
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17. Proposed Solutions to the Conflict
Case Study
Proposed Solutions to the Conflict
A Difficult Problem to Solve
• Emotional issue: both sides claim city as their capital; solutions?
• Palestinians could retain control of parts of East Jerusalem
- Israel would annex several nearby settlements, expand territory
• Israel retains control of West Jerusalem, Jewish Quarter of Old City
- Palestinians would retain control of Old City, East Jerusalem
• Palestinians control Temple Mount, give up refugees’ right of return
• International agency controls all holy sites
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