Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Cultural Characteristics
Religious Groups
REMEMBER:
JUDAISM, CHRISTIANITY, & ISLAM ALL ORIGINATED IN SOUTHWEST ASIA.
EACH CAN TRACE THEIR ROOTS TO ABRAHAM AS THE FATHER OF THEIR FAITH.
Cultural Characteristics
Islam
A hijab is a veil that covers the head and chest, which is particularly
worn by some Muslim woman beyond the age of puberty in the
presence of adult males outside of their immediate family.
Cultural Characteristics
Sunni vs Shia
Cultural Characteristics
Judaism
Historically, Jewish people lived in the area of modern day Israel. They had
a kingdom called Judea and built a temple on the temple mount in
Jerusalem.
The temple was destroyed by the Babylonians and later rebuilt. It was
destroyed again by the Romans and the only remaining section is called
the Western Wall or Wailing Wall. This is a sacred place in Judaism.
Zionism is Jewish nationalist movement that has had as its goal the
creation and support of a Jewish national state in Palestine, the ancient
homeland of the Jews
Western Wall
Cultural Characteristics
Christianity
Name__________________
Global Studies
Directions: Use these percentages to help you color your map. Color each country to show what the major religion is there. For
example, Egypt is 93% Islamic and only 7% Christian, so you should color Egypt entirely yellow and draw the Crescent Moon
symbol there. When you are finished coloring, you will be able to easily see what religion most of the Middle East follows. (Some
countries are left out on the chart; color all remaining countries yellow on your map because the majority of people in those
countries are Muslim.)
Country Name
Islam
Judaism
Christianity
Egypt
93
Israel
17
Syria
90
Iran
99
Jordan
96
Kuwait
100
Saudi Arabia
100
Turkey
99
Iraq
98
Lebanon
55
45
Yemen
100
7
80
3
10
Z Islam
YJudaism
UChristianity
Color countries:
Yellow=Islam
Blue=Judaism
Red=Christianity
1. Use your completed map to draw conclusions about religion in the Middle East. Which religion has the most
followers?
ii.
Religion
Map
Worksheet
Cultural Characteristics
Ethnic Groups
Cultural Characteristics
Arabs
Arabs make up the majority of the people who live throughout the
Middle East.
Cultural Characteristics
Kurds
Cultural Characteristics
Kurds
Cultural Characteristics
Persians
Today, Persians can be found living in throughout Middle East & in China.
Comparing Ethnic
Groups in the Middle
East Graphic Organizer
Economic Characteristics
Countries with oil
Saudi Arabia
Iraq
Iran
UAE
Kuwait
Qatar
Libya
Economic Characteristics
Positive/Oil
Negative/Oil
1. Oil is valuable
2. Oil money is used to
build infrastructure
3. People have a high
GDP per capita
Economic Characteristics
Oil drilling
Economic Characteristics
High GDP Per Capita
Israel - 26,600
Saudi Arabia - 19,800
UAE - 37,000
Qatar - 87,000
Kuwait - 55,900
Iraq - 3,700
Iran - 11,700
Lebanon - 10,300
Syria - 4,700
Two of the most important natural resources found in Southwest Asia are natural gas and
oil. These two resources bring wealth into the region because they are needed for
much of the worlds economy. Deposits of underground oil and natural gas were
discovered in Southwest Asia at the beginning of the 1900s. At first, companies
from the United States and Europe controlled the drilling and refining of most of
this oil, but now most of the oil operations are controlled by the countries
themselves. Over half of the worlds known oil reserves are found in this part of the
This has made some of these countries extremely rich and has led them to have a lot of
global economy.
world.
control over the
In the 1960s, several of these Southwest Asian countries joined with other oil-rich countries around the world to create
the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in order to have more control over the price of oil on the world
market. OPEC has called for an embargo, or a slow-down or temporary halt, to oil supplies at different times in the past to get
political and economic agreements from the other countries in the world. While some countries in Southwest Asia have grown
very rich due to their oil production, others have struggled to help their populations make a decent living.
The Southwestern Asian countries with the greatest reserves of natural gas and oil are Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, and
Kuwait. Some other countries have smaller reserves, especially those found around the Arabian Gulf. These countries have
enjoyed tremendous growth in national wealth and an improved standard of living in the past fifty years. Those countries
without oil reserves have had a much harder time improving living conditions for their populations. This difference in wealth in
some of the Southwest Asian countries has led to conflicts among the nations.
1. What are the two most important natural resources found in Southwest Asia?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. How much of the world's known oil reserves are found in this location?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. What happened in the 1960s?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. What does OPEC stand for?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. What Southwestern Asian countries have the greatest oil reserves?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Factors that Influence the Middle East
SS7G7 The student will explain the impact of location, climate, physical characteristics, distribution of natural
resources, and population distribution in Southwest Asia (Middle East).
b. Describe how deserts and rivers of Southwest Asia (Middle East) have affected the population in
terms of where people live, the type of work they do, and how they travel.
Three major river systems are located in Southwest Asia: the Euphrates River that runs through
Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Kuwait; the Tigris River, which runs through Turkey, Iraq, and Kuwait; and the
Jordan River, which forms part of the border for Syria, Jordan, the West Bank and Israel. In addition to
being important sources of water, these rivers also provide boundaries between nations. These three rivers
are important because they furnish water for drinking and irrigation, as well as routes for transportation
and trade for those who live along their routes. Many of the major cities in Southwest Asia are located on
or near these rivers. These cities and towns are also centers of industry, as that is where workers can most
easily be found.
Oil And
The Middle
East
Warm Up Worksheet
Situation: Mark is 18 years old. Growing up, Mark was the oldest child so he had his
own bedroom. Marks two younger sisters, Sarah (age 15) and Chloe (age 13), had to
share a bedroom. As soon as Mark graduated high school, he left for college; Sarah then
moved into Marks room. After his first semester in college, a fire destroyed the student
dorms where he lived and Mark had to move back home. When he got back home, he
realized Sarah had moved into his room. He demanded she leave because it was his
room first, and had been for 18 years; Sarah demanded she stay in the room because she
had been there the last 6 months and it was hers last. Who gets the room?
Questions to answer as you decide:
Who rightfully owns something? Who had it first? Longest? Or last? Explain.
Can Mark and Sarah just share a bedroom? Why or why not?
Should anyone step in and help resolve the conflict (like parents)? Why or why not?
After considering all of the above, who gets the room and why?
Historical Characteristics
Historical Characteristics
Palestine
Arabs felt betrayed that they were not given the area, especially
since they made up the largest part of the population.
During the Holocaust more than six million Jews were killed as a
result of Anti-Semitism (discrimination against Jews)
Historical Characteristics
The Partition
In 1947, Great Britain asks the U.N. for help in dividing up the
land that was promised to both the Jews and the Arabs..
Historical Characteristics
Arab-Israeli War
Historical Characteristics
Historical Characteristics
Historical Characteristics
Soviet Union supplied the Arabs and the U.S. supplied the Israeli allies
Camp David Accords: Israel and Egypt would sign a peace treaty in 1979
with U.S. Pres. Jimmy Carter mediating the Camp David Accords
Made an all-out war between Israel and the Arab world less likely.
Historical Characteristics
Historical Characteristics
The Intifada
Historical Characteristics
Israel: Perspectives in
Conflict Worksheet
Separate the nation into how YOU think it
should be divided.
Make a key; Israel and Palestinian (Muslim)
land must be different colors
Answer the following questions:
1. Who has what lands?
1b. Tell how you decided on those
terms ** Consider religious sites and natural
resources, etc.**
2. List the sacrifices that each side has to
make to ensure peace
Key
Israel
Palestine
Shared land
(optional)
Historical Characteristics
% of the population
which is Shia; most of the
remainder of the
population is Sunni
Iran (90-95%)
Iraq (65-70%)
Syria (13%)
Bahrain (66-70%)
Yemen (35-40%)
Lebanon (30-35%)
Kuwait (30-40%)
S. Arabia (15-22%)
Turkey (10-15%)
UAE (10%)
Jordan (2%)
Oman (5-10%)
Qatar (10%)
Egypt (1-2%)
IRAN
IRAQ
SYRIA
Historical Characteristics
Historical Characteristics
human rights abuse, hatred for Jews and Persians, his minority
rule
pan-Arabism
uniting all the Arabic countries, and then spreading out the
wealth to a certain degree
Historical Characteristics
Iraq
Iran
Secular government
Theocratic government
Border disputes
Border disputes
(Shatt al-Arab)
Other issues
(Shatt al-Arab)
Historical Characteristics
Historical Characteristics
Historical Characteristics
Shifting Sands:
The Persian Gulf War Reading
Historical Characteristics
Afghanistan
Historical Characteristics
Afghanistan
Historical Characteristics
Afghanistan
Women leaving their homes without a male escort and covering the burqa.
In 2001 the US placed pressure on the Taliban to turn over Osama Bin Laden
and Al-Qaeda, but the Taliban refused.
Women in Afghanistan
Worksheet
Historical Characteristics
Al Qaeda
Historical Characteristics
Al Qaeda
In August of 1998, Al Qaeda, led by bin Laden and Ayman Zawahiri declare
war on American.
9/11/2001
Historical Characteristics
Historical Characteristics
Saddam Hussein was still president of Iraq at the time of the Afghanistan
invasion.
U.S government feared connections between Hussein and al-Qaeda and the
allegations that Iraq was building Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs)
Historical Characteristics
Iraqi Democracy
Historical Characteristics
Name____________________
Global Studies
Iraq Blogging
Directions: Below are excerpts from blogs by Iraqis. Read the blogs carefully and complete the worksheet
that follows. Be prepared to report back to the class.
Iraqi
blogging
Worksheet
I wonder when will they have enough of messing around and destroying our country, I wonder when will
those idiots who call themselves politicians working for a new Iraq stop messing up Iraq!
They changed the flag, the great Iraqi flag the rolled the dead bodies of the brave soldier whether Shiite,
Sunni or Kurds.... Its the flag that covered the coffins of millions of Iraqis its the flag that flut- tered for
many years in the Iraqi sky.
Its the last thing remaining for us as an independent nation, its the thing that reminds us of how we used
to live in peace, its the thing that reminds us of how all Iraqis used to be united, and most important of all
its one of the few things that represents the union of the Shiites and Sunnis in Iraq and this shouldnt be, as
I believe they think....
Day after day I became more convinced that Iraq is not for real Iraqis anymore, day after day I feel that Iraq
rejects the innocents and the men who dont believe in violence. Iraq is not for us anymore. Im so tired of
the daily struggle. I have had enough of having to deal with every day struggles. I have had enough of fear,
enough of anger and sorrow for my lovely country. Im tired of having no hope for future, tired of feeling
insecure, tired of not knowing when will I be threatened or maybe killed, Im so tired of not being able to
plan my future. Im tired of living in this killing social isolation with very few friends and fewer relatives.
Im tired of having to live in the middle of this hatred between Iraqis. Im sick of the militias, the idiot
politicians, the sectarian government, the explosions, the assassina- tions and the sectarian killing.
For that I decided to leave Iraq and head to Jordan very soon. Ill go there and try to find a job, or try to find
anything or anyway that will secure my future, and live as humans ought to live. I want to have children
because as I have said many times, I promised my self I will never repeat the mistake of my parents and
give birth to an innocent child in this country which rejects anything innocent.
Ill go to Jordan and try my luck. I have collected all the documents that I can get to ensure that they will let
me in, to ensure that Ill not go through what I have gone through the last time I went there. I hope they will
let me in and my dreams wont be destroyed.
Historical Characteristics
Arab Spring
Historical Characteristics
Arab Spring
Historical Characteristics
Historical Characteristics
Historical Characteristics
inspired by the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, hundreds came out onto the
streets of several towns and cities demanding the end of Col Gaddafi's rule.
The revolt soon evolved into an armed conflict pitting forces loyal to Col
Gaddafi.
After four decades in power, Col Gaddafi and his family went on the run. On
31 October the former leader was captured and killed on the outskirts of Sirte.
Several thousand people have been killed and many more have been injured
in the conflict.
Historical Characteristics
Historical Characteristics
Syrian Refugee
Worksheet
Historical Characteristics
includes: Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Israel, Gaza Strip, the West
Bank, & parts of Turkey.
100% Sunni
Historical Characteristics
Caliph: a person
considered a political
and religious
successor to the
Islamic prophet,
Muhammad, and a
leader of the entire
Muslim community.
Historical Characteristics
So far, the U.S. had conducted 5,314 strikes against ISIS targets in
Iraq and Syria through March 15, according to Pentagon statistics;
Daily Beast
Nov 2015: Russia begins bombing of ISIL targets after ISIL claimed responsibility of
downing a Russian passenger plane heading from Sinai, Egypt to St Petersburg
Russia
GALLUP POLL: NOVEMBER 12, 2015 on the eve of the Paris attack
In U.S., 53% Oppose Sending Ground Troops to Fight Militants in Iraq and Syria
43% support ground troops to fight militants
Nov 19, 2015: The French President announces that France is,
indeed, at war with ISIL
Name_____________________
Global Studies
ISIS Briefing
Text of the National Security Video that you will soon be watching:
Mr. President, As your National Security advisors, it is our responsibility to provide you with up-to-date
information about situations in the world that may present a risk to the safety of the United States, or, to the
well-being of human rights everywhere. With that in mind, over the past few months, a group called ISIS- or
the Islamic State in Iraq and Syriahas grown to become the largest terrorist network in the Middle East.
Starting as a splinter group of Al Qaeda during the Iraq War, ISIS is now a well-armed, violent, extremist
organization whose goal is to establish a global Islamic state based upon strict religious law. This belief system
includes a hatred of democracy, individual liberty, and respect and tolerance of different faiths.
In fact, ISIS is known for terrorizing religious minorities throughout the region, including Christians, Yazidis,
Kurds, and Shiite Muslims. Other mass killings of innocent civilians have been widespread, with over a
thousand murderedwith many more forced to flee for their lives. What is equally disturbing is ISISs
treatment of women, with hundreds of young girls forced into marriage or face death. Recently, the world
was also shocked to see the murder of American journalist James Foley.
During the past year, ISIS has spread rapidly throughout eastern Syria and Iraq, controlling an area of close
to 13,000 square miles. It has conquered Mosul and other significant Iraqi cities, grabbing two billion dollars
in cash from looted bank accounts, as well as income from oil and gas fields. According to the Huffington
Post, It has formed a terrorist army with an estimated 30,000 - 50,000 fighters and is now armed with tanks
and weapons stolen from the Iraqi army.
Likewise, because of its sophisticated use of social media and propaganda, ISIS has had over 2,000 Westerners
join their cause, including over 200 Americans with passports. It is a group that not only poses a significant
threat to human rights around the world, but to the security of our nation here at home.
Mr. President, at this point, we kindly ask that you and the other members of the security team answer the
questions on the worksheet that follows. Once everyone is finished, you can open up the floor for discussion
and debate.
Mr. Conrad will pick a student to be the President, and will then serve as their Chief of Staff, facilitating the
discussion and making sure everyone is involved. After listening to the group, the President will then be
asked to choose two courses of action that he or she feels are best. Good luck.
ISIS Briefing
Activity