Transcript Document

Chapter 9 – The Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, and
Iran
Section Notes
Video
Physical Geography
The Arabian Peninsula
Iraq
Iran
World Almanac
Saudi Arabia’s Oil Production
Saudi Arabia’s Exports
Impact of Oil
Maps
The Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, and Iran:
Political
Physical
Climate
Saudi Arabia’s Oil Fields
Mesopotamia and Sumer
The Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, and Iran
Images
Quick Facts
Chapter 9 Visual Summary
Geography
Oil Wealth
Iraqi Woman
Yazd, Iran
Major Oil Producers
Physical Geography
The Big Idea
The Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, and Iran make up a mostly
desert region with very valuable oil resources.
Main Ideas
• Major physical features of the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq,
and Iran are desert plains and mountains.
• The region has a dry climate and little vegetation.
• Most of the world is dependent on oil, a resource that is
exported from this region.
Main Idea 1:
Major physical features of the Arabian
Peninsula, Iraq, and Iran are desert plains
and mountains.
• The Arabian Peninsula has the largest sand desert in the
world, along with huge expanses of desert covered with
bare rock or gravel.
• Iran, Iraq, and the Arabian Peninsula form a sort of
semicircle, with the Persian Gulf in the center.
• The Arabian Peninsula is bounded by the Gulf of Oman,
the Arabian Sea, and the Red Sea.
• The Caspian Sea borders Iran to the north.
Landforms of the Arabian Peninsula
Rivers
• The Tigris and
Euphrates rivers
flow across a low,
flat plain in Iraq
and join together
before they reach
the Persian Gulf.
• They are known as
exotic rivers, or
rivers that begin in
humid regions and
then flow through
dry areas.
• The Arabian
Peninsula has no
permanent rivers.
Plains
• Cover the east
• Desert plains are
covered with sand
in the south and
volcanic rock in the
north.
Plateaus and
Mountains
• Near the Red Sea
the landscape
becomes plateaus
and mountains.
• Highest point on
the peninsula is in
the mountains of
Yemen.
• Plateaus and
mountains cover
most of Iran—the
Zagros Mountains
in the west, and the
Elburz Mountains
and the Kopet-Dag
to the north.
Main Idea 2:
The region has a dry climate and little
vegetation.
Climate
• Mostly desert climate
• Summer afternoon temperatures
climb to over 100°F.
• Winter nighttime temperatures
dip to below freezing.
• The Rub’ al-Khali, the world’s
largest sand desert, covers much
of southern Saudi Arabia.
• Sand dunes can rise to 800 feet
high and stretch 200 miles.
• Higher areas generally have
semiarid steppe climates.
Vegetation
• Trees are common in mountain
regions and in scattered desert
oases. An oasis is a wet, fertile
area in a desert that forms
where underground water
bubbles to the surface.
• Shrubs and grasses that grow on
the region’s dry plains have roots
that either grow deep or spread
out far to capture as much water
as possible.
• Some places in the region are
too dry or too salty to support
any vegetation.
Main Idea 3:
Most of the world is dependent on oil,
a resource that is exported from this region.
• Water is one of the region’s two most valuable resources,
but is very scarce.
• Some springs provide water.
• Water can come from wells dug into dry streambeds called
wadis.
• Modern wells can reach groundwater, but it is often fossil
water. Fossil water is water that is not being replaced by
rainfall.
Oil
• Oil is plentiful.
• Most of the oil fields are near the shores of the Persian
Gulf.
• Oil cannot be replaced once it is taken from Earth.
• Oil exports bring great wealth to the countries that have
oil fields.
– Most countries of the region are not rich in other resources.
– Iran is an exception with its mineral deposits.
The Arabian Peninsula
The Big Idea
Most countries of the Arabian Peninsula share three main
characteristics: Islamic religion and culture, monarchy as
a form of government, and valuable oil resources.
Main Ideas
• Islamic culture and an economy greatly based on oil
influence life in Saudi Arabia.
• Most other Arabian Peninsula countries are monarchies
influenced by Islamic culture and oil resources.
Main Idea 1:
Islamic culture and an economy greatly
based on oil influence life in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia is the largest of the countries of the Arabian Peninsula.
Nearly all Saudis are Arabs and speak Arabic.
Nearly all Saudis are Shia Muslims or Sunni Muslims. About 85 percent
are Sunni.
Shia Muslims believe that true interpretation of Islamic teaching can
only come from certain religious and political leaders called imams.
Sunni Muslims believe in the ability of the majority of the community
to interpret Islamic teachings.
Islam requires modesty. Saudis keep arms and legs covered.
Saudi laws and customs limit women’s activities.
Government and Economy
Government
•
Monarchy
•
Saud family rulers since 1932
•
Most government officials are relatives of the king.
•
No elected legislature
•
Local officials elected
•
Only men allowed to vote
Economy
•
Economy based on oil (world’s leading exporter of oil)
•
Influential member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting
Countries, or OPEC
•
OPEC is an international organization whose members work to
influence the price of oil on world markets by controlling the supply.
Economic Challenges
• Oil has brought wealth.
• Sizable middle class
• Free health care and education
• But Saudi Arabia still faces economic challenges.
• Must import much of its food because freshwater for
farming is scarce
• Desalination plants remove salt from seawater, but this
requires an extremely expensive procedure.
• High unemployment rate
• High population growth rate
• Many young Saudis study religion instead of technology.
Main Idea 2:
Most other Arabian Peninsula countries are
monarchies influenced by Islamic culture and
oil resources.
• Oil-based economy
Kuwait
• Invaded by Iraq in 1990, starting Persian Gulf War
• Monarchy with a legislature elected in 1992
• Group of islands in the Persian Gulf
Bahrain
• Monarchy with a legislature
• Oil, banking, and tourism
• Small peninsula in the Persian Gulf
Qatar
• Powerful monarch with elected officials
• Oil and natural gas
Other Countries of the Arabian Peninsula
The United
Arab
Emirates
Oman
• Seven tiny kingdoms
• Depends on foreign workers; outnumber citizens
• Oil and natural gas
• Most of the southeastern part of the Arabian
Peninsula
• Government attempting to develop new industries
• Oil
• Southwestern part of the Arabian Peninsula
Yemen
• Elected government with political corruption
• Oil
• Poorest country on the Arabian Peninsula
Iraq
The Big Idea
Iraq, a country with a rich culture and natural resources,
faces the challenge of rebuilding after years of conflict.
Main Ideas
• Iraq’s history includes rule by many conquerors and
cultures, as well as recent wars.
• Most of Iraq’s people are Arabs, and Iraqi culture includes
the religion of Islam.
• Iraq today must rebuild its government and economy,
which have suffered from years of conflict.
Main Idea 1:
Iraq’s history includes rule by many
conquerors and cultures, as well as
recent wars.
• The world’s first civilization was in Mesopotamia, a region that
is part of Iraq today.
• Persians conquered Mesopotamia in the 500s BC.
• By 331 BC it was part of Alexander the Great’s empire.
• In the AD 600s Arabs conquered Mesopotamia.
• In the 1500s Mesopotamia became part of the Ottoman
Empire.
• During World War I Great Britain took over the region.
• Iraqi army officers overthrew the government in the 1950s.
• In 1968, after several more changes in government, the Baath
Party took power.
Saddam Takes Power
1979: Baath leader named Saddam Hussein became Iraq’s
president.
Saddam controlled Iraq’s media, restricted personal freedoms,
and killed political enemies.
1980: Iraq invaded Iran. The Iran-Iraq War lasted until 1988.
1990: Iraq invaded Kuwait.
1991: Alliance of countries led by the United States forced the
Iraqis out of Kuwait in the Persian Gulf War.
Saddam would not accept all the United Nations’ (UN) peace
terms.
The UN placed an embargo, or limit on trade, on Iraq.
War and Its Effects
• Soon after the Persian Gulf War ended, Saddam crushed
two rebellions from Shia Muslims and Kurds.
• The UN forced Iraq to end all military activity and allow
inspectors into the country.
• Iraq later refused to cooperate completely.
• September 11, 2001: Terrorist attacks on the United
States led to new tensions between the United States
and Iraq.
• March 2003: U.S. forces attacked Iraqi targets. Soon
after, the Iraqi army was defeated and Saddam’s
government was crushed.
• Saddam went into hiding, and eight months later U.S.
soldiers found him. After his arrest, Saddam was tried
and executed for his crimes.
West and Southwest Culture Areas
Ethnic Groups
• Iraq has a population of
about 26 million, most
living in cities.
• More than 75 percent
are Arabs and speak the
country’s official
language, Arabic.
• Some 15 to 20 percent
are Kurds. They are
mostly farmers and live
in a large region of
northern Iraq. Most
speak Kurdish in
addition to Arabic.
Religion
• Nearly all Iraqis are
Muslim.
• About 60 percent are
Shia and live in the
south.
• About 35 percent are
Sunnis and live in the
north.
Main Idea 3:
Iraq today must rebuild its government and
economy, which have suffered from years of
conflict.
•
Iraq’s capital, Baghdad, was severely damaged in
the recent war. U.S. military and private contractors
helped restore electricity and water, and rebuild
homes, businesses, and schools.
•
January 2005: first democratic elections
•
Members elected to the National Assembly
•
New constitution written
•
Trying to recover oil production
•
•
Producing barley, cotton, and rice
Iraq faces huge challenges in creating a free and
prosperous society.
Rebuilding
Government
Economy
Iran
The Big Idea
Islam is a huge influence on government and
daily life in Iran.
Main Ideas
• Iran’s history includes great empires and an Islamic
republic.
• In Iran today, Islamic religious leaders restrict the rights
of most Iranians.
Main Idea 1:
Iran’s history includes great empires
and an Islamic republic.
• Starting in the 500s BC the Persian Empire ruled the
region around present-day Iran.
• For centuries Persia was a great center of art and
learning.
– Known for paintings, carpets, metalwork, and architecture
– Walls and statues throughout the empire’s capital,
Persepolis, glittered with gold, silver, and precious jewels.
• The Persian Empire was later conquered by several
Muslim empires.
• The Persians converted to Islam, but retained their
Persian culture.
The Shah and Islamic Revolution
•1921: An Iranian military officer took power and claimed the
old Persian title of shah, or king.
•1941: The shah’s son took control and tried to modernize Iran.
•1978: Iranians began a revolution, a drastic change in a
country’s government and way of life.
•1979: Iranians overthrew the shah and set up an Islamic
republic, following strict Islamic law.
Relations with the United States broke down. A mob of students
attacked the U.S. Embassy in Iran’s capital, Tehran.
With the approval of Iran’s government, the students took more
than 50 Americans working at the embassy hostage and held
them by force for over a year.
Main Idea 2:
In Iran today, Islamic religious leaders
restrict the rights of most Iranians.
More than half of all Iranians are Persian and speak Farsi.
Most of Iran’s population of 68 million is very young and
ethnically diverse. Ethnic groups include Persians, Azerbaijanis,
Kurds, Arabs, and Turks.
Most Iranians belong to the Shia branch of Islam.
In addition to Islamic holy days, Iranians celebrate Nowruz—
the Persian New Year.
Iranian culture also includes close-knit families and respect for
elders.
Economy and Government
Economy
• Huge oil reserves
• Production of beautiful woven carpets
• Strong agricultural sector
Government
• Current government is a theocracy—a government ruled by
religious leaders.
• Religious leaders, or ayatollahs, control Iran’s government
• The head of the ayatollahs has unlimited power.
• Iran has an elected president and parliament.
Iran’s Current Government
• Iran’s government has supported many hard-line policies.
– Called for the destruction of Israel
– Supported terrorist groups in other countries
• In 1997 the newly elected president supported improving
Iran’s economy and rights for women.
• In 2005, Iranians elected Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
president.
– He supports strict Islamic law.
An Iraqi woman holds up her
ink-stained finger in a sign of
victory after voting in Iraq's
first democratic elections.
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