Name: Date: Period: Chapter 7: North Africa and Southwest Asia Part Two: pages 363-398 Student Notes I. Egypt and Lower Nile Basin (363-369) General Information: Egypt controls the Suez Canal (Connects the Indian Ocean & the Atlantic Ocean) The region is the link between Africa & Asia, Mediterranean & Red Sea 1. Egypt & the Nile Capital: Cairo Basin Irrigation: Flood waters fertilize the soil of the region, 95% of population live within 12 miles of the Nile Aswan Dam (1968): Created Lake Nasser. 40% of nations power. Problems: Diseases, messes with the ecosystem of the Nile. Fellaheen: Subsistence farmers, haven t really changed for 5000 years Products: Oil, cotton, textiles, tourism 2. Sudan Capital: Khartoum British Rule: Put Muslim/Arabs with African/Christians. When the British left a civil war ensued. War lasted 30 years, killed roughly 2 million, displaced about 4 million. Oil: Discovered in the late 1900s Opportunity for expansion, caused many problems. Oil in the South, Records kept in the North Janjaweed: (Darfur) A militia comprised of Arab/Muslims who took over farms of Africans in Southwest Sudan. They were backed by the army & the killed at will 1
II. Maghreb and its Neighbors (Northwest Africa) (369-372) Maghreb: The collective name for countries in Northwest Africa Atlas Mountains: Lots of rainfall (x3 rainfall in Alexandria) Makes ideal farming land Colonial Impact: Between 1830-1960 over 1 million Europeans settled here. Most of them were French, they soon became dominant in commerce & agriculture Nations: 1. Morocco Capital: Rabat Poverty, conservative in a revolutionary region 2. Algeria Capital: Algiers Fought for freedom against France, country had been in turmoil since 3. Tunisia Capital: Tunis Government is stable, economy has potential, strongest ties to Europe in all of North Africa 4. Libya Capital: Tripoli Majority of the population lives along the coast, economy based around oil, past terrorist activities (2012 Benghazi Attack) 5. Mauritania Capital: Nouakchott Dependent on fishing, Strongly Islamic 6. Mali Capital: Bamako Democratic & Multicultural 7. Niger Capital: Niamey One of the world s least urbanized countries 8. Chad Capital: N Djamena Country with the strongest divide between Christians (South) and Muslims (North) 2
III. Middle East, the Crucible of Conflict (373-381) 1. Iraq (373-375) Capital: Baghdad Size: 60% of the entire Middle East & 40% of its population Heir of Mesopotamia: Rich heritage and national identity, but not much other than that. Stateless Nation: a national group that aspires to be a nation-state but lacks the territorial means to do so (Ex: Palestinians & Kurds) Concern of its neighbors: Iraq is dependent on its neighbors to help move its oil Cultural/Political Geography: Shia : Majority, live in the oil centers Sunni: are the minority Kurds: The area with the control of the oil and the most stable 2. Syria (376) (oldest continuously inhabited city in the world BC 1500) Capital: Damascus Sunni: Majority Shi ite: Minority, they rule the nation Products: Recently oil, traditionally agriculture (Irrigation from Orontes River) Relationship to Lebanon: Occupied and controlled Lebanon until 2005, the UN pressured them to withdraw 3
3. Jordan (376) Capital: Amman Palestinians: Outnumber original residences 2 to 1 The Palestinians were forced there with the creation of Israel 4. Lebanon (376) Capital: Beirut Potential: Prime coastline, agriculture (Bekaa Valley), oil terminals, tourism, it s capital is known as the Paris of the Middle East 1950 s Muslims rebelled against the Christians and took control 1975: Civil war broke out, the country was devastated, Syria took control Today: constant conflict and dysfunction 4
Car bombing in Beirut kills 14, injures 200. Committed by Hezbollah (2013) 5. Israel (377-381) Capital: Jerusalem Creation: Created by the UN in 1948 as a homeland for the Jewish people following WWII. The country was attack immediately 1948 War: Israel responded to the attacks by pushing back and actually taking more land from the attackers. Jordan took the West Bank area (Part of Jerusalem) 5
1967 War: Six Day War: Egypt pushed into Israel, Israel pushed back by taking Golan Heights (Syria), West Bank (Jordan), Gaza Strip & Sinai (Egypt) Israel boasts an incredibly strong air force, which helped them win many conflicts Palestinians: a stateless nation Allies: US & Europe Obstacles for Peace: West Bank: There was a chance for this to be the Palestinian homeland, this ended when Jewish settlements began coming up. Golan Heights: Important water, Strategic because it overlooks Northern Israel. Relations with Syria most likely won t be normalized until this land is return, which is unlikely 6
Jerusalem: Both Israel & Palestine want the city as their capital IV. Arabian Peninsula (381-385) 1. Saudi Arabia Capital: Riyadh Government: Ruled by an absolute monarch, King Salman of Saudi Arabia Used oil to benefit most of his people, Product: Oil, they possess the largest oil reserves in the world. Waist-belt: The area where development is most prominent in SA 7
Pressures: Iraq, Iran (Nuclear Program), Yemen Above: King Salman of Saudi Arabia Below: Prince Mohammed bin Salman 2. Kuwait Capital: Kuwait City Sunni Majority, Progressive (Women allowed to vote in 20017), Block Iraq from the Persian Gulf. 3. Bahrain Capital: Manama Island state Sunni rules over Shia majority Economic problems & social unrest 4. Qatar Capital: Doha Small Peninsula Sunni Majority Focusing on international economic, social, and democratic reforms 5. United Arab Emirates Capital: Abu Dhabi Government: A Federation of 7 emirates, each emirate has a sheik that rules over it, rotate sheiks each year Dubai: Chief economic center of the Arabian Peninsula Hong Kong of Arabian Peninsula 8
of UAE, Investing in many foreign nations Modern, liberal, stable and prosperous Emirates Airline has become a very promote country based 6. Oman Capital: Muscat Gov: Absolute Monarchy Choke point of the Persian Gulf Foreign investment, tourism, and good infrastructure 7. Yemen Capital: San a Choke point to the Red Sea Representative government, progress (Human rights minister is a women) 9
Location of the bombing of the USS Cole (2000) V. Empire States (385-391) A. Turkey Capital: Ankara Ataturk: Mustafa Kemal, Father of the Turks Modernized turkey, Islam lost its official title of state religion. Began to create ties with Europe, adopted the Roman alphabet, monogamy was made law, adapted western laws. Turkey was almost completely removed from the Muslim World Today: Has met resistance over joining the EU, specifically Germany (Their number on trading partner) Products: Textiles, agriculture, minerals, oil and tourism. 10
Istanbul: (Formerly Constantinople) was the capital until 1923. Center of the Byzantine Empire, containing some of the region s most important history. Where the East meets the West. Today the city has crumbling infrastructure with many shanty towns Armenians: The Ottomans (Turkey) forced 2 million to leave their homes in the Northeast. With 600,000 dying from forced evacuation. Today it is an obstacle for the EU Kurds: Make up 1/5 of the population, greatly discriminated against. Today it is a bit better, however animosity between the two sides still remains 11
Alevis: practice a less strict orthodox form of Shiism, greatly persecuted (sometimes murder & arson) European Union: The leaders of Turkey would like to be a part of the EU, the people do not. They feel they are being discriminated against because their Muslim (Bulgaria & Romania were both admitted) Armenian genocide & Nicosia are points that the EU argues prevents it B. Iran, Capital: Tehran History: Sometimes called Persia. It was the center of many empires in the past 4000 years. In the 1950s Iran was a democracy and had a popular prime minister US formed a coup in order to put a pro-western monarch in place In 1979 the monarchy was toppled and replaced with a Theocracy Ruled by an Ayatollah Since then Iran has been under strong religious control 12
Relations with neighbors: None of Iran s neighbors trust them. Today: 2 groups in Iran Those who side with the Ayatollah & The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps The moderates who protest the Ayatollah s rule Population: It has doubled since 1970 67% live in urban areas Majority are under 25 13
There s a lot of internal dissention within Iran The country itself hasn t changed that much over the centuries, specifically in the rural areas Nomadism: Cyclical movement among a definite set of places Qanats: Underground tunnels used to carry water, supply Tehran and other major cities https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ls_ar5upiu 3. Ethnic/Culture: Northwestern region: Kurds and Azeri s live Southwest: Arabs, oil rich, poor and restive Southeast: Baluchis (Pakistan) Iranians are surrounded by a large mix of groups. Many of the groups aren t happy with Iran 4. Energy/Conflict: Income: Oil is 90% of Iran s income Iran/Iraq War: 1980 s left both nations sapped of money and energy Division: Mullahs and Reformers Terrorism: Iran supports many terrorist organizations world-wide 14
Nuclear power: Working on creating it for power and peace VI. Turkestan (Central Asia) (391-398) Former Soviet Central Asian States, A Cultural Mosaic (map on p. 393) 1. Kazakhstan Capital: Astana Between Russia & China, exports oil to both Strong ties to Russia in Northern Kazakhstan 2. Uzbekistan Capital: Tashkent Uzbeks make up %80 of the population Wahhabism (Branch of Sunni Islam) created issues 3. Turkmenistan Capital: Ashgabat 15
Oil, gas, agriculture. Very isolated, difficult to export products 4. Kyrgyzstan Capital: Bishkek Diverse/Multicultural April, 2010 their corrupt president Kurmanbek Bakiyev was removed from office 5. Tajikistan Capital: Dushanbe Multicultural with regional conflicts (Uzbek activism, Islamic revivalism) 6. Afghanistan Capital: Kabul Three Environmental Zones: 16
1. North: Fertile, well-watered plains and basins 2. Central Highlands: rugged, mountainous and earthquake prone 3. Southern Plateaus: deserts 17
Culture: Formed from many different groups traveling through and settling in the region Languages: Pashto & Dari (Comes from Persian language) Ethnic Groups: Pashtuns/Dari (Name forced on them by Pashtuns) War with Russia: Soviet Union invaded, The Mujahedeen (Muslims opposition rose to fight the USSR) They were backed by the US (Stinger Missiles) forced USSR to withdrawal Taliban: Power vacuum after the Soviets left. From Pakistani religious schools Enforced s strict laws Not liked by Muslims and Non-Muslims alike. Haven for like-minded extremists: Osama Bin Laden, helped with the war against Russia, then took it against Saudi Arabia, and the US 18
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