Welcome to the Middle East
GEOGRAPHY
Where in the world?
Introduction - Where in the world?
"Middle East" is a name that comes from a European point of view. Areas east of Europe that were nearest were called the "Near East." Those farthest, like China and Japan, were the "Far East." Now, "Middle East" is the main term for the Southwest Asia and North Africa.
Despite the diversity of the region, there are a few unifying characteristics that make the region distinct. The Middle East shares similar physical geography (deserts, mountains, rivers), economic activities (agricultural and oil), and the people share a common history. This is why this region is talked about as ONE region.
On your worksheet:
1. Shade in the countries that are a part of MENA (Middle East & North Africa) on your map
More Than Just Deserts
(adapted from WGBH Educational Foundation, adapted by Newsela staff; 01/08/2018)The landscape of the Middle East has a great deal of diversity. This means it has variety. It is not all desert the way that movies often show it. Large rivers created fertile soil, which allowed for good farming. This helped feed more people, so cities could thrive. Mountain ranges and deserts around the cities both provided protection from invaders.
The fertile (good for farming) soil of the Middle East led to the growth of early civilizations.6,000 years ago, the first cities and civilizations were created here, in what was then known as Mesopotamia.
On your worksheet:
2. How is the physical geography favorable?
Rivers are good for ________________________________________
Mountains are good for ____________________________________
Deserts are good for _______________________________________
Ancient Egypt & the Nile River Region
1915 photo of the Nile River in Egypt
5,000 years ago, another famous civilization grew out of the MENA region: Ancient Egypt. Egypt was one of the most powerful civilizations in the ancient world because of their favorable physical geographic features: the Nile River and the surrounding Sahara Desert.
Every year, the Nile River floods, which makes the soil around the river more fertile - meaning it is easier to grow crops. The Egyptians could grow crops like wheat and barley, which they sold to other civilizations, helping them to grow bigger and richer. Egypt was protected from potential invaders because it is surrounded by vast deserts.
Compare the two maps of the Nile River basin today. Notice how the population (people) and agriculture are concentrated (located) along the Nile River basin. Why do they overlap? Why do the people live near the agriculture?
Population Density in Egypt
Location of Agriculture in the Nile River Basin
On your worksheet:
3. What helped the ancient Egyptians become so successful?
4. Compare the two maps of the Nile River. Notice how the population (people) and agriculture are concentrated (located) along the Nile River basin. Why do they overlap? (hint: think about why the people would live near agriculture and the river)
ECONOMY
How do they make money?
Natural Resources
Natural resources are materials that come from nature, like fertile soil or oil. People can use them for economic gain.
People in Mesopotamia and Egypt long ago developed successful ways to farm where they had little rain. They learned how to channel water from the rivers to their fields. The countries grew rich because of their fertile farms.
Today, the wealth in Middle Eastern soil doesn't come from crops - it comes from oil. Oil, also known as petroleum, is a natural resource. Because it is one of the world’s most valuable, non-renewable natural resources, it often leads to conflict over who controls the oil (petroleum). This region contains more than half of the world's known oil reserves, so many MENA countries are very wealthy.
On your worksheet:
5. Today, the wealth in Middle Eastern soil doesn't come from crops - it comes from _________________. Oil, also known as petroleum, is a ______________________ ___________________________. Because it is one of the world’s most ________________________, non-renewable natural resources it often leads to _______________________over who controls the oil.
6. Do the math! What percent of the world’s oil is found in Africa AND the Middle East (MENA)? ____________ %
7. Which Middle Eastern country produces the most oil? _______________________________
A Well-Traveled Trade Route
The Silk Road was one of many trading routes that crossed into the Middle East. It came all the way from China through central Asia. Merchants (a person whose business is trading between regions) on this route brought products from faraway countries. They brought the first paper and gunpowder from China. These traders also brought new ideas that changed how people thought about science and art and religion. The Silk Road connected economies and products with peoples and cultures.
Another important route in the Middle East was the Suez Canal, built by Europeans in 1869. The canal cut through the desert of Egypt from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea. This allowed ships to travel to India and Southeast Asia without having to travel all the way around Africa.
The Silk Road went across Asia and the Middle East, ending in Europe
The Suez Canal shortened the trip from London to Mumbai. Do the math and figure out how much shorter it was!
On your worksheet:
8. In your opinion, what was the most important thing traded on the Silk Road? Why?
9. Do the math! How many miles did the Suez Canal shorten the trip from London to Mumbai? ________ miles
CULTURE
Who are the people?
The populations of the Middle East have much ethnic and cultural variety. Many different people live different lifestyles here. There are herders, farmers, people who fish, and those who live in cities. How people put food on their tables is closely tied to geography. Where there are grasslands, herders move across the land grazing their goats and sheep. Other families depend on the sea or on rivers for their living. They fish or sell products from boats. Farming communities form wherever they find fertile land. Cities grew quickly in the Middle East in the late 1900s. Cairo and Istanbul each have more than 10 million people working at a variety of urban jobs.
Many of the people in the MENA region descend (come) from one ethnic group- today they are called Arabs. This is because the ethnic group originated from the Arabian Peninsula. Most people in the MENA region are Arabs and share common cultural traits, such as religion and language. Most of them follow the religion of Islam which means they are Muslims. Islam is the world’s second largest religion with 1.6 billion followers, or 23% of the Earth’s population. People who follow Islam are called Muslims and most Muslims in this region speak Arabic. Arabic is spoken by over 290 million people, making it the fifth most spoken language in the world.
Middle Eastern students are studying together - notice the similarities and differences in their clothing.
Examples of the Arabic language
The Dome of the Rock is an Islamic shrine (place of worship) located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem. It was initially completed in 691 CE.
On your worksheet:
10. What are some of the jobs Middle Eastern people have?
Mark each question as True or False. If it’s false, correct the statement to make it true.
_______ 11. Most of the people in MENA are Arabs and speak Arabic.
_______ 12. Most the people in the region are Muslim and follow the religion of Judaism.
_______ 13. Islam is the world’s second smallest religion with 1.6 billion followers.