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Conflicts in the Middle East.mp4Islam and Politics_ Crash Course World History 216.mp4Conflict in Israel and Palestine_ Crash Course World History 223.mp4Iran's Revolutions_ Crash Course World History 226.mp4
Google Maps
Google Maps
Use the amazing resource of Google Maps to explore the Middle East!
Use the amazing resource of Google Maps to explore the Middle East!
Google Earth
Google Earth
Use the amazing resource of Google Earth to explore the Middle East!
Use the amazing resource of Google Earth to explore the Middle East!
A region is an area of the world that is grouped together because of shared characteristics. One region of the world is the Middle East, though not everyone agrees which countries are a part of it.
Each body of water in the Middle East has its own special characteristics. The rivers of the Middle East have been important for thousands of years.
Scuba diving in the Red Sea
The Red Sea coast is a popular vacation spot. Although the sea is usually blue, sometimes, when a certain kind of algae dies, it turns parts of the sea red. This image shows someone scuba diving off the coast of Egypt in the Red Sea.
Swimming in the Black Sea
The deeper parts of the Black Sea are full of a chemical called hydrogen sulfide. The chemical covers things dropped deep into the sea with a dark sludge. Some people believe that's how the Black Sea got its name! This image shows people swimming in the Black Sea. In shallow water, people are safe from the sludge!
Boating on the Persian Gulf
Many countries border the Persian Gulf, including Iran, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Bahrain. This image shows a boat off the coast of Qatar in the Persian Gulf.
Relaxing on the Mediterranean Coast
Many Middle Eastern countries border the Mediterranean Sea. This image shows people relaxing on a Mediterranean beach in Lebanon.
Water wars
People around the world need water for drinking, cleaning, farming, and much more. But the Middle East has some of the highest water scarcity in the world. That means there is not enough freshwater to support its growing population. Not having enough water can often lead to conflict.
Here are some disagreements over water in the Middle East:
Egypt is at the end of the Nile River. When countries south of Egypt use too much water, Egypt doesn't get enough water for its people.
More than 90% of Syria's water comes from sources such as the Euphrates River that flow across the borders of neighboring countries. If those countries use too much water, Syrian farmers don't have enough to water their crops.
What other challenges do you think people face when there isn't enough water?
So is the Middle East ever cold?
The average temperature of each country is calculated using hot and cold temperatures recorded throughout the year. That means that during the winter, Middle Eastern countries can still get pretty cold. Some parts of the region even see snow!
Because the Middle East has many different environments, it also is home to many different types of animals, too!
The deadliest scorpion
The deathstalker scorpion can be found in deserts and dry areas across the Middle East. This scorpion is sometimes considered to be the deadliest one in the world.
Fearless monkeys
The Hamadryas Baboon can be found in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and some African countries. Some baboons have lived so close to villages, they have gotten into fights with humans!
Mediterranean turtles
Loggerhead turtles can be found in many Middle Eastern countries that border the Mediterranean Sea.
The Middle East also has many natural resources. Natural resources are things from nature that humans can use. Two important natural resources from the Middle East are oil and natural gas. Those resources can be used to power cars, heaters, and many other daily items.
What's so important about oil?
Oil is used for many things in our daily lives, such as powering a car, fueling a plane, and heating a building. But oil is used for more than fuel! It can also be used to create other products people use every day, such as plastic bottles, toothbrushes, and candles.
The problems with oil
Oil is pulled out of the ground using many special processes. But oil production can bring many problems:
When oil burns, it produces a poisonous gas that can damage people's lungs.
If oil spills into water, it can harm the animals living there or the people drinking the water.
To stop relying on oil, some Middle Eastern countries are turning to other sources of energy, like the sun!
Having a lot of oil and natural gas has had both positive and negative effects on the people in the Middle East.
The role of oil
Oil sometimes plays a role in conflicts. For example, in 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait. The Iraqi government said Kuwait was stealing Iraq's oil. During the war, the Iraqi military set fire to hundreds of Kuwait's oil fields.
The fires burned for eight months, sending toxic chemicals into the air. Finally, with the help of firefighters from around the world, the fires were stopped.
Many people live in the Middle East. These people live in both rural and urban areas.
Big cities, small villages, and everything in between!
The Middle East is home to huge cities, small farms, and many other kinds of places. Compare some of the locations where people can live. How do they compare to your own home?
Thriving in the desert
Some people in the Middle East live in small desert villages. Often, people in those villages come from families who have been skillfully traveling and surviving in the desert for generations!
This image shows a desert village in Jordan.
A city of many religions
Jerusalem is a city of around 800,000 people. Although it isn't a huge city, it is still important to over a billion people! That is because the city has important religious meaning for Jews, Christians, and Muslims.
This image shows both the historical and modern parts of Jerusalem.
A Middle Eastern megacity
The most populous city in the Middle East is Cairo, Egypt, with over 18.7 million people! Cairo is considered a megacity, which is an urban area with over 10 million people in it.
This image shows the Cairo skyline. Cairo is so big, the buildings fade into the background for miles!
The Middle East is home to many different cultures. The word culture (KUHL-cher) describes people's beliefs and traditions. Cultures can provide a link to the past, but they are always changing! Here are some things that people might share if they practice the same culture:
languages
ideas
art
religious beliefs
food
history
ways of living
The Middle East is considered multicultural because it is home to many different cultures.
Language can be an important part of culture. Dozens of languages are spoken in the Middle East!
Official and unofficial languages
Although Arabic is the most common official language in the Middle East, there are dozens of other unofficial languages:
In Turkey, although the official language is Turkish, many people speak Kurdish.
In Egypt and Lebanon, although the official language is Arabic, many people also learn French and English.
People living in the Middle East have many different religious beliefs.
Look at a map of the most common religious groups in each country in the Middle East.
People of many different religions live in the Middle East! Some common religions include Christianity and Judaism. However, the majority of people in the region are Muslims, or people who practice the religion of Islam. Two of the main divisions in Islam are between Sunni Muslims and Shia Muslims. Sunni and Shia Muslims split around 1,400 years ago! However, they still share many traditions:
They both believe the Quran, a holy Muslim text, is the word of God.
They both pray five times a day.
They both consider the Islamic month of Ramadan holy.
In the Middle East, people of many different religions and backgrounds often interact with each other. Sometimes these interactions are peaceful, but other times they can lead to conflict.
A thousand years of trust
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre (SEHP-uhl-ker) is a special place for many Christians. Christians with many different beliefs visit the site. Sometimes, Christians with different beliefs argue over who gets to control parts of the building. But they don't argue about who controls the keys!
Instead, the keys were given to Muslim families who have protected them for generations:
The Joudeh family keeps the keys.
The Nusseibeh family opens the door.
Muslim families have helped control the keys for over 1,300 years!
The Middle East is a region with many different environments, from the breezy Mediterranean Sea to the hot desert called the Sahara. One of the most important natural resources in the Middle East is oil, which brings wealth to the region but can also cause conflicts. The Middle East also has different cultures, so it is considered multicultural. The most common religion in the Middle East is Islam, but there are many other religions in the region, too!
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