Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
SOUTHWEST ASIA
COUNTRY
CAPITAL
Afghanistan
Kabul
Bahrain
Manama
Cyprus
Nicosia
Iran
Tehran
Iraq
Baghdad
Israel
Jerusalem
Jordan
Amman
Kuwait
Kuwait City
Lebanon
Beirut
Oman
Muscat
Qatar
Doha
Saudi Arabia
Riyadh
Syria
Damascus
Turkey
Ankara
Yemen
Sanaa
Abu Dhabi
AFGHANISTAN
3. Southwestern Lowlands
CULTURE AND HERITAGE
PEOPLE
- Most Afghans are blend of early peoples which includes Aryans, Persians, Arabs and Turkishspeaking from Central Asia.
- They had greater loyalty to their ethnic group or tribe or more than to their country.
- Pashtun
Tajiks
largest ethnic group
WAY OF LIFE
- Rural people live in sundried mud bricks.
- Most of the countrys semi-nomads live in tents made of goat hair.
- Turban worn by men tied in a certain way to indicate their ethnic group.
- Chadri full length hooded garment that leaves only their eyes uncovered.
- Flat loaves of whole grain, sourdough bread at every meal are served.
- Tea- favorite drink.
RELIGION
- 99% are Muslim influence family and community relationships.
- Mullah religious leaders of an Afghan village or semi-nomadic group which interpret Islamic law
and educate the young.
- Mosque Islamic house of worship
IRAN
Capital : Tehran
Official Language: Persian or Parsi
Official Religion: Sunni Islam
Highest Elevation : Mount Damavand
PLACE AND ENVIRONMENT
- A land of snowcapped mountains, green valley and barren deserts.
- One of the worlds oldest countries dated back to 5,000 years.
4 Major Land Regions
1. Interior Plateau occupies half of the country
2. The Mountains has two vast mountain range
a. Elburz
b. Zagros
3. Caspian Sea Coast most heavily cultivated region.
4. Khuzistan Plain rich in petroleum deposit.
CULTURE AND HERITAGE
PEOPLE
- 2/3 of the Iranian people are descendants of an Asian people called Aryans.
- Persian largest ethnic group of Aryan origin.
- Other ethnic groups: Azerbaijanis, Khamseh, Qashqais, Turkomans.
WAY OF LIFE
- Cities have older, traditional and modern sections.
- Blue-domes mosque stand in the older sections
- Bazaar spreads out in a network of narrow passage where merchants sell food, handmade products
and other goods.
- Most apartments and houses have Western style furniture.
- Persian rug hand-woven Oriental rugs made in Iran- cover the floors of almost all homes.
RELIGION
- 99% are Muslim
- 95% belongs to the Shiah branch and the rest are Sunni Muslim.
- 250,000 belong to Bahais religious group minority.
- Zoroastrianism ancient Persian religion.
- Islamic government has little tolerance for Irans religious minorities.
CLOTHING
- Chadong women in the cities also wear long usually black , body veils over their other clothes
(based on Islamic moral teachings)
Men in rural villages dress in rough cotton shirts, baggy black trousers and/or long blue or black
trousers.
- Women sometimes cover their head with scarfs instead of using chadors.
FOOD AND DRINK
- Rice and Bread main food
- Abgusht- thick meat and bean soup
- Dolmeh vegetables stuffed with meat and rice
- Dough yogurt drink
- Kebab lamb roasted on a skewer
RECREATION
- Zurkhaneh house of strength a club performing traditional form of weightlifting exercises and
gymnastics.
- Nowruz Iranian New Year which begins on the first day of spring.
- Green sprouts- symbolize the coming of spring.
ARTS
- Persian poets: Firdausi, Hafiz, and Saadi
- Divan a collection of mystical poems to help plan their lives.
SAUDI ARABIA
Capital : Riyadh
Official Language: Arabic
Official Religion : Sunni Islam
PLACE AND ENVIRONMENT
- Lies in the largest known petroleum deposits in the world.
- of the land region are called Arabian Peninsula
- Land is mainly barren.
5 Mainland Regions
1. Western Highlands
2. Central Plateau
3. Northern Deserts
4. Rub al Khali
5. Eastern Lowlands
CULTURE AND HERITAGE
PEOPLE
- People are racially and ethnically mixed
- Pilgrims- descendants of African, Indonesian and Indian Muslims
- Foreign workers include India, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, United Kingdom and the United
States.
- Nomads travelling herders who were known to be Bedouins
CLOTHING
- Thawb ankle-length cotton or wool garment worn by men covered with jacket or cloak.
- Ghutra head covering as a protection against the sun and wind
- Iqal piece of cloth held in place by a rope band.
- Abayah floor length robe.
TURKEY
(Republic of Turkey)
Capital : Ankara
Official Language: Turkish
Official Religion : Islam
Highest Elevation: Mount Ararat
PLACE AND ENVIRONMENT
- Occupies 3% of the easternmost tip of southern Europe, a region called Thrace
- Istanbul Turkish largest city
- Anatolia / Asia Minor a rocky, barren mountainous peninsula in the eastern part of Turkey.
- Strait - Three bodies of water: Bosporus, Dardanelles, and Sea of Marmara
8 Mainland Regions
1. Northern Plains
2. Western Valleys
3. Southern plains
4. Western Plateaus
5. Eastern Plateau
6. Northern Mountains
7. Mesopotamian Lowlands
CULTURE AND HERITAGE
PEOPLE
- 85% are descendants of an Asian people called Turks.
- Other ethnic groups: Caucasians, Greeks and Armenians
FOOD AND DRINK
- Cracked-wheat and yogurt chief foods.
- Shish Kebab consists of pieces of lamb, tomatoes, peppers, and onions cooked together on skewer.
- Pilaf- combination of rice with almonds, meat, pine nuts and raisins.
- Borek flaky pastry stuffed with meat or cheese.
- Baklava popular dessert made of thin layers of pastry, honey and chopped nuts.
- Kadayif a pastry made with shredded wheat.
- Raki liquor made from raisins.
RECREATION
- Family outings and celebrations are the most common forms of recreation
- Drinking coffee and tea at a restaurant with a scenic view are common past time.
- Others spend their leisure time playing dice game of backgammon
- Greased Wrestling- Turkish form of wrestling where contestants wear tight leather trousers and cover
their bodies with olive oil.
Cuneiform a Sumerian form of writing in square tablet of damp clay which was used to keep
records. In 1840s a British officer Henry Rawlinson identified three types of writing on a huge cliff
known as Behistun rock between Babylon and Ecbatana
Sumerians established schools attended mostly by upper-class professionals- priest, temple and
palace officials, army officers, sea captains and other scribes.
They however do not form a strong and united government preventing them solve the war over land
and water rights of the city-states.
2350 B.C- Sargon the Great of Akkad ruled the city-states which became part of the worlds first
empire (a states in which one ruler controls other kingdoms or territories that are included within the
empires boundaries.). The empire stretches from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea.
2100 B.C. Ur regained power and ruled both Sumer and Akkad.
Rule by Ur-Nammu about 2100 BC and made the first written law code The code of Ur-Nammu.
1792- Babylonian ruler named Hammurabi conquered and united Mesopotamia. He ruled the land
based on Code of Hammurabi which seems harsh today.
Semitic language spoken by the Akkadian and Babylonian
Impressionistic Chart: Nile River Valley Civilization
Egypt the gift of the Nile
Nile River overflows regularly each July.
Flood waters brought moisture to the dry land and also left behind a layer of rich black soil called
Silt.
Silt carried by the river gradually built up a marshy, triangular Delta at its mouth.
Egyptians built reservoirs to store water and dug canals to carry it to the fields.
Egyptians are polytheistic and they believe that the Nile, star or sun are gods dwelling place.
Scribe of the gods is often seen as a man with a head of the bird.
Important feature of Egyptian religion was the belief in life after death which is connected to the
rising and setting of the sun and with the yearly flooding of the Nile.
OSIRIS ruler of the Nile and rich harvest who died each year and was brought to life by his wife
ISIS.
Egyptians believed that when they died, their souls would be weighed against a feather symbolizing
the law to determine who will live in the Other World with Osiris.
2 Kingdoms of Egypt was united by one ruler: Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt.
3100 BC- Menes conquered Lower Egypt and brought all of Egypt in his rule. He built the city of
Memphis as his capital. Double Crown became his symbol.
Menes established the first Dynasty or family of rulers. They ruled until they were overthrown or
there are no heirs to rule.
3 PERIODS:
1. Old Kingdom- based on the strong rule of Menes. Rulers of Egypt established a central
government which held supreme power.
PHARAOH ruler of Egypt, not just a king but considered as one of Egyptians many gods. He is
believed to possess the secrets of heaven and earth. They thought themselves as the protectors of the
people and so tried to rule justly. They are responsible in all aspect of Egyptians life- keeping the
irrigation works in order, directing the army, keeping peace and issuing of laws. The pharaoh owned
Egypts mines and quarries and the trading fleets that sailed to foreign lands.
Chief overseer acting in the name pharaoh, he presided over the royal court, acted as diplomat and
was in charge of tax collection and public works.
Age of Pyramid-- Pyramids were built to serve as pharaohs tombs, built with solid stones in layers
and then covered with smooth facing of white limestone.
Great Pyramid is one of the three known pyramid which still stand in the desert on the west bank of
the Nile near Giza. It was built in honor if Pharaoh Kufu in 2600 BC. Standing 450 feet high and has
more than two million stone blocks, each weighing about 2 tons. The blocks were fitted in place
with such precision that a knife could not be slipped between them.
Old Kingdoms power decline when nobility gains more authority and challenge the supreme rule of
the pharaoh.
2. Middle Kingdom - - ruled by a strong dynasty from Thebes. Culture and trade flourished for 250
years. Expeditions were sent to Nubia to bring back gold and traded with Palestine, Syria and
island of Crete.
The power of the nobles and priests grew again and weakened the pharaohs rule.
1700s Hyksos, meaning Princes from Foreign Lands invaded Egypt.. they had horses and war
chariots, bronze swords and daggers, and heavy bows. They rule over 100 years in Egypt due to their
superiority. However the Egyptians learned how to use their weapons and used it against them.
David a poet-king who defeated the Philistines and made Jerusalem under the royal capital. He
trade treaty with King Hiram of Tyre.
Solomon Wise Ruler- had a large army protecting the kingdom. Hebrew-Phoenician trading
expeditions were sent into the Red Sea and possibly the Indian Ocean. He built a palace and a
magnificent temple for Yahweh made from cedar wood, gold and silver. After his death, the
kingdom was broke into two, a. Nothern part conquered by the Assyrians and b. Southern part by
Nebuchadnezzar who destroyed the Solomons temple, captured the Hebrews and sent to
Babylon which were later freed by the Persians.
Prophets messengers of God. They are Elijah, Isaiah, Micah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah and among
others.
Britain controlled Iraq, Palestine includes Trans-Jordan, Egypt and the Arabian Kingdom which
while France rules Syria and Lebanon.
Arabs felt betrayed and demanded independence.
1920s Turkey and Iran gained their independence including the other Arab territories.
1948- United Nations established a Jewish state of Israel.
1950s Egypt set up the republic which ends the British control.
Growth Arab nationalism was spurred by the British mandate of Palestine
Balfour Declaration viewed that favor the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the
Jewish people
Chaim Weizmann and the Zionist Movement pressed for action to set up a Jewish state.
Oil industries were controlled by foreigners which is an essential for industrialized societies.
1945, oil was the Middle Easts major export and profit went to foreign companies and investors.
Nationalist demand for a greater share of oil profits.
1960 OPEC was established by 13 major oil-producing nations. Through this organization, these
countries can act together in setting oil prices and dealing with the industrial nations. The group
includes 8 largests producers in the Middle East Algeria, Iran, Kuwait, Libya, Qatar, Saudi Arabia,
and the United Arab Emirates. Other 5 members are Indonesia, Ecuador, Gabon, Nigeria and
Venezuela.
Young Turks- one of the earliest nationalist movements in the Middle East who sought to take control
in the Ottoman Empire.
Mustafa Kemal a Turkish military hero and member of the Young Turks.
He turkeys first president and took the name Ataturk (Father of the Turks).
He aims to modernize the backward and tradition bound nation that changed a little since
19500s.
He believed that strong authoritarian was the road to reform. His first move was to separate
the government from the Islamic religion and its tradition. He began by eliminating the
official government position held by the caliph.
Took control of education and legal systems from religious leaders.
He replaced the Arabic script with the Roman alphabet and began a full-scale attack on
illiteracy.
Women were granted equal rights with men including the right to vote and to hold office.
Abolished the Islamic practices of having more than one wife.
Demanded that the Turks should abandon traditional dress and adopt western styles.
Determined to eliminate Western control of industry and trade.
Set up banks, agricultural training stations and cooperatives.
Harry Truman sent aide to Turkey after WWII to keep it from falling under Communist control.
Riza Khan an army commander who overthrew Persias weak government.
He deposed the shah (traditional ruler) and took the crown and the name Riza Shah Pahlavi.
Launched the program of modernization and free the country from foreign control.
He promoted the building of roads and railroads, improve the postal system and developed
programs to bring about industrial and agricultural growth.
He improved the medical care, promoted public education and encouraged western styles of
dress.
1935- returned to its older name Iran meaning land of the Aryans
Mohammed Riza Pahlavi allowed the Allies to station troops in iran and to use the nations
railways.
Started the work of modernizing Iran after the war.
His power was challenged by nationalists led by Irans powerful Prime Minister Mohammed
Mossadegh. They however was also thrown out with a strong western support.
He acted as a dictator and was denounced for spending billions on defense.
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini abolished most of the shahs reforms and ruled the nation according
to Islamic law.
Fundamentalist demanded a return to ancient ways of life sprang up in many countries.
Saddam Hussein ruler of Iraq who ordered the invasion of Iran in 1980.
Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud united Middle East and most of the people of Arabia.
Prince Faisal Saudi Arabias prime minister used oil profits to begin a modernization program in
building hospitals, schools and extensive irrigation works. He provided free education for all
children.
Mohammed Ali modernized Egypt which includes the programs for building of Suez Canal but
remained under the control of Britain.
Gamal Abdel Nasser gained sole authority in 1954 and seek to end foreign interference of Egypt
and the Suez Canal system.
He limited the land owned by one person, reduced rents and set up cooperatives where
farmers could get tools and seeds at low prices.
Began the building of Aswan High Dam on the Nile River
He gave the Arabs a sense of pride and be united under the movement Pan-Arabism: 1.
Elimination of all foreign control over Arab affairs, 2. Unification of the Arab world, and 3.
The destruction of Israel.
Anwar el-Sadat more interested inEgypt than in Arab unity and continued the policy of hostility
toward Israel.
SOCIAL ORGANIZATION
Iran
-
Iraq
-
Israel
-
Parliamentary democracy
The people elect a Parliament, which in turn elects the Prime Minister.
Kuwait
-
Constitutional Monarchy
The power of the Emir (king) is limited by a constitution and a National
Assembly.
SaudiArabia
-
Monarchy
The country is ruled by a King who is a member of the Al Saud royal family.
Syria
-
Turkey
-