Chapter 18 The Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, and Iran

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Chapter 18 The Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, and Iran
Section Notes
Video
Impact of Oil
Physical Geography The Arabian Peninsula Iraq Iran
Maps
The Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, and
Iran Political Physical Climate Saudi
Arabias Oil Fields Mesopotamia and Sumer The
Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, and Iran
World Almanac
Saudi Arabias Oil Production Saudi Arabias
Exports
Images
Geography Oil Wealth Iraqi Woman Yazd, Iran Major
Oil Producers
Quick Facts
Chapter 18 Visual Summary
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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.

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Main Idea 1Major 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.

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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 Iranthe
  Zagros Mountains in the west, and the Elburz
  Mountains and the Kopet-Dag to the north.

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Main Idea 2The region has a dry climate and
little vegetation.

• Climate
• Mostly desert climate
• Summer afternoon temperatures climb to over
  100F.
• Winter nighttime temperatures dip to below
  freezing.
• The Rub al-Khali, the worlds 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 regions 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.

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Main Idea 3Most of the world is dependent on
oil, a resource that is exported from this
region.

• Water is one of the regions 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.

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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.

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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.

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Main Idea 1Islamic 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 womens activities.
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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 (worlds 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.

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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.

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Main Idea 2Most other Arabian Peninsula
countries are monarchies influenced by Islamic
culture and oil resources.

• Oil-based economy
• Invaded by Iraq in 1990, starting Persian Gulf
  War
• Monarchy with a legislature elected in 1992

Kuwait

• Group of islands in the Persian Gulf
• Monarchy with a legislature
• Oil, banking, and tourism

Bahrain

• Small peninsula in the Persian Gulf
• Powerful monarch with elected officials
• Oil and natural gas

Qatar
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Other Countries of the Arabian Peninsula

• Seven tiny kingdoms
• Depends on foreign workers outnumber citizens
• Oil and natural gas

The UnitedArab Emirates

• Most of the southeastern part of the Arabian
  Peninsula
• Government attempting to develop new industries
• Oil

Oman

• Southwestern part of the Arabian Peninsula
• Elected government with political corruption
• Oil
• Poorest country on the Arabian Peninsula

Yemen
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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
• Iraqs history includes rule by many conquerors
  and cultures, as well as recent wars.
• Most of Iraqs 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.

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Main Idea 1Iraqs history includes rule by many
conquerors and cultures, as well as recent wars.

• The worlds 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 Greats
  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.

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Saddam Takes Power
1979 Baath leader named Saddam Hussein became
Iraqs president.
Saddam controlled Iraqs 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.
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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
  Saddams government was crushed.
• Months later Saddam was found and arrested for
  his crimes.

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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
  countrys 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.

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Main Idea 3Iraq today must rebuild its
government and economy, which have suffered from
years of conflict.

• Iraqs 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.

Rebuilding

• January 2005 first democratic elections
• Members elected to the National Assembly
• New constitution written

Government

• Trying to recover oil production
• Producing barley, cotton, and rice
• Must still build schools, hospitals, roads, and
  make other improvements

Economy
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Iran

• The Big Idea
• Islam is a huge influence on government and
  daily life in Iran.
• Main Ideas
• Irans history includes great empires and an
  Islamic republic.
• In Iran today, Islamic religious leaders restrict
  the rights of most Iranians.

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Main Idea 1Irans 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 empires
  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.

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The Shah and Islamic Revolution

• 1921 An Iranian military officer took power and
  claimed the old Persian title of shah, or king.

• 1941 The shahs son took control and tried to
  modernize Iran.

• 1978 Iranians began a revolution, a drastic
  change in a countrys 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
Irans capital, Tehran.
With the approval of Irans government, the
students took more than 50 Americans working at
the embassy hostage and held them by force for
over a year.
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Main Idea 2In Iran today, Islamic religious
leaders restrict the rights of most Iranians.
More than half of all Iranians are Persian and
speak Farsi.
Most of Irans 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 Nowruzthe Persian New Year.
Iranian culture also includes close-knit families
and respect for elders.
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Economy and Government
Economy

• Huge oil reserves
• Production of beautiful woven carpets
• Strong agricultural sector

Government

• Current government is a theocracya government
  ruled by religious leaders.
• Religious leaders, or ayatollahs, control Irans
  government
• The head of the ayatollahs has unlimited power.
• Iran has an elected president and parliament.

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Irans Current Government

• Irans 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 Irans economy and rights for women.

• In 2005, Iranians elected Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
  president.
• He supports strict Islamic law.

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