The Middle East Georgia Performance Standards SS 7

The Middle East Georgia Performance Standards SS 7 G 5 a-b

Bellringer-Name your countries 1 -6 2 5 4 1 6 3

Enduring Understanding LOCATION Students will understand that location affects a society’s economy, culture, and development.

Georgia Performance Standards SS 7 G 5 The student will locate selected features in Southwestern Asia (Middle East). a. Locate on a world and regional political-physical map: Euphrates River, Jordan River, Tigris River, Suez Canal, Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, Arabian Sea, Red Sea, and Gaza Strip.

Physical Features Jordan River Red Sea Suez Canal Tigris River Euphrates River Persian Gulf Strait of Hormuz Arabian Sea Gaza Strip Stuff to remember

Middle East Rivers and Seas Strait Of Hormuz

Jordan River • Jordan River: Found on the border of Israel and Jordan. It flows from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea and is only 20 feet wide and 17 feet deep in some parts. It is an important source of water for Israel, Jordan, and Syria. Many wars have been fought over this river.

Pretty cool stuff - the Dead Sea A large body of water called the Dead Sea is one of the saltiest bodies of water on Earth Salt and other minerals have collected in it because it has no rivers running through it to make the water fresh The Dead Sea is more than a thousand feet below sea level. Nothing but bacteria lives here. Everything floats!!

Red Sea and Suez Canal • Red Sea: Found between Saudi Arabia and Egypt. • Suez Canal: Found in Egypt and is a manmade canal that connects the Red Sea and Mediterranean Sea

Suez Canal cuts the trip in half!!

Suez Canal shown here in yellow

Suez Canal from Space

Tigris and Euphrates Rivers • They are like twins, starting in the mountains of Turkey and running parallel to each other in some places • Tigris flows through Turkey to Iraq into the Euphrates River, then into the Persian Gulf • Euphrates is the longer of the 2 rivers and flows from Turkey, through Syria (the Tigris does not) into Iraq, then into the Persian Gulf. **Going left to right, Euphrates comes first. **

Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and the Arabian Sea • Persian Gulf: borders Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait. It holds some of the most important oil fields in the world. • Strait of Hormuz: narrow waterway that connects the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea. • Arabian Sea: Body of water found between Saudi Arabia and India. ** In order, remember PSA**

Why would Pirates want to hang out around the Strait of Hormuz? ? ?

Gaza Strip Found in Israel and is very small (only about 25 miles long and 4 -7 miles wide -146 square miles total) and is bordered by Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea. 1. 4 million Palestinian Arab inhabitants live here. Disputes over this territory continue between Israel and the surrounding countries.

Gaza

Golan Heights

Golan Heights • Syria and Israel still contest the ownership of the Heights but have not used open military force since 1974. The great strategic value of the Heights both militarily and as a source of water means that a deal is uncertain. Most countries consider the Golan Heights to be Syrian territory that is occupied by the Israeli military.

Golan Heights

Golan Heights

West Bank

Why do they fight over this area? RELIGION!!! Jews call this area "Judea and Samaria", but this is also holy land for Muslims. Since 1967 most of the West Bank has been under Israeli military occupation. Most of the residents are Arabs, although a large number of Israeli settlements have been built in the region since 1967

Questions-were you paying attention? ? ? 1. Much of the world’s oil supply is shipped through his narrow waterway. 2. This river is the key water source for Israel, Lebanon, and Syria. 3. This small territory has been a source of dispute between Israel and its neighbors for many years. 4. A body of water between Africa and Asia.

Questions-were you paying attention? ? ? 5. Man-made structure that connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea. 6. Two rivers that were the birthplace of ancient civilizations and provide valuable water to the Middle East today. (tell me which is longer) 7. Massive reserves of oil are found here.

Closing Activity Color maps

5 1 9 6 7 8 3 2 4