MIDDLE EAST Flashcards

1
Q

Biggest ethnic group in the Middle East?

A

Arabs - they speak Arabic

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2
Q

Turkey population?

A
  • 80% Turks - Speak Turkish
  • Rest are Kurds - Speak Kurdish
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3
Q

Iran population?

A

60% Persian - Speak Persian
(Other ethnic groups too)

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4
Q

Where are Kurds found?

A

Kurds are found in Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria.

Some Kurds want all Kurdish regions to unite as an independent country.

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5
Q

What are the main exports in the Middle East?

A

Oil and Gas
- plastics (based on oil)
- fertilisers (uses gas)

Cars from Turkey and Saudi Arabia

Clothing and Textile from Turkey, Jordan and Egypt

Pharmacy stuff and high-tech equipment from Israel

Agriculture exports from more fertile land (along the Nile)

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6
Q

Landlock?

A

Country can’t access the ocean since the nearest coast is outside of their borders and owned to another country.

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7
Q

Peninsula?

A

Piece of land that is almost surrounded by water but is connected to the mainland on one side.

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8
Q

Enclave?

A

A position of territory surrounded by a larger territory whose culturally or ethically distant.

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9
Q

Region?

A

Area of land that has common features, can be natural (climate or landscape) or artificial (language or religion).

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10
Q

Name at 5 contrasts of Middle East:

A
  • hot large areas of desert (little rain)
  • fertile farmland
  • large oil reserves (Iran and Iraq)
  • range of culture and wealth
  • cold areas with deserts
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11
Q

What is Conflict?

A

Serious disagreement, which may lead to violence and even war.

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12
Q

What is Extremists?

A

People with EXTREME political or religious views, willing to take violent actions to support their views.

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13
Q

Geopolitics?

A

How human and geographical factors shape the relationships between countries.

ex: countries may want to stay friendly with a country that it borders or has resources it needs.

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14
Q

Sanctions?

A

Pentalties are placed on another country, to punish it.

ex: refuses to buy goods from that country

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15
Q

Why is the Middle East a unstable region?

A

1) Borders created by Britian and France:
caused problems between some ethnic groups, and split others up (like the Kurds).

2) Tension between Sunni Islams and Shia Islams
led to violence between majority of Middle East (with Sunni Islams) against mostly Iran (with Shia Islams).

3) Conflict between Islamic extremists and rebel groups
(Islamic State and Al-Qaeda)

Most Muslims say these groups do not represent Islam.

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16
Q

Middle East in WW1 was against/with Britain?

A

AGAINST, this is what led to the middle east being split up (splitting ethnic groups and conjoining other ethnic groups which already had conflict) and taken control by Britain and France but eventually they gained their independence.

Conflict still continued as the Middle East’s borders were still divided seperating ethnic groups and conjoining others at conflict.

17
Q

Why did foreign countries include themselves in the Middle East?

A
  • To continue to get oil and gas
  • To prevent islamic extremism of religion from spreading to their countries.
  • To sell things for war (ex: UK got profit from selling weapons)

-To gain influence over more parts of the world, and to be able to be aware of what was going on in the country MORE than the other great powers. (they competed with influence around the world)

18
Q

What was Turkey’s conflict?

A
  • Conflict between Government and Kurdish rebels who want to self-rule (only 1/5th of the population is Kurds)
  • Took in more refugees than any other country in the world (4 million from Syria)
19
Q

What is Iran’s conflict?

A
  • Suspected of helping extremists and developing nuclear weapons.
  • Other countries used sanctions to punish them for this. (They limited oil exports to them.)
  • Sanctions still placed till 2021
  • Sanctions hit Iran’s economy HARD.
20
Q

What is Syria’s conflict?

A
  • Civil war 2011 to 2020?
  • Around 400,000 Syrians killed
  • Over 5 MILLION fled to other countries (mainly Turkey and Lebanon) as refugees.
21
Q

What was Lebanon’s conflict?

A
  • Civil war 1975 to 1991
  • Fragile economy struggling
  • Took over 1.7 million refugees from Syria
22
Q

What was Israel & the State of Palestine’s conflict?

A
  • Jewish people offered a homeland in ‘Palestine’ by Britain after World War 1. It then became ‘Israel.’
  • Conflict between Arabs already living there and Jews.
    (Ongoing today.)
  • Arabs live in two separate areas, Gaza and West bank. Known as ‘State of Palestine.’
  • Israel built settlements in West bank causing much conflict.
23
Q

What is Iraq’s conflict?

A
  • USA and UK invaded in 2003, they thought Iraq’s leader, Saddam Hussein, was a “danger to the world”
  • By the end of the war in 2011, IS (Islamic State) had sprung up.
  • Further war to defeat IS, 2013 to 2017
  • Iraq is STILL fragile today
24
Q

What is Yemen’s conflict?

A
  • Civil war began in 2014
  • Houthi rebels fighting against the government, but several groups were involved.
  • by 2021, over 100 000 Yemenis killed
  • by 2021, over 85 000 dead from famine caused by war
25
Q

What are the impacts of conflict?

A
  • Families fled to save their lives (refugees)
  • Country torn apart
  • Development is reversed
26
Q

What are the impacts of conflict?

A
  • Families fled to save their lives (refugees)
  • Country torn apart
  • Development is reversed
27
Q

What is the climate of the Middle East?

A

Arid -: known for being dry (30 degrees north from equator, due to global wind patterns.)

Semi Arid / Steppe -: receives some precipitation

Mediterranean -: dry summers and mild wet winters (30 and 45 degrees north from the equator)

28
Q

Why is it so dry at the tropics?

A

1) curvature of the Earth:
sun has to pass through a larger area of atmosphere = more energy is lost so air is cooler

2) distance solar radiation has to travel:
solar radiation has further to travel therefore it loses some energy and more is deflected on it’s way.

29
Q

Insolation

A

Incoming solar radiation

30
Q

How does Air circulate and precipitate near the equator?

A

1) ascending moist air releases moisture
2) descending dry air absorbs moisture from ground