World Cultures/Neiffer

2009-2010 Middle East Unit

Unit Test Study Outline
Note: This is from lecture notes only and does not cover content delivered through your research or
projects! This also doesn't include map locations!

I. Middle East Geography E. Holy Cities

A. Defnition of the Middle East F. Why spread so quickly?
B. Bodies of Water G. Muslim demographics
i. Suez Canal III. Arab-Israeli Confict
ii. Tigris & Euphrates River A. Palestine
iii. The Dead Sea B. Jewish populations in Europe/Anti-
C. Mountains and Plateaus (Iran) Semitism
D. Desert Regions C. Zionism
i. Bedouins D. The Middle East during the Early 20th
ii. Locusts Century
iii. Rub al-Khali i. Promises from Great Britain
E. Resources issues ii. Balfour Declaration
i. Water issues iii. New countries discovered
ii. Groundwater vs. desalination E. Oil discovered
iii. Fertile Crescent i. “The Coin of the Realm”
iv. Oil/oil exports ii. Outside infuence
II. Islam F. Jewish movement towards Palestine
A. Abrahamic relgion i. Slow study immigration
i. Monotheism ii. Kibbutz System
ii. Qur-an G. World War II
iii. Christians and Islam i. Arabs and Jews both fght against
B. Qur'an Germany
i. Origins ii. The “Final Solution”
ii. Structure iii. The Holocaust
iii. Language H. Establishment of Israel
C. The Five Pillars of Islam i. Aliyah Bet
i. Shahada ii. Resolution 181
ii. Salat iii. Arab-Israeli War
a) Prayer iv. Six Day War
b) Holy Day I. Current Problems
iii. Zakat i. Attempts at Peace
iv. Sawm a) Camp David Accords
a) Ramadan b) '94 Peace Agreement
b) Eid Mubarak ii. Refugees
v. Hajj iii. One state or two state solution?
D. Religious practices/sharia law