North Africa, Southwest Asia, Central Asia

By Sophia Delfini, Jeremy Haney, and Jessica Kaczinski North Africa, Southwest Asia, Central Asia

Nile River • The Nile River is in Egypt • The Nile River is the longest river in the world • The word Nile came from the Greek word Neilos meaning valley • The Egyptians named the river Ar meaning black, because when it floods it leaves behind a black residua. • The Nile river is 6695 kilometers or 1484 miles long. • the Nile river played a big role in the Egyptians life by helping them grow food and much more.

The Kurds History Today • The Kurdish people live in South Africa for thousands of years • They never formed a powerful kingdom • They lived under the rule of the Muslim empires. • They dream of independent • They live between turkey, Iran and Iraq • They have been mistreated among the tree countries

North Africa While some North African countries are enjoying income from oil resources, others still have struggling economies.

North Arica Egypt Tunisia • Some people in Egypt relay on modern day tools to farm while others use tools from their ancestors. • It’s main resource is oil, which is found in the Red Sea. • Egypt's industries are drawing more people to cities than they have in the past. Libya • Much of this country is desert • The growing population lives on the Mediterranean Coast. • This country includes modern cities. • Oil has brought Libya great wealth over the years. • Tunisia is North Africa’s smallest country. • The people in Tunisia practice mostly Islam. • Farmers grow many different vegetables. • It’s coastal location attracts many people. • Tunisia has the lowest rates of poverty in Africa. Algeria • It is North Africa’s largest country. • From 1830-1962 it was a French colony. • In 1954 Algeria Arabs rose up against the French. • Then a bloody civil war erupted. • The fight ended and Algeria won independence.

Southwest Asia Religious and ethnic conflicts in southwest Asia affects other parts of the world because of the area’s oil and gas resources.

Southwest Asia Turkey Syria • Turkey has a mild climate. • They grow local foods, cotton, and tobacco. • The economy is supported by the production of textiles, steel, and cars. • Most Turks are Muslims. • Turkey is the largest pollution in south west Asia. • The people live in cities or towns. • They became a republic in 1923 after the empires fall. • The major economy center is Istanbul. • Syria is south of Turkey. • It has mountains, deserts, and fertile coastal plains. • It is mostly rural areas. • They grow cotton, wheat, and fruit. • The capital is Damascus. • In 1946 they became a independent country. • Their government does not allow many political freedoms. • Dams on the Euphrates river provide water to the people.

Southwest Asia Jordan Lebanon • Lebanon is a tiny country that is half the size of New Jersey. • In Lebanon they grow citrus fruits, grains, olive, grapes, and vegetables. • It is by the Mediterranean sea. • Lebanon became independent in 1943. • Most Lebanese near or in the capital and major port, Beirut. • They mostly speak Arabic. • The people there are Christians and Muslims. • their religious different caused and still cause problems there. • Jordan has fertile valleys and rugged deserts. • They use irrigation to grow wheat, fruits, and vegetables. • The capital city is Amman. • Most of their people work in service and manufacturing industries. • The deserts are home to nomads who raise livestock, which are call bedouin. • The people there are mostly Arab Muslims. • The rulers there are kings and queens who try to blend Jordan with the modern way of life.

Southwest Asia Israel Palestinian Territories • Israel is west of Jordan and on the Mediterranean Sea. • In 1948 Israel became an independent Jewish republic by Israel's first prime minister. • The Palestinian Arabs outnumbered the Jews there because they believed that the land Israel founded belonged to them. So as a result conflict has taken place since 1948 and because of thus thousand of lives have been lost. • Israel capital is Jerusalem. • They grow citrus fruits, vegetables, and cotton. • About eight million Palestinians are scattered around Southwest Asia today. • In 1993 Israel agreed to give Palestinians some self-rule in the Gaza strip and some parts of the West Bank, however some Israeli Jews had still lived here and this caused some tensions between the two countries. • Since 2000 there has been some bomb attacks and Israel began to build a wall the keep others out. They have also sent out hunt teams to the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Southwest Asia Saudi Arabia The Persian Gulf Countries • Saudi Arabia is the largest country in Southwest Asia. • It is mostly covered by big deserts. • Most of their people live along the Red Sea and Persian Gulf coasts. • The capital is Riyadh. • Riyadh is also the largest city in Saudi Arabia. • It is one of the world’s largest oil producers. • It uses the oil to help life there by helping and boosting schools, hospitals, roads, and airports. • Saudi Arabia became a country in 1932. • The countries here are Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. • These countries are along thePersian Gulf. • Qatar developed the natural gas industry. • Bahrain is a banking center. • Women in all these countries have voting rights.

Southwest Asia Oman and Yemen Afghanistan • Oman is in the southeast corner of the Arabian Peninsula. • The country is full of deserts but not all deserts. • It is a good source of oil. • It has used it’s oil related wealth to help the country. • Yemen is in the southwest corner of the Arabian Peninsula. • It is not a oil full country instead the people are farmers and herders. • The capital is Sanaa. • This country lies east of Iran. • Afghanistan is a landlocked mountainous country. • Afghanistan’s capital is Kabul. • There are many ethnic groups in Afghanistan. The two largest ethnic groups are the Pashtuns and the Tajiks. • A lot of the people herd livestock, grow crops, or export produces. • Some things the grow are wheat, fruits, and nuts.

Iraq Southwest Asia Iran Iran is a Muslim nation. 90% of the nation is Shia Muslim. The capital is Tehran. Most of the people live in the city. Iran is now a Islamic republic. Iran is a oil rich country. It was the first country in southwest Asia to drill oil. In 1979 religious leaders over threw the government. • Farmers in Iraq grow rice, vegetables, dates, and cotton. • 70 % of Iraqis live in urban areas. • Muslim Arabs make the largest group in Iraq’s population. • The third largest group consists of the Kurds. • Iraq gained its independence as a kingdom in 1958 • The last king was over thrown in a revolt.

Central Asia Valuable natural resources are helping the people of central Asia overcome the limitation of the area’s harsh environment.

Central Asia Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan • This country is nearly four times the size of Texas. • Dry, treeless plains cover much of its landscape. • Farming is limited here. • About half the people are ethnic Kazakhs. • The country is rich in minerals. • After the soviet collapse in 1991, Kazakhstan became independent. Uzbekistan • It is the a country that is slightly larger than California. • Tashkent, the capital is Central asia’s largest city and industriaal center. • Uzbekistan today relies on agriculture. • This country Is very mountainous. • Farmers raise cotton,vegtables, and fruits. • Government has attempted to help small businesses grow. • More than half of Kyrgyzstan's people belong to the Kyrgyz ethnic group.

Central Asia Turkmenistan Tajikistan • It is larger than Uzbekistan but it has fewer people • Most of the country is part of a huge desert called the Kara-Kum. • Turkmenistan has a large ethnic Turkmen population. • This country contains abundant amounts of natural gas and petroleum. • A powerful president runs the country from Ashkhabad, a major city. • This country is very mountainous. • In the fertile mountains areas farmers grow cotton, grapes, and vegetables. • Most of Tajikistan’s people are ethnic Tajiks or Uzbeks. • In the 1990s a bitter civil war broke out between the government and certain Muslim political groups. • Since then, conflict has taken place between Georgia's ethnic group and groups in other countries.

Central Asia Armenia Georgia • Georgia borders the Black Sea. • Its mountains are rich in coal and oil. • Swift rivers provide hydro electricity for industries. • Most of Georgia's people are ethnic Georgians who are proud of their unique culture, language, and Christian heritage. • Georgia became independent after the fall of the soviet union in 1991. • Since then, conflict has taken place between Georgia's ethnic group and groups in other countries. • This country lies on many faults. • As a result, the country suffers many, frequent, serious earthquakes. • Armenia’s people are mostly ethnic Armenians. • Yerevan, the capital, is one of the world’s oldest cities. • Christianity is the official religion- the first country in the world to do so. • In 1991 Armenia became an independent republic.

Central Asia Azerbaijan • This country is east of the Caucasus region. • The people speak Azeris. • The religion most practiced is Shia Islam. • The capital Baku is the largest city and a major port. • there economy is developing. • They grow grains, cotton, and wine grapes.

Libya Tunisia

Algeria Morocco

Turkey Syria

Lebanon Jordan

sources Hunkins, Boehm. "Chapter 12." North Africa, Southwest Asia, and Central Asia Today. 2010. Orion Place, Columbus, Ohio: McGraw Hill Glencoe, 2010. Print

North Africa, Southwest Asia, Central Asia