Arabian peninsula

The Arabian Peninsula
Is a peninsula in Southwest Asia at the junction of Africa and Asia consisting mainly of desert.

Arabian Peninsula
The following countries are considered part of the peninsula:
Bahrain
Kuwait
Oman
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
United Arab Emirates
Yemen

The Arabian Peninsula
Population 25. 4 million
Includes 5 million expatriate workers
Contains the earth’s largest concentration of known petroleum reserves
Saudi Arabia occupies most of the area and contains a quarter of the world’s oil deposits
Saudi Arabia
Oil reserves lie in the eastern part of the country along the Persian Gulf coast and the Rub al Khali
Rub al Khali is a desert region in the southeast interior of the Arabian Peninsula.
The Empire States
This is the region that lies immediately to the north of the middle east:
Turkey, Iran, Cyprus, Azerbaijan


Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire was the only Islamic power to seriously challenge the rising power of Western Europe between the 15th and 19th centuries.
It capital was Istanbul (or Constantinople)
The Empire was an Islamic successor to earlier Mediterranean empires - the Roman and Byzantine empires.
Ottoman Empire
The empire steadily declined during the 19th century and met its demise after its defeat in World War I
The new countries created from the remnants of the empire currently number 40 (including the disputed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus).

Modern Turkey
Unique blend of Eastern and Western tradition, often described as a bridge between the two civilizations.
Turkey is a democratic, secular, unitary, constitutional republic.
Modern Turkey
Modern Turkey was founded in 1923 from the Anatolian remnants of the defeated Ottoman Empire
National hero Mustafa KEMAL, was later honored with the title Ataturk, or "Father of the Turks."

Ataturk’s Modern Turkey
Capital moved from Istanbul to Ankara
Islam lost its position as a state religion
Turkey became a secular state
State overtook all religious schools
Roman Alphabet replaced the Arabic
Islamic laws replaced with modified western code
Monogamy was made law
Turkey was separated from the Arab world

Iran
Turkey’s neighbor to the east
Iran had been a monarchy for over 2500 until 1979 when the Shah (supported by America) was overthrown by the Shiites fundamentalist
Iran’s crucial Location
Controls entire corridor between the Caspian sea and the Persian gulf
IRAN
A Country Of Mountains and Deserts
Earthquake zone-the converging zone of the Eurasian and Arabian tectonic
Area subject to devastating earthquakes
Iran
Nomadism the lifestyle of the people
Cities and countryside
Population 70 Million
67% Urbanized
Tehran Is The Capital
Tehran’s population 7.5 million

Energy and conflict
Oil Reserves-90% of the country’s income
1980-1990 War With Iraq left Iran poorer and weaker
Current President Mahmoud Ahmadinejab
A strong sympathizer of a Palestinian state

Iran's Nuclear program
Pursuing a nuclear power program to the disapproval of the western world
Construction of natural gas pipe across Pakistan to India also much concern to the United States

6 STATES OF CENTRAL ASIA
Afghanistan
Was created to serve as a buffer state between the British and Russian during the 19th century
Afghanistan
Afghanistan is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Asia.
Kabul is the capital
Present population is 30.1 million has no ethnic majority


Afghanistan cost of conflict
The longest period between 1933 and 1973, under the rule of King Zahir Shah
As part of Cold War strategies, US supported the Mujahideen (strugglers) group to oust Soviet Union

Taliban
The chaos and corruption that dominated post-Soviet- Afghanistan spawned the rise of the Taliban in 1994.
To institute Islamic Sharia law

Osama bin Laden
During conflict with soviet US and Osama Bin Laden supported Afghanistan
After redraw of the Soviet forces, Osama returned to Saudi Arabia
Was stripped off his Saudi citizenship for bashing the government’s alliance with the US
Fled to Sudan, returned to Afghanistan and became director of al-Qaeda