Unit 1 Geography of the Middle East EthnicReligious

Unit 1 Geography of the Middle East (Ethnic/Religious Groups of the Middle East)

Unit 1 Geography of the Middle East (Religious and Ethnic Groups) • Religious Group- Shares a belief system in a god or gods • Three (3) Major Religions in the Middle East are Judaism(Oldest), Christianity, and Islam • Islamic religion is divided between the Sunni and Shia Muslims

Unit 1 Geography of the Middle East (Religious and Ethnic Groups) • Ethnic Group- people who share cultural ideas and beliefs that’s a part of their community • Major Ethnic Groups of the Middle East are; 1. Persians 4. Jewish 2. Turkish 5. Kurdish 3. Arabs

Arabs • Largest ethnic group in Southwest Asia • Descendant of Abraham in the bible, through his son Ishmael • Most Arabs practice Islam • Speak Arabic • Have a long history and rich traditions, using calligraphy and geometric designs

Jewish • Anyone born to a Jewish mother or gone through the formal conversion process • Descendant of Abraham in the Bible, through his son Isaac • National language is Hebrew • Read the Torah • Israel is home for most of the Jewish population in the Middle East.

Kurdish • Live in mountainous areas of Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran • Most Kurds are Muslims. • Speak Kurdish language, a branch of the Iranian language • Kurdish women enjoy greater freedoms; they do not cover their faces and they do not wear the full-cover garments

Turkish • Live in Turkey (mostly Muslim) • Practice some form of Islam; rarely strict about some Islamic practices • An ethnic group based on language, Turkish • Well known for their architecture • Ancestors were part of the Ottoman Empire

Persian • Ethnic group that lived in Iran before arrival of Islam; today make up about half of Iran’s population • Speak Persian • Most practice Shia Islam • Persian women have faced many challenges as a result of strict religious practices. • Persian rugs are among the finest in the world.