SS7G7: b SS7G8: a/b

Southwest Asia Natural Resources and Physical Features

Southwest Asia is a heavily populated place and they also have many natural resources.
The location, climate, physical characteristics, and distribution of natural resources are major
factors in the roles of the different countries natural resources. When there is an area with no
canals, or waterways close to them, they cant ship their natural resources as easily. The
distribution of natural resources such as oil would vary and depend on which country is offering
a better trade or more money, or if the countries or allies.
The oil distribution within Southwest Asia has helped some countries greatly, and not as
much with others. Even though a set of countries like Iran and Israel are relatively close to each
other, they do not get along and there would probably be no chance of Iran giving Israel oil, and
Israel giving Iran help with advancing their technology.
The deserts of Southwest Asia has led people to live in other areas. One of the more
populated areas is the Gaza Strip, it is one of the most populated areas in the world. It is only a
25 mile long strip of land, but it has many residents for its size. The rivers such as the Euphrates
River, drives people to live closer to it because it (and the Tigris and Jordan) is one of the larger
water sources for the countries in its area. The travel is mostly blocked by the deserts, they
cant travel throughout the rivers. If citizens Israel wanted to travel on a ship to North America
they could go throughout the Suez Canal to avoid more stops throughout Africa.
Religions and Ethnic Groups
Southwest Asia is a very diverse region of the world in the area of ethnicities and
religions. The most common type of religion is Islamic, and the most common type of ethnic
group is the Arabs. Some other ethnic groups are the Persians, and Kurds. The two other most
common religions is Judaism and Christianity. Many people think a religious group and an
ethnic group are the same thing, but they are very different. A religious group is a group of
people who follow the same religion and the same God, and preform the same religious
practices. An ethnic group is a group of people who have the same backgrounds in ancestors,
dress the same, look mostly alike and can follow the same religion.
Out of the three most common ethnic groups of Southwest Asia, they are all very
different. The Arabs are mainly Muslim and are Shia and Sunni but do have other religions like
Christianity and Judaism. A Shia Muslim is someone who believes that the leaders should be
descendants of Muhammad, and a Sunni Muslim thinks that the leaders dont have to be
descendants. The Kurds are overwhelmingly Shia, and only have 5% Sunni. The Persians are
mostly Shia Muslims but do have other religions, and Persian women have been through many
struggles with religious practices. The religions within these ethnic groups are different but
overall they all belong to their own ethnic group and all of it is their choice, and they dont have
to be a part of Shia because the rest of the group does it is all their choice