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Today•North Africa and Southwest Asia

Ancient lands, new countriesPolitical problems

•EuropeGeographical location Physical environmentPopulation

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Last Time•North Africa and Southwest Asia

Culture ReligionLanguageEthnicity

Ancient lands, new countries

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Political geography of this region

•Unrepresentative rule14 countries with hereditary rulers on the globe (possessing real power) — 8 of these are in this region

Countries that are ruled by the military and various types of “strong-men”

Palestinian Arabs, the Kurds, and other ethnic/Muslim minorities

The Kurds, who speak a Persian language, are spread across several modern states. (They are a nation without a state.) Only in Iraq have they achieved near-autonomous rule. In Iran and Turkey, separatist Kurdish guerillas battle with government forces.

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Political powder kegs in this region

•N. African migrants in Europe

•Islamic fundamentalism

•Problematic States

•Kurdish independence

•Israel and the Palestinians

•And of course Iraq

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Currently 5.4 million Jews live in Israel, including 267,000 who live in settlements in the West Bank. 1.4 million Arabs also live in Israel.

Iraqi casualties per week

The costs of the Iraq war

Iraq has the become the world center of terrorism.

2005

The Iraq conflict has displaced more than 4 million people, a large proportion of Iraq’s 29 million citizens. These include both refugees who have fled to other countries and internally displaced persons. Syria and Jordan are the primary destinations of refugees.

Kurds & Sunni Arabs

Shi’a Arabs

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Geography of Europe

•Northerly Location

•Peninsular and insular nature

• Chapel Hill’s relative latitudelocation

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Climate•Atlantic-Western (continental

west coast) (Köppen Cfb; like US west coast)

•Continental-Eastern (Köppen Dfb; like upper midwest in USA)

•Mediterranean-Southern (Köppen Csa; like coastal California in USA)

•Alpine (Köppen Et like Mtns of CA or CO in USA)

S

WE

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Vegetation

•Atlantic-Western

•Continental-Eastern

•Mediterranean-Southern

•Alpine

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Landforms

•Western highlands: British Isles

•North European plain

•Central uplands and plateaux

•Mtns.

•Major river systems

•Consequences of Europe’s physical environment

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Population•World’s 1st Demographic

Transition 1700s-1930s•Stages of the DT•Consequences of Demographic

TransitionHuge population increaseLarge emigrationHigh pop density and urbanization

Labor issues at “end” of DT

Pre -1700

1750s – 1850s

1850s – 1930s

1930s – present

European Demographic Transition

emigration

Why?Why?