Circle the area on this map
C. The Persian Gulf and its coastal areas are the world's largest single source of petroleum. Saudi Arabia and Iran have been major producers of crude oil and natural gas along with the other gulf states – Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
B. It is estimated that 85% to 90% of Saudi Arabia’s population are Sunni Muslims, while 90% to 95% of Iran’s population follows Shia Islam. The split between the Sunnis and Shia sects goes all the way back to a dispute over who would lead the Islamic community after the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632. That Islamic schism led to centuries of war and repression that continues to this day.
D. A civil war involving Sunnis and Shias has devastated Saudi Arabia’s southern neighbor Yemen, the poorest nation in the Middle East. The UN estimated last year that more than 377,000 people had died during the war from violence, starvation or disease. The Saudis and Iranians back opposing sides in Yemen, but they also have faced off in disputes in Bahrain, Iraq and Syria as well as South Asia and Africa.
A. China’s success in helping Iran and Saudi Arabia restore diplomatic relations has been called a serious challenge to the United States’ influence in the Middle East.