They are identified on the basis of religion, race, or

Ethnic groups can have many things in common:

Shared history, common _________, language, religion, __________, beliefs, holidays, food, etc.

These characteristics have been part of their community for

All of these things make up a __________ __________, that is shared by the members of the ethnic group.

Three major ethnic groups in the Middle East are the

A religious group is a group of people who share a

A religious group is identified based on common religious beliefs and

Religious groups have many things in common:

God(s), prophets, _________, history, ________ _________, religious laws, holy days, etc.

People from different ethnic groups may share the same religion; however, they may be from different __________.

Three major religious groups in the Middle East are

The majority of people in the Middle East are

Arabs also live in the United States, Canada, parts of ________ _________, and Europe.

Arabs of Southwest Asia believe themselves to be descendants of Abraham through his son

Most Arabs practice _________, while small numbers of Arabs practice other religions.

The majority of Muslims practice ______ _______, and most others practice Shi'a Islam.

Sunni Islam dominates in most Arab areas, especially in

Shi'a Islam is dominant among the Arab population in _______ _______, Lebanon, Kuwait, Bahrain, northern Syria, and northern Yemen.

Most Arabs, whether they are Muslim or Christian, speak

The country of Persia became known as Iran in

Some Persians can also be found living in ___________, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, and the Xinjiang province of China.

The Persians' ancestors were Indo-Europeans who migrated from central Europe and Southern Russia and formed a

Most Persians in Iran practice ______ _______, but some are Sunni and other religions.

Persians speak a language called

The Kurds are an ethnic group that originated as a ______________, ________ people.

Kurds form almost 20% of the population of ________ and _______.

Many Kurds live in an area of northern Iraq called ____________ (not a separate country).

There is a strong _____________ __________ among the Kurds for their own nation.

Kurds of Southwest Asia believe themselves to be descendants of the __________, an ancient Iranian people.

Kurdish Muslims tend to be _____ ________ about certain Islamic practices.

For example, there are _______ ________ for how Kurdish women should dress than there are for Iranian and Arab women.

__________ is an Indo-European language related to Farsi (Persian) and other Iranian languages.