Topic 1: Topic 1: Geography - Middle EastGeography - Middle East

What is the Middle East? And What is the Middle East? And Central Asia?Central Asia?

““Never mind what the fact is, it depends Never mind what the fact is, it depends what it is called.”what it is called.”

What’s wrong with these names?What’s wrong with these names? Near East/LevantNear East/Levant ““Middle East”/”Greater & CentralMiddle East”/”Greater & Central Southwest AsiaSouthwest Asia Maghrib Maghrib

FactsFacts Vast -Region stretching from Rabat to Vast -Region stretching from Rabat to

Tehran (3400 miles)Tehran (3400 miles) Intercontinental—Europe, Africa, and Intercontinental—Europe, Africa, and

Asia-”Crossroads”Asia-”Crossroads” ““Greater Middle East” - Equal to U.S. in size.Greater Middle East” - Equal to U.S. in size. 20 independent states20 independent states 3 Sub-regions: North Africa, Arab land, 3 Sub-regions: North Africa, Arab land,

Highlands of Turkey and IranHighlands of Turkey and Iran Land of the 7 Seas Land of the 7 Seas

Middle East = Middle East = Arab, Muslim, Oil-producing?Arab, Muslim, Oil-producing?

Middle East includes non-Arab states [Iran, Middle East includes non-Arab states [Iran, Israel] and is also ethnically diverse [Kurds, Israel] and is also ethnically diverse [Kurds, Assyrians, Armenians, Turkomans]Assyrians, Armenians, Turkomans]

Middle East is religiously diverse [Islam, Middle East is religiously diverse [Islam, Judaism, Christianity]Judaism, Christianity]

Sunni and Shia and other sects.Sunni and Shia and other sects.

Not all Middle Eastern countries have oil Not all Middle Eastern countries have oil • OIL: S.A., Iraq, U.A.E., Kuwait, Iran, Syria OIL: S.A., Iraq, U.A.E., Kuwait, Iran, Syria • No OIL: Israel, Egypt, Turkey, Jordan, No OIL: Israel, Egypt, Turkey, Jordan,

LebanonLebanon• 30% of the world’s oil production from M.E.30% of the world’s oil production from M.E.

Central AsiaCentral Asia

5 former Soviet states of:5 former Soviet states of:• UzbekistanUzbekistan• TurkmenistanTurkmenistan• TajikistanTajikistan• KyrgyzstanKyrgyzstan• KazakstanKazakstan

Why neglected in historical study?Why neglected in historical study?

What is the “double periphery?”What is the “double periphery?”

Central Asia

http://www.mideastweb.org/maps.htm

MAP EXERCISE

Middle East - 5 Key ThemesMiddle East - 5 Key Themes Old Civilizations, New StatesOld Civilizations, New States

Cultural HeterogeneityCultural Heterogeneity

Institutional WeaknessesInstitutional Weaknesses

External Influences External Influences

Role of Religion – Extremism, Role of Religion – Extremism, Fundamentalism?Fundamentalism?

http://www.mideastweb.org/maps.htm

United Nations Partition Plan, 1947 United Nations Partition Plan, 1947

Tan: Jewish stateGrey: Arab stateWhite: International zone

Holy City of JerusalemHoly City of Jerusalem

Dome of the Rock

Church of the HolySepulcher

The Western Wall

Before 1967 After 1967

http://www.mideastweb.org/maps.htm

Egypt-Nasser, Sadat, Mubarak –Arab Socialism and Pan-Arabism

Iraq - Hussein-Baathist Socialism

Syria – Asad – Baathist Socialism

Libya – Qadafi – Green Socialism

Turkey - Secular Republic

Iran – Shah, Khomeini, Ahmadinejad –Islamism

Saudi Arabia – “Family w/ Flags”, Wahabi Islam

Afghanistan

                                                            

Form of government: Islamic emirate.

Head of state and government: Leader of the faithful.

Population (1998): 24,792,000.

Population projection: (2000) 26,668,000; (2010) 34,098,000.

Natural increase rate per 1,000 population (1997): 25.0 (world avg. 15.7).

Gross national product (1996): U.S.$5,666,000,000 (U.S.$250 per capita).

Land use (1994): forested 2.9%; meadows and pastures 46.0%; agricultural and under permanent cultivation 12.4%; other 38.7%.

North Africa—”the Magrib”

(the West)

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/globalconnections/mideast/maps/topo.html

Note green vegetation areas in Israel on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean sea, and along the Nile river and delta. See night view of same region below.

Physical map of northern Middle East - north to south includes Black Sea, Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Israel and Jordan

For an interactive map of Sunni-Shia Populationshttp://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/shows/iran/map.html

KURDISH AREAS

Good Interactive map – Where is the oil? Who has what for how long?:

http://wolf.readinglitho.co.uk/mainpages/oilmap.html

Crude Oil Imports to US Top 10 Countries, February 2006

Oil Consumption

Greenhouse Gas Emissions