“The Middle Bat isthe place where the continents of Asis, Aftica, and Burope come together. Its iver valleys were home to two of the worlds ist civilizations, along the Nile River and inthe valley between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. It includes some ofthe ‘let inhabited cites in the work. Moreover, the Middle ast is the place where Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—three of the ‘world’s reat relgions—began. For thousands of years, the region hha aso been a center of grest economic stivity. Long ago, that activity focused almost entirely on trade routes that ersserossed the Middle Ess. Today much of the region's economic activity ‘centers on the rich oil deposits of the lands that border on the Persian Gulf, WHAT IS THE MIDDLE EAST? Inthe past, the terms *Near East and the “Levant” have been used to refer tthe region of the Middle Eas. The term “Middle Bat” was fist ‘sed by an American naval officer, Captain Alfred Thayer Maban, in 1902 to contrast the region withthe “Far Eas,” as China and Japan ‘were known then. The term was based on a Wester pont of view and ‘was not used by the people who actualy lived there. (What would they ‘consider themselves inthe middle of, of east of) Residents ofthe area ‘efinethemssives in terms oftheir religion, ethnic or cultural hertaze, language, and county Tink ofthe Middle East as «wheel. Its the “hub’ for the cont rents of Asis, fics, and Enope. The spokes of this wheel extend west, ‘cross Afi tothe Atlantic Ocean ea into Asa as frat Afghanistan, north to Europe through Turkey, and south tothe Arabian Peninsulaand the Indian Ocean (ee the map above}. Opinion vale sto which ‘hunt should be incl in the term Midae Eas.” To most people he core generally inchudes Egypt, Ise, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria Tur sey, Cyprs, lag, Ian, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oran the United Arab Emirstes Qetar, Babys, and Kea. Sudan in Altea and Afghanistan in outa central Asi eso inchoded inthe Mid Eastin tis book tren though these two cultures have strong non-Muslim features a3 ‘rel Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libye are Muslim countries that Te tocated on the continent of Aiea, They are sometimes grouped together asNorh Aca” WHAT BL ‘Most peopl inthe Mid East are Mastin (MUZ na) as flowers of lata ae calle, They sce centuries of common history. They do 2 rot, however, sate the same culture, A culture way of life tin ‘hades the way a goup of people ive and work, One pat of culture ix religion Religion. Although the majority ofthe people in the Middle Est ae “Maslin, Juaisn s the main region in Israel. Sizeable Christin com: ‘untis exist mn Egypt, Lebanon, and Syria. And within Islam itself {here are subdivisions, Mort Muslims are Sunnites (SUN-eyets). But Shite (SHEE eet) Muse Form the rajrty in Tran and re a sieable {roupin Ira, Yemen, Lebonon, and Oman. Groups that have broken Sf from Inlam lite the Druze in Lebanon, Syria, and Israel or the ‘Aawite of Sys ate ale among the religious peope ofthe Midd Eat "The important thing to remember i tht, ike the United States, ‘most Middle Eastern countries have diverse populations. In other ‘Moc, ther etizens come from many Trent backgrounds. Unlike theUnited States, however, wth its constitutional separation of church and state inthe Middle East eligiou identity often is more closely tied to one's social group and status. Language. Arabic is «unifying language for many Middle Eastern countries, but there are several different kinds of Arabic. The type of lamevage found in classic Arabic text ike the Koran (koh-RAN}, the holy book of sam, tna the same a the lnguage sed in today's ewe papers, And newspaper Arabi is also not the seme as spoken Arabic, For «comparon, think ofthe differences between dhe Engh used by William Shakespear, the English used in formal lectures or research ‘papers andthe hres of popular musi. This wl give you sme idea of| the different Arabi sti, ‘Thete are alo ferent dialets, or varieties ofa poken language Inthe Middle East, some of there are Egyptian Arabic, the Arabic of Israel, Lebanon, and Syria the Arabic of the Pesian Gulf region, Iraqi Arabi, and North Aftican Arabic, How diferent are these lets CContrton of new building Riya, Seu aba. from one another? Take the word for eofes, for example. As witen, the Arabie wotd fo eoflee would be pronouiiced “qahvwa” In Is rae, Lebanon, and Syria the word s pronounced “awa.” Inthe Gulf region the a” becomes a" Since Arabic is written without vowels, ‘aration in pronunciation ean occur easly. OF course, there are many instances when not just the pronunclaton of letter, but the entire word is diferent. Which dialects “Bes? That depends on your purpote and aud ence, Which most widely understood Since Egypt s by fa the largest ‘Arab county, a wells the center of the fl industry forthe Arabic Speaking worl, many now-Egyptians ae familiar with that disc. So you can see that whi Arabs can easly read each other's newspapers because the printed language appears the seme, they may have some ify understanding each others Arabic in conversation. Languages. Arabic and Hebrew (he main language of Israel ae Doth Semitic languages that they both grew out ofthe language of the ancient Semites 4 pastoral nomadic people who atginated in the ‘Arabian penis, Ove time, the Hebrews, who with oer Semites Settled in Palestine, developed their own alphabet. Although they have tifferent alphabets, thete ate numerous similarities between Arabic and Hebrew words Fr example, “hell,” “gooibye” and “peace ae similar ‘words in both language. The Arabic word ic slam; the Hebrew word [Shelor, When ane remembers that vowel ate not always written in tithe language, the common rot of the vo words seven more cleahy “The other two major languages ofthe Middle Fast are Persian and ‘Turkish. Unlike Arsbic and Hebreve, neither of these languages is Semitic, Pesan isan Indo-European language; that i was spoken covginally in an area between India and Europe. Today, Persian, ot Faris spoken in ran frmenly known as Persia Turkish ian Alta language that originated somewhere in eastern Europe and Asa I's of course, spoken in Tuthey, Persian user the same serit as Arabic, bot the Tork chatiged to the Latin script in 1928 a past oftheir dive to become move European and less Asin, Theve are also a number of ‘minoiy groups such asthe Kurds of eastern Turkey, northeastern Iraq, find northwestern fren, andthe Armenians ofthe southern Caucasus hd eatin Tutkey al of who have their own linger. [European Languages. European languages are frequently spoken in the Midle Ess, particulary by members ofthe upper class. Quite 5See Zw Zoom S86 Ol» often the choice of European lnguage is flection of past European tule over «particular county. French, fr example, i widely spoken in the former French colonies of Neth Afvics ad toa lesser exten in {Lebanon English is more commonly spoken i ates once controled by Gret Briain: Eaypt, eae, and Jordan. Toay, English s widely used inthe Persian Gulf states of Oman, United Arab Emirates, star, Bab ‘in sind Kuwait. This language usage reflect ther close economic tes ‘Ti American and British ol compas. "The sty of European languages by today’s Middle Easterners should not ply that cultural borrowing has al been in one eesti, ‘Many Enelsh words have Middle Faster origins. Among them ae “ot tent from the Arabic qutn, lemon’ sugar’ “sherbet”, and “syrup” ‘Others inca “guitar” from the Arabi ita) “adm, “algebra, and “eohol The ehess term “checkmate” comes from shak mat, the Persian erm forthe kings dead” ‘ A LARGE DRY REGION “The most stikng features of the Mid East's geography are that most cf the area is characterize by lack of water (especialy in year-ound Sipps) the poor quelity ofthe soll and sharp extremes of tempers fe, By no means al ofthe Middle Est ike thi. Some area ae bet fenwateed shes, and mote temperate, Thus, most people live along the costs in mountain vals i iver vey and around oases, fertile tress in the desert. In thee places, the population demsity—the aver pe number of people per square mile-is high, Ekewhere the land is empty of people Desits and River Valleys. The region ofthe Midte East consis of feveral types of land formation, Fist, there ae the vast deserts tht ‘fake up most of North Afica and the Arabian Peninsula, The Sahara, 7the wos largest desert, extends from the Alantic coast in the west, the Atas Mountains and Use Mediterranean Sea in the north, tothe ‘Res Sea in the east, These ateas are very dr. In Egypt, age country ‘cecupying the northeast comer of Africa, about 96 percent of the land is desert. People ive for the most pr long the fete banks ofthe Nile River. Thre apiculate fe made posable by yealy sol-enrihng lod. Has along the Dunks ofthe Nile thatthe ancont Egyptians developed tone of the earhet ciliztion. As you wil ez, ves have played an {important role in shaping the history and eultures of the Middle Eas. Ent ofthe Nile across the Suez Canal and south ofthe Sinai Penin sul, the Arabian Peninsula ee map on pages 10-1). ‘ordered bythe Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Oman, andthe Persian Gulf, the Arabian Peninsula consists Inainly of vast plateau. A plata e «high, broad level landform with atleast one step side tr urually near mountains, On the Arabian Penintla, the meuntains bie slong the wes coast ofthe plateau and ease in height a one travel south. In Yemen, along the peninsul's Southwest corner, the mountains reach a height of sbout 1,000 feet ($4658 meter) Inthe basin shaped intevior ofthe Arabian Penis s the Rub'al Khali or “Empty Qusrter." This uninhabited desert of £00,000 square miles (1036000 square Kilometers i one of the words est paces ‘Noth of the dry Arabian Peninsl is he Fertile Crescent eon named for its semielreular shape and heavier rainfall The Fertile escent extends long the Mediterranean coastal pain in Israel and sweeps nothest through Lebanon and Sy. Like a quater moon, the escent curves southward to Iraq, where it includes the Tigris and Euphrates river valleys, The Fete Crescent is the place where many cient cvizations beg, ‘The Sahar. Pre ofthis hage dee asd. Other bars arerecky. ‘Some ofthe highet mountain in the Midi Bat oe {hens Aghoniton at theese ego he eon ‘Other oy high moana ere he Sar Mou Morocco tthe western de ofthe gion. Find tase ‘mount on the map om og 10-1 Te Tia and Euphrates rivers rive inthe Lite Caucasus moun tains of Turkey and Ian (ee map, pages 10-11). Flowing south through the broad plane of Ia, the twa rivers meet at Basta to form another tives the SattAl-Arab, Unie the more predictable floods ofthe Nile, the Tigris and Euphrates rivers are move apt to feed without warning ‘Alb, une the Nie, the iver are more difficult to navigate, ‘Mountains and Waterways. Another type of ind formation found in the Middle East i the mountain. Turkey is ringed by geologically active mountains—the Pontic Mountains facing the Black Sea and the ‘Taurus Mountains fcing the Mediteranean Sea, Both mountain areas are sbiet to eartngutkes. Inthe mide of Turkey lies the Anatolian Pater reels region used for pastoralism, or animal herding, and ary farming. Turkeys narrow coastal regions ae well watered, fertile, td welled to agriculture “Turkey lies in two continents—Europe and Asia—slthough the ‘Asian, ot Anata, ie i the larger The two continent are separated by several store bodies of water. These are the Bosporus, the Sea of ‘Marmara, and the Dardanelles, Al three waterways have had great sta tei vale inthe pst and continue tobe important in shipping.Southeast of Tukey le Ian, It consists primary of high pltesw {avout 4000 feet or 1,219 meters situated between the Elbure ‘Mountains in the noth 2 the Zagros Mountains inthe zuth. As one Inoves eat the land becomes die, unt it gives way to deserts the ‘orden of Afghanistan and Pakistan Limited Rainfall, As the map on gages 14-15 shows, most places in ‘he Middle East get less than 20 inches (61 centimeters) of rain each syrat Moch of the regione dese due to sever factors. Moistureladen Janus from the Mesiterianeen, Back, and Caspian seas drop thet ain nthe semvard ide ofthe upland mountain slopes. Consequenty, the {olan areas get very tle ainfl, The farther inland one goes from the ‘ountsin pes that ring the Mediterranean, the les water one find. "The southern sie ofthe Arabisn Peninsula ceceives rainfall fom 10 sansoons blowing from the Indian Ocean. Monsoons ar. ‘winds thet change direction with the seasons. Winter monsees ate gen aly dry, while smmer monsoons are very wet. In Yernen he amount frais sufficient to grow coffe plants (It was through the Yemeni part of Mocha tht cofee achieved wesldwide popularity asa beverage) ‘Almost everywhere ele ia the region rin falls during the winter ‘montis, when the wet svnds bring moisture tothe kind. However, the amount and Ingth of rainfall vais considerably From yeae to yeat For example, one yea’ anal may be limited to two or See cloud borsts: These aude, intense rain often produce Noods that erode oF swears, the seater than ineease its ety Inrigation: Help and Hindrance, Because ofthe dry oll and meager rainfall, nonisigated farming i Bosible only in small areas of Tean, Me“Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Iral, Wide-seae agriculture is posible only by metns of irigaton ti Limited to the iver valleys of the Nile andthe Tigris and Euphrates. fp an and Oman underground canals cary water frm mountain steams othe pans “However, steady ligation can aie problems, Ground water can be completely used up le, there mey be too much salt inthe so. When the water tele (the ground below the surface that i saturated with vate is nen the suttice ofthe ground, salt that exists natural in the Soils drewn upward withthe water. Eventual, the amount of salt eft ‘nar the surface after evaporation wl poll the si, making it unfit for saviculture Many acres of therwise good farmland have had to be abandoned beone ofthis problem. Gimate Zones. Most area ofthe Middle Hast genealy have hot dry summers and fay long winters with some ran, Snow i common at higher elevations, Therefore, temperature ranges may be extreme In mos regen, spring and autumn ae brief seasons, During the sures, hot dst winds low inland from the south nd southeast. They to the arcu problems by bowing ay layers of top sol Tithe inland plateaus of Iran and Anatol, winter temperatures fll below freezing, nd summer temperatures can rie a8 high as 100°F or ‘ore Rainfall between I0 and 20 inches (25 t 51 centimeters). Along the conss and the Fertile Crescent, oof increases upto 40 inches (ioe centimeters) in Bert, the capt of Lebanon. On the other side of the mountain ranges, Damascus the capital of Sys gets nly 10 in (25 cenltneters) of enfall exch year. The sare contrast holds tre for Beetshebs in Israel and Amman, the capital of Jordan. Along the “Medierancan cost, however, temperatures ee very ruc Tike thse cof southern Calor “Moving south into the desert, the land gets even der. Even along the cous, rainfall averages only 10 inches (25 centimeters) a year ‘Although rain may not fl, he ai ay stl be humid because ofthe Closeness of the sea. Ths, combined with high temperature, can make fora very uncomfortable environment. The contrast inthis region is fot between collie and interior, but between desert and rive aly eis not surprising tat sves have played a important role in the ont of easton inthe Mile Es. Egypt is "the git ofthe Nie,” Er Herodotus, the ancient Gree historian, wrote. Summers are hot and dy winters have litle rina, Caco, Egypt's capitl, has an average ‘eat afl of 8 inches (20 centimeters} Baghdad the capital of Ia, ths an annul infil of 6 inches (15 eentimeten), Rn AGRICULTURE AND INDUSTRY Given the lind foiations,avabltyof water, and climate found i the ‘Midle Eat, arabe land or land stable for farming, severely rte Infact only about seven percent of all the land in the Middle Bas is ‘under cultivation. But wht good land i availble can en be over: [razed or overworked as farmers atompt to provide for tei uli Forexample, hungry animal herds (partislay got) often sep the and oft plan ie. When ths happens, the sol becomes even more exposed tothe forces of erosion. The result is desertification, the process by thin aable and becomes desert. Over the years, overeraaing ai {ene farming have caused the deserts ofthe Mid Est to growin ie. ‘People have hurt the land in other ways a wel Long go, pats of ‘he Midale East were covered by forests, The Bible describes some of these forests including the famous cedars of Lebanon. But for over 5,000 years, people inte region have been cutting down thse wooded ‘eas to build towns and cities and clear land for farming. Wood has Jong been the mest prized building materi the region. The process of dlearing land of forest i caled deforestation. "Today the Mid East har very few forested areas. Jost fe stands of tres grow onthe slopes ofthe Elburz Mountains in Iran nd the Le ‘banon Mountains. ewhere, the oly tees tat remain ae those that were planted by people. They are found mata along rivers and iis tion ditches on cemeteries, gardens 2nd pars “Tres ave more than a soure of building materi o Fue. They re ‘ent erosion by holding the tol in place. Tis is expecially important in "teglon where mort forest were in the highlands. Once thoe forest tee gone, there was noting to keep thes from washing away when the spring rans etme, As the hilsdes eroded, flooding increased in the valleys and the phi ‘Some courier, notably Irae, have started reforestation projec in which they plant ees to top eroion. The Iralis are so werking sop desetifation by turing pars ofthe desert nt farmland through jnneation. Pipelines and canals pump water frm the Sea of Galle to the Nope, aes desert. Goats, and Camels, It should not be surprising or dsty cows are rare i Ue Mile Bast. The losh tracing land they require for survival just does not exis insufficient mounts, Instead, people raise sheep goats, and camels, animals which do wel despite listed grating land. Much has been witen about how Bihe Midale East and North Arica: Rainfall Map Ir ffcient the camels in the desettenstonment. However 38 moder ‘ehnology hasbeen introduced, the role ofthe eamel as more and nore become that of photographic attraction fr tours ‘Madde Eastcroers who depend solely on herding for hee ivelhood have become fewer and fewer in number. They probably mak up less thon 5 percent ofthe region's popsation Today, it is ore common for farmers to own fev fied animal, which ay also be wsed oceasionally for milk and meat n Egypt, pigeon is a common source of mest, and farmhouses have pigeon tower to attract the Biss Agticoltore. ‘The Middle Eat grows wide variety of arcu pr ‘hice Higher ainfll along the Mediterranean coat allows farmers to ‘fon vegetables ad lsh eroves of rt tees. In the pas, farmers el aint frit and vegetables ona small sale in gardens around oases Since World War I, however, the production ofits and vegetables has expanded on laeger, more commercial sea, In oases and the as Shlands of Tag, dates are grown Fr both lea consumption and “ xpos. Crop ike bay, whet, lentils and chickpes are native to the Mide East and are gown wherever possible. Commercial Agseuture, When cxops are rise to meet the needs of the local poplation they are called subsistence crops. When they are ‘aise tobe sl, frequently for export, they ave referred toas cash ‘tops Today, cash erps play an important part ia Middle Faster a ture. Catton ia leading cash op ofthe region. By and lage Mie Este cotton is grown under iigaton. Cotton hasan ancient history tan was grown by the exly Egyptians For eveyday use and in uni Cation The expansion of ctton prodtion in Eeypt took place in Sponse to rising demand in Europe inthe 1800s, This ie in demand stos elated tothe American Civil War, when ships carving Southern ton from the Confederacy to England were Bockaded by the Union. ‘second spurt of growth inthe cotton industry took place inthe eat 1950s, This ime the response was toa worlwide shortage, which ed in ta thigh prices 15“Tobacco has been an important commercial crop in the Middle Ent since the 1700s. The leading growing areas ate the Aegean and Dlsckscs const Turkey, the Lat district of Syca, and parts of Jor ‘San. Egyptian cotton is among the ines inthe word. Other significant ash crops ere sunflowers in In and Turkey and sugarcane grown ‘onde gin in Egypt and len nel exports 2 varity of rts and ‘easabls including anges, melons snd tomatoes, Rising eatherops isnot sithout problems. As you have sen, cash cop farmers inthe Middle East are exposed tothe changing tastes and ‘demand ofthe international marketplace. These at, ofcourse, prob ems they shae with farmer round the word as they ty to balance Finacial gain agains exon tik Influences on Industrial Growth, With the exception of ol the Mid ‘de Bast hs very ll in the way of ow materials for an industrial base, Morocco isthe word's largest phosphate reserves. Phosphates are + Tat seas fever, Tunis slo a ator produce. Inthe cove area fhe Midle Eas, lesser depos of phosphate ate mined around the end Sea in Inte nd Jordan. Buttle ober mineral resoures ate to be found in amounts large enough to warrant commercial investment. ‘arly industraization inthe region focased on the processing of such ely produced goods 3 cotton and flour. Cotton gins ane flour ‘nls sprang up. But competition from lss expensive European man {tured geods destcoyed many traditional industses and crafts. For ‘mpl, Mile Easter cate workers could not equal the maser {uced textiles and woven cloth made in English mils in the 1800s Sind ealy 1900, Rugmaking was 2 notable exception, however. Today, ‘amabing is oe ofthe outstanding tational craft of the Middle art Many rugs produced inthe region ave regarded as works of rt by eallectr. “The development of heavy indutr di nat begin for most Mile ‘Eastern nation uni aftr World War I. Inthe ate 1940s, more priate ‘Capital, money invested in the production of goods and services; teeame nab. n aditin, newly won independence for European Donets gave the nations of the Middle Bast «desire to build theit + Rational stvength. Av # result, nationalization of private and foreign Sndusty tock place, Beginning with Egypt in 1956, When a government ations an industy, it takes ownership ofthat Industry. By taking ror major indosttes, Middle Eatern governments hoped to ring the Benet of industriaization directly tothe people. In recent years, 18 “Moder fem aqlpment on rite land in a ir i Estero ning pendent pn tons Ne the process of nationalization has reversed itself Joint ventures with foreign firms have been increasingly common and sought “ter by Middle Farr government. They realize help: necied in ieniying and locating resoures snd punning fture ecanom iegrowth Industrial Development, The coure of indus development ‘nthe Male East es ten three paths. The fist path is through light industey suchas textile manofectorng and food processing. The second i through the manufacture of large consumer items such refrigerators, televisions, ad automobiles, These are fe ‘quently assembled in the region using parts imported from Europe, the United Stats, and Japan. The thd path of develop rent is through heavy industzy such as steel plants, For their bevy industrial need, the Mile Eastern nations mus often ely con imports ofa material, ‘Several obstacles stand in Uhe way of industrial development in the Midale East. Lack of capital and skilled managers remain, problems. So does literacy, the inability to read or write. Many ‘dus nthe region are iterate. Its only since the 19705 that ‘one wo wihed to goto elementary school could dos. Even to ‘ay, many young people do not have achance to g0:0n to high School Ancter problem ithe low’ purchasing power ofthe com sumer. The people simply do not have enough cash to spend. To 9generate enough sles to make profit, businesses mos fequently cert Ur gos. That means ntematonl competition o facing other ereeteie’ ade buries. In addition, most manufactoting pots in fhe Middle Eat ate small and employ fewer than 50 people. These bints tend tobe concentrated ina few areas, clot to the big city veeats, Finally, raronds or paved roads are often inadequate Tos tuanspoting gods, These actors have hel ack industrial develon, Punt On the other hand, service industsies—such as banking and anc, communication, and turism—are very wel developed. “The Importance of Oil. In 185, ward ol production was slmost non asent Cal was then the major producer of energy for home and fc ton. With the beginning of widesrleindstrialization i the late 1800s td early 1900s, other sources of energy were needed. New engines see peered snd hibveates, Petrolewn uid found beneath the «etic ofthe cath, was capable of being burned and wsed as fol for ‘iene energy neds of modern indus nations. Indsty avo Found that pets wat the base fr creating many synthetic products. As ‘Send for the energy source sterily aren, exploration foro deposits fookon great importance for indusalized counties ‘Moot industrialized ations ofthe worl ely heavily ono and nat ual ga for thet eneigy needs Most of the ol they need s produce in the Middle East Saudi Arabia lone has 25 percent ofthe wold’ prov tn eserves of ran, lrg, and Kuwait together account fer nother 35 percent ‘aas first discovered in the Mile Eastin the 1920s by Amer anol engineers. Wester of companies were granted exchsve tights ar Jeveloping pttleui inthe years before World War It, Unb the In 960s eight Wester companies cotroed more than 90 pereent of tho produced inthe rion. Middle Easter goveraments, however, ave Long since worked out more favorable economic arengements itn the ol eompanis and now conta their own production ates and pricing. . 111960 four Middle Eastera oil producing states (Studi Arabia, wet lean, and lag joined with Venezvel to frm the Organization er patalgum Exporting Counties (OPEC)-Later they wee joined by (Qatar Libye, the United Arab Emirates, Algeria, and the non Mile Bittern states of Indonesia, Nigeria, and Ecvader. The members of OPEC hoped to coordinate petroleum policies and exercise greater Control over thee resource, OPEC isa carte, an organization whose ‘Members work together to limit competition and maintain pres » Joe PB momento nin a hye i ao ely buy dares fl compen tps oh rod: At ‘Cat Jan fr ote mente ef OPEC ce ner TReinsating ic antos adn ek prices nthe 178 ey ‘Dodo pes sha cui stags ther pbles for ‘Soring natn, Ta high co of ef he's cpg foe oe ‘conan of many developing counties in A, sand Latin fer Iehe 18s, honeve he dan fr lee af. The tmorng tis fond strate al ao red coment Sree we xn Nh Srunple OFBC ments ow ump ith ach te formats SPEC rer Sees fon te ely one ofthe Sr prefctn By 186 he pie fo len taka pre inthe 197, Ae difcule exshing agreements on proaeon tater and nn pig hve eed he owe f OPEC. et the Post Gul Wari 19 sven ie cmtlg important Mie Erstrs ol is important tote at mote the ounce ofthe Nis Estee or oof Mat lie Ec oe he ffi donms ol dewlpingcouny cag he gh pects Problems and Promiee of Oi, Ar. rsultof ther export of ola huge influx of money came to some ofthe last developed nations of the Ani ling ign Sau Abi. Sc Arabia cntsina ‘Toarhof the ora sesde Ea Many ese ations eh ney bul ind MSA aus pew cies ae ate or poco an pre Fea cas rom tat Of come slosh tio to reeks cnet ee, ire anfmed os ml bk mens ewaytoeant gv store In may ces, the See Sed malar haven sno Shap EU ces Bae soa acre een rut nto cesta ty to determine wit to rete eo wus nd hat alge he ew "antiemetic were ted ries y he hud ented oleh eons wean woes Tht premes a SaFee to Thelen waked he ol nated i i oils se pnent pe and we helt eon yh rein Rep tuned od ses st money Home ea ee Tec apa essed aor hen a ia xen 1, ny pl we psd een ht ee tan cP pal ina revelers Mf ie rene: ad race elektro lpr te hie as Among tem ee sa atta tenant, Ne fon eet fe orgs SeveanPuionaniaberp tsa ‘ae vithonen to ths counts wen he spas dey pt Ho hy hs se ht rete re are pe? Sou ityoven nme Unted Suter Westen Earp where sana sabre eta on he money? Ox “Raheny irovn cum or en with rot hove Seer it What nesta be developed noe ASR Hottie enunhn 39 yen to vepace at a eee sede ened dsr ested” Fora county the Be i lemons acount fer pra of 5 event ich questions meer PROBLEMS OF DEVELOPMENT “The oii counties ofthe Middle Eat are not alone in facing exci development questions, however. Each country in the eeglon must de termine how best to ds ie resoutes to modernize socety and inure ‘etter forts people. Unfortunately, the best way of accomplishing these goals sno nays eae. ater in this chapter the problems asocated wil iigntion were touched upon. Hydroeleeti projet have been developed thoughout 2 the region. Turley and Syea have built hydroelectric projects that use water power to generate electricity. Dams have been bul to generate lectricity as walla for purposes of irgntion. Feypt has also developed Inrgescale hydroelectric project It completed the High Dam at Aswan {in 1970 The purpose of the project was to make cultivation posse all year around, to bring new land under cuivation, and t increas lect Cal output (The High Dam ako created a new inland fisheries indstey in the lke that formed behind it) With such igh level of ivestment, {he government of Egypt prefers that farmers raise valuable cash crops instead of low priced but basi subssence cereals, Such a plc, while ‘making sense, has created problems. Ezypian farmers ate now subject to pice changes on the international market. In adtion, the Egyptian government has o import food to supply lea demanes, “The Aswan Dam has had other effects, ton. Since it prevents sans al flooding bythe Nilo, farmer no longer gt Fre supply of nutients in the ood water. Now they must purchase chemical fertliers for their ils, which ineesses their production cos Farming techniques Dave to be changed alo If iigation water snot drained propel, the land may become poisoned by salt deposits. Egy’ itl tours nds. ‘ny as also fel the impact ofthe dam project. The minerals present Jn the higher water levels ofthe Nile have increased the decay of the ancient monuments along the Nile. The High Dam was essential to Egypt's development. But these probleme mesn that even the ‘most valuable projets have unexpected consequences. “The search fr eelable water for plants animal, and people fone {hat is Shared by both the civic and the of poor nitions ofthe sean. Water, not ol has always been the most precious reroute forthe peo. ple who live in the Middle Hast. Today many ofthe ol ich countries in he tegion are using their wealth to tu sale water ito Freshwater ‘That proces is called desalination. Nealy one fourth of the more than 5,500 deslinaton plant inthe word are octed in Saud Arabia. Tt slo his the wor’ Inrgest desalination plant. Located at Jubail the plant prodaces 250 milion gallons (2,500,000 kloliters) of fresh water daly, out the sizeof the flow of 3 good-sized river. The Saudis and other Persian Gulf nations depend on desalination for most of thet fresh water: Indeed, hl fa the rsh water n Kuwait comes fom desing ion plants. Desalination is costly solution to the water problem. Ditiing sa water, which is extremely sat, requires huge amounts of eneray, That [Snot a problem for countries like Saud Arabia, which ha as reerver ‘of petrol and natural gs: However, itis serious problem for other BGLOBAL STUDIES II Name, Geography Worksheet @ From where does the term "Middle East" come? 2. What are the "core" countries of the Middle East? @ What are the 3 major religions in the Middle East? Which is most dominant? . @ What are the two major subdivisions of Islam? @ Does religion play an important part in Middle Eastern life? Explain. @What is the language of the Middle East? 7. What is a dialect? @ What are the other 3 major languages found in the Middle East?9, What is the world's largest desert? Where is it found? 10. What percentage of Egypt is desert? 11, What is a plateau? Where would you find one in the ‘Middle East? @ What is the nickname for the interior of the Arabian Peninsula? Mint is the Fertile Crescent? Where is it found? @ Where do the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers begin? 15. What is pastoralism? What country is best suited for pastoralism? 16. What is a monsoon? @) How does the lack of rainfall affect the Middle East? (@& What problems have occurred in the Middle East due to irrigation? 19. How would you characterize the climate of the Middle East?