Download Southwest Asia and North Africa

Southwest Asia and
North Africa
All countries embraced some kind of change. Many parts of the world
understood that this is a new world order, except the Arab world.
Ammar Abdulhamid
Setting the Boundaries
Sometimes called the Middle East (a European perspective).
Climate, culture and oil resources help define the region.
Region is generally arid, Muslim and contains oil but this is not
true of all states in the region.
early center for agriculture, civilization and major world
religions
a key global culture hearth: a region that witnesses many
cultural innovations that subsequently diffuse to other parts of
world
Setting the Boundaries
Development of petroleum industry has had large impact on
the region.
OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries):
Member states profoundly influence global prices and
production targets for petroleum.
Islamic fundamentalism: the aspect of Islam that advocates a
return to more traditional practices, calls for merger of civil and
religious authority and challenges encroachment of global
popular culture
Hebron, West Bank
Physical Setting: Life in a Fragile World
North African
Regional Landforms
Maghreb (West
Island): Morocco,
Algeria, Tunisia
dominated by the
Atlas Mountains
strategic straits:
Hormuz, Gibraltar,
Dardanelles and Suez
Sahara with Maghreb in background
Physical Setting: Life in a Fragile World
Southwest Asian Regional
Landforms
more mountainous than
North Africa
Levant: eastern
Mediterranean region of
Southwest Asia, has
mountains and highlands
Anatolia: peninsula of
Turkey (Asia Minor) is a
geologically active plateau
Mesopotamia: Iraq,
between Tigris and
Euphrates rivers
Physical Setting: Life in a Fragile World
Managing Water
Large portions of the region are arid. Exceptions: peripheral regions
of Turkey, northwestern section of Iran, northern Morocco and
Algeria, numerous oases, several great river valleys
hydropolitics: interplay of water resource issues and politics
fossil water (paleowater): groundwater that has remained sealed in
an aquifer for a long period of time ... Water can rest underground in
fossil aquifers for thousands or even millions of years.
choke point: a point of congestion or blockage
Saudi Arabian Irrigation
Physical Setting: Turkey, Iraq and Syria, A Case
Study
Since 1975, Turkey’s extensive dam and hydropower construction
has reportedly reduced water flows into Iraq and Syria by
approximately 80% and 40% respectively. Approximately 90% of
the water flow in the Euphrates and 50% in the Tigris originate in
Turkey. Low flow rates in Iraq have allowed salt water to infiltrate
nearly 150 km inland from the Persian Gulf.
Lack of any international agreement has hampered progress on a
deal between Turkey, Iraq and Syria. Turkey has accused Iraq of
poor water management practices, which, it says, are exacerbating
Iraq’s water crisis. Tensions between these states remain high
because of the issue of water management.
Physical Setting: Life in a Fragile World
9 out of 14 Southwest
Asian states face watershortage conditions (the
most concentrated
region of scarcity in the
world).
Hydropolitics in the
Jordan River Basin
Physical Setting: Southwest Asia’s and North
Africa’s Climate
Complex climate region due to
altitude and latitude
Large portions of the region are
arid.
Deserts stretch from the Atlantic
Coast across Africa, through the
Arabian Peninsula and into
central and eastern Iran. Three
types of desert: hamada (rock),
reg (stone), erg (sand)
Mediterranean climates in the
Atlas Mountains and the Levant
coastline are caused by altitude
and latitude.
Physical Setting: Environmental Issues in
Southwest Asia and North Africa
A long history of human settlement in a marginal land has left
its mark on the environment.
deforestation and overgrazing
salinization: buildup of toxic salts in soil from centuries of
irrigation, hundreds of 1000s of acres of farmland degraded
managing water: Iran’s qanat system (process of tapping
into groundwater by a series of gently sloping tunnels) and
Libya’s Great Man-Made River (draws underground fossil
water 600 miles to irrigate crops in the north of the state)
tap groundwater.
Egypt’s Aswan High Dam generates electricity.
Socotra’s Dragon’s Blood Tree
Atlas Mountains
Jordan Valley
Physical Setting: Environmental Issues in
Southwest Asia and North Africa
Increasingly difficult ecological problems in the decades ahead
Physical Setting: Climate Change in Southwest
Asia and North Africa
temperature changes
sea-level changes
political and economic costs
Alexandria, Egypt
Population and Settlement: Patterns in an Arid
Land
more than 400 million people in the region
Physiological densities are among the highest on
Earth.
physiological density: the number of people per unit
of arable (suitable for growing crops) land
Population and Settlement: Patterns in an Arid
Land
intimate tie between
water and life
Dry areas are sparsely
settled.
Moist lands may be
overpopulated.
two dominant
population clusters:
(1) Maghreb (moister
areas of Atlas
Mountains) and coastal
regions
Population and Settlement: Patterns in an Arid
Land
Satellite image of the
Nile Valley
two dominant population
clusters:
(2) Egypt’s Nile River Valley:
70 million Egyptians live
within 10 miles of the Nile.
Population and Settlement: Water and Life:
Rural Settlement Patterns
Different kinds of agriculture are practiced in different regions,
depending largely on the environment.
domestication: plants and animals selectively bred for desirable
characteristics, began in this region 10,000 years ago
Fertile Crescent: ecologically diverse zone, from Levant through
fertile hill state of northern Syria into Iraq ... Nile-EuphratesTigris Region
pastoral nomadism: traditional form of subsistence agriculture
that depends on seasonal movement of livestock
transhumance: seasonal movement of livestock from winter to
summer pastures
man at livestock market in UAE
Population and Settlement: Water and Life:
Rural Settlement Patterns
oasis: area where high groundwater or deep-water wells
provide reliable moisture (small agricultural settlements, trade
centers)
exotic river: river that comes from a humid area and flows into
a dry area that otherwise lacks streams, can support irrigation
kibbutz: collective community in Israel that is traditionally
based on agriculture and produces grain, vegetable and
orchard crops, irrigated by the Jordan River and feeder canals
oasis agriculture in Morocco
The Euphrates: an exotic river
Population and Settlement: Water and Life:
Rural Settlement Patterns
The Challenge of
Dryland Agriculture
depends on
seasonal moisture
mostly in
Mediterranean area
crops: tree crops,
livestock, grains,
illegal hashish
Population and Settlement: Many-Layered
Landscapes: The Urban Imprint
urban and rural landscapes very different
Some of the world’s oldest urban areas are in this region.
A Long Urban Legacy
Earliest cities in Mesopotamia (Eridu and Ur 3500 BCE) and
Egypt (Memphis and Thebes 3000 BCE).
Rise of trade centers around 2000 BCE.
centers of political and religious authority
centers of Islamic religious administration and education
medina: original urban core of a traditional Islamic city,
has central mosque and bazaar (Fes, Morocco)
Colonialism left European influence.
Old City, Fes, Morocco
Population and Settlement: Many-Layered
Landscapes: The Urban Imprint
Signatures of Globalization
Urban centers have become focal points of
economic growth (Cairo, Algiers, Istanbul).
Oil wealth has added modern element to
traditional cities (Dubai).
Tehran, Iran
Contrasts in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Population and Settlement: A Region on the
Move
Migration Streams
rural-to-urban migration
job-related migration within the region: More than 75% of Saudi
Arabia’s workers are foreign.
immigration of low-wage workers from other regions
emigration of workers from the region to other places (Turkish guest
workers in Germany)
Population and Settlement: A Region on the
Move
Population and Settlement: Shifting
Demographic Patterns
Population growth rates vary within the region.
Women in Tunisia, Iran and Turkey are having fewer children.
causes: delayed marriage, family planning initiatives,
greater urbanization
high rates of natural increase in West Bank, Gaza and Libya
Increasing population strains cities, water supplies, public
services, job availability.
Population and Settlement: Iran, A Case Study
Iran has experienced one of the world’s most precipitous birthrate
declines, its total fertility rate falling from 6.52 in 1982 to 1.67 in
2010. This drop has led the Iranian government to another uturn in family planning: the pro-natalist policy initiated after the
Islamic Revolution of 1979 was replaced by a family-planning
agenda in 1989, but now large families are again encouraged.
Teheran officials, who have spearheaded a door-to-door campaign
to spread a health education propaganda drive, want to spark a
baby boom that would double the Iranian population to about 150
million. No less than 150,000 health workers have mobilized for the
ambitious project, literally knocking on the doors of homes to
encourage single-child families to have more offspring.
The billboard reads:
"One flower does not make Spring.
More children a happier life."
Population and Settlement: Turkey, A Case
Study
The fertility decline in Turkey has not been as steep as that of Iran,
but it has been steady, the total fertility rate falling from 4.57 in
1979 to 2.06 in 2011. As in Iran, the state’s government is not
pleased.
Himself a father of four, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan has
urged married couples to have at least three children, pushing his
message bluntly on every platform -- from casual chats and
wedding ceremonies to party meetings and diplomatic occasions.
Arguing that a larger, youthful population will help propel Turkey
into the world’s top 10 economies, he has vilified past policies of
family planning and made bizarre warnings of plots to wipe the
Turkish state off the global stage. Recently, he upped the bar even
higher, calling for four or five children.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan
Population and Settlement: Turkey, A Case
Study
One of the reasons why Erdogan is so concerned about the Turkish
fertility decline is its geographical imbalance. In the more
prosperous western regions of the state, the fertility rate is now
roughly 1.5 and falling, whereas in the Kurdish-speaking southeast
it is roughly 3.5 and perhaps rising.
Consequently, Turkey is facing a demographic time bomb -- Kurds,
who tend to be concentrated in the state’s impoverished southeast
and are generally poorer and less educated, could outnumber
Turks within 30 years if present patterns persist.
Despite the dreams and plans of the Turkish
and Iranian governments, it seems highly
unlikely that pro-natalist policies will result in
a return to the high birth-rates of the past.
Population and Settlement: Population
Indicators
Cultural Coherence and Diversity: Signatures of
Complexity
relative location: a physical (trade, migration), cultural, religious
crossroads
cultural landscape dominated by both history and colonial
powers ... new landscapes neo-colonial in nature
colonial influence: Italy, France, Britain
NBC’s Richard Engel travels to the legendary city of Timbuktu,
which is cradled within one of West Africa’s poorest nations
Roman aqueduct near Caesarea
Cultural Coherence and Diversity: Petra, Jordan
First inhabited in 6th
century BCE.
important trade
crossroads in desert area
Complex canals and
cisterns concentrated
water.
Cultural Coherence and Diversity: Signatures of
Complexity
issues: fundamentalism vs. tolerance, theocracy vs. democracy,
traditional vs. modern
gender issues: literacy, reproductive rights, position within
religious structures and politics
intersection of ethnic and religious differences
cultural diversity
religion -- shared Holy Lands
language
The words and pictures carved into
the stone describe a great famine on
the Egyptian island of Sahel.
Cultural Coherence and Diversity: Patterns of
Religion
hearth of the Judeo-Christian tradition
Jews and Christians trace their roots to the eastern
Mediterranean.
Judaism: founded approximately 4000 years ago by the
patriarch Abraham, who led his followers from
Mesopotamia to the shores of the eastern Mediterranean
Christianity: based on the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth,
who gathered followers in the area of Palestine about 2000
years ago ... taught that there is only one God, whose
relationship to humanity is one of love and support, but
who will judge those who do evil
monotheism: belief in one God
Cultural Coherence and Diversity: Patterns of
Religion
emergence of Islam: originated in Southwest Asia, 622 CE
in the Judeo-Christian tradition, sharing many of the same
prophets, including Abraham, Moses and Jesus
Quran: Koran, believed by Muslims to be a book of revelations
received by Muhammad from Allah (God), representing God’s
highest religious and moral revelations
Islam means submission to the will of God
Schism in Islam after Muhammad’s death
Shi’ite Muslims: favored passing power within
Muhammad's family
Sunni Muslims: favored passing power through established
clergy
Muhammad's successor
was chosen in Medina.
Cultural Coherence and Diversity: Patterns of
Religion
most Muslims are Sunni
Iran is a Shi’ite Islamic theocracy
theocratic state: state where religious leaders (ayatollahs) guide
policy ... church and state are combined
Five pillars of Islam
shahada: testify to God's One-ness (testimony of faith: “There is
no god but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet.”)
salat: pray five times daily facing Makkah (Mecca)
zakat: give charitable contributions to support the needy
sawm: fast from dawn until sundown during month of Ramadan
hajj: make a religious pilgrimage to Makkah in the twelfth month
of the Islamic calendar (see image).
Cultural Coherence and Diversity: Patterns of
Religion
The expansion of the Ottoman Empire helped to spread Islam.
Ottoman Empire: vast empire of Turks, included most of
Southwest Asia and North Africa, as well as Southeastern
Europe (circa 1453)
Cultural Coherence and Diversity: Patterns of
Religion
modern Islamic diversity
Muslims majority in region, except in Israel and Cyprus.
Sunni: majority (73%)
Shi’ite (Shia - followers of Ali): dominant in Iran, southern
Iraq, Lebanon, Sudan and Bahrain (23%)
Sufism: (the inner, mystical dimension of Islam, belong to a
different order with different teachers than non-Sufi
Muslims) in Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Egypt and Turkey
Cultural Coherence and Diversity: Patterns of
Religion
modern Islamic diversity
Wahhabism: (fundamentalist branch of Sunni Islam that labels
Muslims who disagree as apostates, prefer the name Salafi ) the
official religion of the royal Saud family and of Saudi Arabia,
where its teachings are state-sponsored and funding
from petroleum exports used to build madrassas (schools with
“heavy dose of religious instruction”) throughout the world
Druze: (distinct and secretive Abrahamic theology) is one of
the major religious groups in the Levant (where they play a large
political role) and found primarily in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and
Israel ... social customs differ markedly from those of Muslims or
Christians and they form close-knit, cohesive communities but
are also known for their loyalty to the states they reside in ...
Arab but disagreement on whether or not Muslim
Cultural Coherence and Diversity: Patterns of
Religion
The region must deal with the
basic inconsistencies between
Western civilization and more
fundamentalist interpretations
of Islam, as well as with
finding a lasting solution to
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Jerusalem’s Old City includes sites
sacred to Jews, Christians and
Muslims.
Cultural Coherence and Diversity: Patterns of
Language
In non-Arab states, indigenous
languages dominate.
Semites and Berbers
Arabic and Hebrew (Semite)
Berber in Atlas Mts. and
Sahara
Persians and Kurds
Indo-European languages
Persian in Iran
Kurdish in northern Iraq,
NW Iran, eastern Turkey
The Turks
Altaic language: more Turkic
speakers in Central Asia
Cultural Coherence and Diversity: Patterns of
Globalization
Islamic Internationalism: Global Muslim population
Islamic communities well-established in central China, European
Russia, central Africa, southern Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia,
elsewhere
Muslim congregations expanding in urban areas of western
Europe and North America.
Globalization and Cultural Change
Global economy is having impact on traditional cultural values ...
hybrid forms of popular culture
technology: Access to satellite TV, cell phones, the internet bring
global culture to the region.
Fundamentalism is one reaction.
watching films is a
favorite pastime,
southwest Algeria
Geopolitical Framework: Persisting Tensions
Colonial Legacy: European colonialism came late to the region.
dominance of Ottoman Empire
widespread European colonialism after WWI
many political boundaries set by colonial powers
Imposing European Power
French in Algeria since 1800 ... later in Tunisia, Morocco,
Syria and Lebanon
Britain in Arabian Peninsula and Persian Gulf by 1900 ... Suez
Canal: British-engineered canal linking Mediterranean and
Red seas in 1869
European banks influence Egyptian economy.
British instrumental in establishing Saudi Arabia.
Italians in Libya, Spanish in Morocco
Turkey, Iran (Persia) never occupied
Geopolitical Framework: Persisting Tensions
Decolonization and Independence
Europeans began to withdraw before WWII.
By 1950 most states were independent.
Algerian independence in 1962
Modern Geopolitical Issues
Troubled Iraq
born in colonial era, carved from
British Empire in 1932
many different groups: Shiites, Sunnis,
Kurds, Marsh Arabs
US has had troops in Iraq ... conflict
continues
Geopolitical Framework: Persisting Tensions
Modern Geopolitical Issues
Politics of Fundamentalism
originated in Iran, 1978–1979 when Shi’ite clerics
(Khomeini) overthrew Shah.
Sudanese fundamentalists overthrew democracy in
1989.
Instability in Saudi Arabia
Saud family (conservative monarchy) controls state
no democratic reforms
home to radical Wahhabi Muslims (15 of 19 9/11
hijackers were Saudi)
foreign workers, US military presence
The House Of Saud
Geopolitical Framework: Persisting Tensions
Modern Geopolitical Issues
Conflicts Within States
Religion and governance have resulted in terrorist
insurgencies in Egypt, Israel and (to a lesser extent) Iran,
Iraq and Turkey.
Ethnic differences, particularly Kurdish issues, have
resulted in oppression in Northern Iraq and Turkey.
Lebanon: conflict among Sunni and Shiite Muslims and
Christians ... result of spread of Palestinian refugees in
region
Cyprus: conflict between Greece and Turkey
green line: demarcation set up by UN peacekeepers that
divides the capital of Nicosia in Cyprus
Violence in Syria
Geopolitical Framework: Persisting Tensions
Modern Geopolitical Issues
Iranian Geopolitics
Islamic Revolution 1979 (see image)
Supports other Shi’ite Islamists
oil and gas reserves
nuclear development
reformers among Iran’s educated middle class
Arab-Israeli Conflict - see next slide
An Uncertain Political Future
international political relations remain complex
Israel, Turkey are US allies; Iran, Syria oppose US.
Oil will play a role.
ongoing conflicts: Israeli-Palestinian relations, Iran’s nuclear
ambitions, Iraq
Geopolitical Framework: Arab-Israeli Conflict
original home and religious hearth of Jews
70 CE: Romans destroyed Temple and Jews fled.
312 CE: Christianity was dominant in Roman Empire.
By 630 CE: Mohammad was the most powerful
political and military leader in Arabia.
632 CE: Mohammed died, followed by rapid
expansion of Islam.
Around 700 CE: Islam became dominant religion ...
Jews were a minority people.
World War I: Allies offered independence to the
Arabs if they revolted against the Turks. British
promised a national homeland to the Jews in the
Balfour Declaration.
Evolution of Israel
West Bank
Geopolitical Framework: Arab-Israeli Conflict
After World War II, the United Nations divided the
region into two states:
one mostly Jewish
one mostly Muslim
1948: creation of Israel
result: multiple wars with neighboring states ... 1956,
1967 (Israel gained most land), 1973
intifada (1987): Palestinian uprisings protesting Jewish
settlements
construction of wall around settlements a new source
of tension
ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians
Jewish settlement,
West Bank
Geopolitical Framework: Arab-Israeli Conflict
1948: 1st Arab-Israeli
War
1956: Suez Crisis
1967: Six-Day War
1973: Yom Kippur War
1979: Camp David
Accords
1982: 1st Lebanon War
2002-2005:
undeclared war
2006: 2nd Lebanon
War
2010-present:
continued conflict
between Israel and
Hamas
Geopolitical Framework: Arab-Israeli Conflict
Golan Heights: return to Syria?
Security Zone: return to Lebanon?
Israeli Security Barrier
Jerusalem: Holy City for whom? a major sticking point
West Bank: Palestinian homeland?
Palestinians: refugee problem led to the PLO, which led to
terrorism
Israeli settlements in the West Bank
Arab/Islamic disruption: impact of extremist groups ... both
sides could be seen as terrorists
Geopolitical Framework: Persisting Tensions
Geopolitical Framework: Change
Others in the region,
if they’ve been
spared so far, will no
doubt start to feel
insecure as many
rulers in the region
are seen as
illegitimate, corrupt
or unwanted in
some way.
Geopolitical Framework: Arab Spring
The Arab Spring refers to the recent
revolutionary wave of demonstrations and
protests occurring in the Arab world.
Since December, 2010 there have been
revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt; a civil war
in Libya; civil uprisings in Bahrain, Syria and
Yemen; major protests in Algeria, Jordan,
Morocco and Oman.
Protesters were generally young people,
who used social media, such as Facebook,
Twitter and YouTube, to organize,
communicate and raise awareness despite
their governments’ attempts at censorship.
Geopolitical Framework: Arab Spring
Many demonstrations have met violent responses from
government authorities, as well as from pro-government militias.
During this period of regional unrest, several leaders announced
their intentions to step down at the end of their current terms.
Some leaders struck back with military violence and suppression.
The outside world has also become involved in the events of the
Arab Spring .
Numerous factors led to the protests, but most focused on the
overthrow of authoritarian (total power, the opposite of
democracy/representative government) leaders.
In all states, there were accusations of human rights violations,
government corruption, unemployment, extreme poverty … and a
large percentage of educated but dissatisfied youth.
Geopolitical Framework: Arab Spring
The catalysts for the revolts in Northern African and Persian Gulf
states have also been the concentration of wealth in the hands of
autocrats (authoritarian leaders) in power for decades.
In recent decades rising living standards and literacy rates, as well
as the increased availability of higher education, have created
internet-savvy youth in these states.
Some people in the region are conflicted by these events. They
want the freedoms and advantages that come from democracy but
they are concerned with the influence that Western cultural values
have on the traditional values of the region (hijab vs. traditional
dress, male authority vs. women’s rights, etc).
Geopolitical Framework: Arab Spring
2012: change of government
Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen
leaning toward becoming theocracies
2012-13: protests in Bahrain
2011-16: pro-democracy protests escalated into civil war
between forces loyal to and opposed to Syria dictator al-Assad,
eventually expanding to include anti-Assad Sunni forces, alAssad’s Shia sect, the jihadist group Islamic State (IS) and
several regional and world powers.
2013: France assisted Mali in driving out fundamentalist
Islamists from the north
2011: 20-year civil war in Sudan ended, South Sudan became
an independent state
Economic and Social Development: Lands of
Wealth and Poverty
The region has faced difficulty and high costs in trying to
expand its limited supplies of agricultural land and water
resources amid fast-growing populations.
In addition to domestic use, there is major competition for
water for industrial and agricultural uses.
Infrastructure is important.
desalinization projects in the Gulf
Aswan Dam Project (see image)
Lake Nasser
Nile Waters Agreement (Egypt and Sudan)
Economic and Social Development: Lands of
Wealth and Poverty
uneven development: extremely rich and poor states co-exist ...
even within states, such as Israel, uneven development has
been devastating
uneven resource distribution: oil producing states have little
water, states with access to water have few wealth-producing
resources
Future economic development linked closely to regional peace
... Foreign direct investment depends on peace.
Economic and Social Development: Impact of
Oil
high incomes
modernization
industrialization
regional disparities
foreign investment in region
investment in foreign states
environmental problems
United Arab Emirates
Economic and Social Development: Lands of
Wealth and Poverty
oil unevenly distributed in
the region
Saudi Arabia, Iran, UAE,
Libya, Algeria
contribute significantly
to oil production ...
Morocco and Sudan
have few developed
petroleum reserves
region has 7% of
world’s population,
69% of world’s proven
petroleum reserves
Economic and Social Development: Lands of
Wealth and Poverty
higher-income oil exporters
Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, UAE
oil wealth reshaped cultural landscape
not all benefit (rural Shi’ite Muslims, foreign workers)
lower-income oil exporters
Algeria: oil and natural gas are its top exports but political
instability remains a problem
Iran: has huge oil reserves, but the long war with Iraq
(1980-90) and the withdrawal from world trade under its
fundamentalist government have lowered living standards
Iraq: struggling to develop oil industry
Economic and Social Development: Lands of
Wealth and Poverty
prospering without oil: states without oil can prosper (Turkey,
Israel) but it usually requires investment, infrastructure and a
diversified economy ... things poor states lack and have a great
deal of difficulty getting.
Israel: highest living standard in the region
Turkey: a diversified economy, has seen growth
Tunisia: economic reforms
Lebanon: potential for prosperity through tourism and
telecommunications
Israeli High-Tech industry
Economic and Social Development: Patterns of
Poverty
Sudan: economy ruined by civil war
Morocco: poorer than Algeria or Tunisia, suffers from brain
drain (phenomenon in which brightest young people leave for
better jobs in Western Europe)
Egypt: prospects unclear, growth in 1990s but large gaps
between rich and poor
Yemen: poorest state on the Arabian Peninsula, marginal
subsistence farming and widespread unemployment
Cairo street
Economic and Social Development: Patterns of
Poverty
Palestinians in West Bank and Gaza: political disruptions
discourage investment, infrastructure destroyed, ⅔
Palestinians live in poverty, unemployment above 40%
Political conflicts have disrupted economic development across
the region. Civil wars, conflicts between states and regional
tensions have worked against plans for greater cooperation and
trade.
Houses and apartment buildings
under construction in the West
Bank city of Ramallah
Economic and Social Development: Varied
Regional Social Patterns
Israel: high living standard but Jewish majority doing much
better than Muslim minority.
Saudi Arabia: lower figures of social well-being than might be
expected.
gender issues
world’s lowest female workforce participation
In some states of the region, women not allowed to work
outside of the home or to drive.
Iran: women’s roles are changing
Libya: modernizing women’s roles a high priority
Economic and Social Development: Gender
Issues
large gaps between male and female literacy
educational opportunities for women increasing (although
some classrooms are segregated by gender)
more orthodox Islamic states limit female participation
Saudi Arabia: women not permitted to drive
Iran: women wear head scarves (but may also wear
Western-style fashions)
Many of these limitations, such as fewer political and social
rights for women, are cultural traits or laws of individual states
and not actually dictates of the Qur’an.
changes for women
participating in the Arab Spring rebellions
pursuing high-level careers
Muslim women in Tehran, Iran
more visible social positions
Economic and Social Development:
Development Indicators
Economic and Social Development: Global
Economic Relationships
Region has played critical role in world history and
globalization.
OPEC’s changing fortunes
OPEC no longer controls oil and gas prices globally, but still
influences their availability and cost.
Saudi Arabia: still dependent on oil and gas
70% of exports are crude oil shipments
another 20% are refined petrochemical products (90%
total)
This region also has natural gas reserves yet to be developed.
Most states are attempting to expand their manufacturing
sectors.
Economic and Social Development: Global
Economic Relationships
Tourism
Ancient historical sites and globally significant religious
localities are a large draw.
tourist hotels and condos on the Mediterranean
ecotourism: tourism directed toward exotic, often
threatened, natural environments especially to support
conservation efforts and observe wildlife
Tourism is a large part of the regional economy in Turkey,
Israel and Egypt.
effects on visual landscape, physical environment,
archeological sites
Economic and Social Development: Global
Economic Relationships
regional and international linkages
relationships with the EU critical, Turkey applied for membership
in the EU in 1987, but has not been allowed to complete the
process as of 2016
Arab League (1945): regional organization of 22 Arab states
whose goal is to draw closer the relations between member
states and co-ordinate collaboration between them, to safeguard
their independence and sovereignty, and to consider in a general
Arab League way the affairs and interests of the Arab states
Greater Arab Free-Trade Area (1997): a pan-Arab free trade zone
of 14 members of the Arab League
Islamic Development Bank (1975): foster the economic
development and social progress of its 56 member states and IDB
Muslim communities individually as well as jointly in accordance
with the principles of Shari'a (Islamic Law)
Economic and Social Development: Potential
for Change
Southwest Asia and North Africa have a cultural landscape dominated by
both history and colonial powers, a cultural landscape that the region has
found difficult to escape.
The wave of change that swept over the region in the Arab Spring of
2011 is an example of how centripetal and centrifugal cultural forces act
on a state or region. The political landscape was altered or drastically
changed in many states. The impact of these changes will be realized in
the years and decades to come.
Bahrain's anti-government protests,
violently put down in 2011, continue
in different forms to this day.
The End
Dasht-e Kevir (Great Salt Desert), Iran