This document provides an overview of the Middle East and North Africa region. It discusses the key physical features like aridity and mountain ranges that influence development. It also examines cultural aspects such as the dominant religion of Islam and ethnic groups like Arabs, Turks, and Berbers. Individual countries are profiled, highlighting their populations distributions, economies, resources and recent political changes. The region faces development challenges due to water scarcity, conflicts over resources, and instability in some countries.

1. Chapter 7 Lecture
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World Regional
Geography
A Developmental Approach
11th Edition
The Middle East
and
North Africa

2. Chapter Learning Outcomes
• Explain the role that aridity and water availability play in the Middle East and
North Africa.
• Identify the different types of water resources accessible in the region.
• Contrast the region’s different types of agriculture and herding activities.
• Account for the crossroads location of the region and the resulting cultural
mosaic.
• Outline the significance of the Atlas Mountains for the development options of
the Maghreb.
• Explore the motivations behind the uprisings of the “Arab Spring.”
• Compare Egypt’s role in North Africa to Saudi Arabia’s role in the Middle East.
• Analyze Turkey’s unique potential in the region as a bridge between East
and West.
• Describe how oil wealth or its absence influences the course of development
in individual countries.
• Characterize the persistent conflicts in the region that are impeding
cooperation and development.
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3. Map
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4. Landforms
• Mountain ranges and upland plateaus provide a
basis for livelihood and economy.
• Highlands are key.
– They stand across the paths of the frontal or cyclonic
storms that pass through and force moisture-bearing
air masses to rise, cool, and produce precipitation
– Originally, the uplands supported large forests that
provide building materials for the cities and fleets of
the coastal states.
– They have supported substantial sedentary
agriculture throughout recorded history.
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5. Regional Characteristics
• Stretches from Atlantic Ocean to Persian Gulf and lands
bordering Monsoon Asia
• Distinctive region composed of the Mediterranean and
Persian Gulf countries, characterized as much by the
unifying bonds of Islam and Arab culture as by deep
internal contrasts and severe conflicts
• One of Earth’s most distinctive geographical regions
– Aridity
• Vegetation cannot be supported.
• Extensive areas of barren rock, gravel, or sand
• Supports few people
– Common Islamic cultural heritage
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6. Climate
• Dry, summer-like subtropical climate with
less than 20 inches of rainfall
• Winter rainfall throughout the
Mediterranean Basin is produced by
frontal or cyclonic storms.
• Orographic precipitation
– Mountain produced
– Rainshadow effect
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7. Climate
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8. Rainshadow effect, Oases, Aquifers
• Rainshadow effect
– Mountain barriers trap moisture on their windward sides.
– The interior or leeward sides are much drier.
– This effect is caused by descending, drying air masses.
• Oases
– “Islands of life”—Located deep within the desert where erosion
has lowered the land surface
– A relatively high groundwater table results in water existing close
to the surface.
• Aquifers
– Near-surface groundwater is often recharged by rainfall aquifers
outside the desert.
– Lateral movement of subterranean recharge water is always
very slow.
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9. History
• Common meeting ground linking Europe, Sub-Saharan
Africa, and Asia
• Crossroads location
• Primarily inhabited by Arabs
– 400 million people
– Shared language
– Many dialects
– Highly variant politics
• Other ethnicities
– Turks—One of two largest non-Arab groups
– Persians—One of two largest non-Arab groups
– Kurds—SE Turkey, NE Iraq, NW border of Iran, Syria, Armenia,
and Azerbaijan
– Berbers
– Nilo-Hamitic
– Jews—Primarily in Israel
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10. Ethnicity
• More than 50 percent of the area is composed of Arabs (single
largest ethnic group in the region).
• Turks and Persians are the two largest non-Arab groups.
• Turks
– Turkey
– Important ethnic community elsewhere in the region and in Europe
• Persians—Iran
• Kurds
– About 20 percent of Turkish population
– Split among several adjoining countries—Syria, Turkey, and Iraq
– Sometimes referred to as “Kurdistan”
• Jews—Concentrated in the state of Israel (76 percent of the
population)
• Berbers—Concentrated in North African mountain districts or in
Central Sahara
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11. Ethnicity
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12. Religion and Secularism
• Islam is the dominant religion.
– Sunni (orthodox) Muslims
– Shi’ite Muslims
– Sharia—Islamic Law
• Judaism
– Primarily in Israel
– Communities elsewhere
• Christianity
– Coptic Christians in parts of Egypt
– Christian minorities in Lebanon
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13. Religion
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14. Population Contours
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15. Land Use in the Middle East and North
Africa
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16. Agriculture
• Dry farming
• Reliance on rainfall to produce crops
– Coastal plain of Rabat in Morocco
– High Plateau of Algeria
– Anatolian Plateau of Turkey
– Steppe areas of Syria
– Other portions of Fertile Crescent
• Runaway farming
– Collect water from a larger area
– Concentrate in valley bottoms and on terraced slopes
– Northern Negev of Israel
• Irrigated farming along major rivers and in oases
• Qanat system in Iran—irrigation innovation
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17. Animal Husbandry
• The bulk of animal stock has been
traditionally held by pastoral nomads.
• Nomadic herding is encouraged by the
spatial aridity of region.
• Nomads bring animals to grass and water
that is only available on a seasonal basis
in each district.
• Two major types of nomadic herders
1. Vertical
2. Horizontal
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18. Mineral Resources
• Large number of minerals—Generally in small
deposits
– Chromite in Turkey
– Mercury in Algeria
– Phosphate exports in Morocco
• Turkey is the only country in the region with
sufficient domestic coal and iron ore reserves
to support a broad economy.
• Widespread occurrence of petroleum
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19. Urbanization
• Sixty-five percent of the Middle East and North African
population is urbanized.
• Deep roots of urban living
• Expansion around madina (urban core)
• Higher level of urbanization than most other third-world
countries
• Grew rapidly in second half of twentieth century
• Many large urban centers in the region
– Cairo, Egypt
– Tehran, Iran
– Istanbul, Turkey
• High rates of natural increase
• High rate of rural to urban migration
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20. Traditional Islamic City
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21. Oil Production in the Mediterranean
Crescent Countries
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22. Tunisia
• Three-quarters of Tunisians live in
the northern third of the country and
Mediterranean coastal districts.
• The population distribution mirrors the
availability of water. Because rainfall is
concentrated in the northern and coastal
portions, the bulk of the population is
located in a limited space.
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23. Libya
• The vast majority of Libyans occupy two small
pockets of land: the coastal plains and northern
slopes of the Jabal Nafusah in Tripolitania and
the coastal and mountain districts between
Benghazi and Tobruk in Cyrenaica.
• As in Tunisia, the population distribution mirrors
the availability of water. Because rainfall is
concentrated in the northern and coastal
portions, the bulk of the population is located in
a limited space.
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24. Morocco
• As in Libya and Tunisia, the population
distribution mirrors the availability of water.
Because rainfall is concentrated in the
northern and coastal portions, the bulk of
the population is located in a limited
space.
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25. Algeria
• As in Libya, Tunisia, and Morocco, the
population distribution mirrors the
availability of water. Because rainfall is
concentrated in the northern and coastal
portions, the bulk of the population is
located in a limited space.
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26. Egypt
• Cairo and Alexandria are two of the largest cities in
Africa.
• Center of Muslim culture and tradition
• Powerful political force
• Employment opportunities vary with oil prices.
• Limited resource base
• Lack of water and suitable soils
– Salinization
– Aswan High Dam—Good and bad effects
– The New Valley Project delivers water to areas without
rainfall.
– Jonglei Canal Project
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27. The Arab Spring
• Late 2010 and early 2011
• High hopes for change in government, society,
and economy
• In Tunisia and Egypt, regime change produced
elections and various combinations of new
parliaments and presidents.
• The Libyan dictator was removed with the help of
U.N. forces.
• In Egypt in mid-2013, widespread anti-Muslim
Brotherhood demonstrations prompted a military
takeover and intensified violence.
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28. Turkey
• End of World War I—End of Ottoman Empire
• Revolution in 1920s led by Kemal Atatürk
• Establishment of a secular state even though the
population was overwhelmingly Islamic
• Sufficient coal and iron ore resources to develop
own heavy industry
• Greater percentage of usable land than any other
country in the region
• Tourism and industry are major focal points.
• Slowing population growth
• Seeking entry into European Union
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29. Land Use in Turkey
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30. Syria
• Natural resources
• Agriculture
• Small-scale mineral deposits
• Sufficient petroleum
• Rainfall in Central and North Syria supports
dry farming.
• Major capital investment in irrigation
• Strategic element between Israel and Iran
• Issues of 2013 and beyond
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31. Syrian Refugees of 2013
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32. Lebanon
• Country perpetually in crisis
• No firm agricultural base
• Until the1970s, Beirut was a major financial
center for the Arab world.
• Mid-1970s—Civil conflict
– Christian Lebanese
– Islamic elements
• Lebanon is often referred to as a puppet of
Syria.
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33. Israel
• Created in 1948 from the British mandate of Palestine
• 1967 war—Obtained Palestinian lands
• 1982—Invasion of Lebanon forced additional migration of
Palestinians.
• Relatively rich country in relatively poor part of the world
– Highly educated populace
– Technological sophistication
• Unique characteristics
– Kibbutz—a collective farm
– Moshav—a smallholders’ village
• Cultural conflict
– Between other states—Palestinians, Syrians, and Islamic nongovernmental
groups
– Within the country—Middle Eastern Jews versus European Jews
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34. Israel
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35. Palestine
• Arab population of former British mandate of
Palestine
• Long represented by the Palestine Liberation
Organization (PLO)
• Located in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip but
with no real defined territory
• Late 1993—The Oslo accord granted autonomy to
the Gaza Strip and to the Jericho region of West
Bank.
• The establishment of the Palestinian authority
Hamas during the election of 2006 put the state in
political crisis.
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36. Jordan
• Population composed of three elements
– Palestinians
• Pre-1948 Arab population
• Bedouins
• Originally created after World War I
• Hashemite family member as ruler
– Limited resource base
– Significant land-use problems
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37. The Countries of the Persian Gulf
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38. Saudi Arabia
• Oil rich
• Low population density
• Arid
• It is here that Mohammed first revealed himself as a
prophet and launched the preaching mission that, by
persuasion and conquest, came to control the region
both spiritually and politically.
• Here are the major centers of pilgrimage for Muslims:
Mecca and Medina.
• The Gulf States share many, often limiting,
characteristics that are part of a similar geographic
setting and shared history..
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39. Yemen
• The Yemeni Republic is located at the southwestern to southern
end of the Arabian Peninsula.
• It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the
west, the Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea to the south, and Oman
to the east.
• The majority of Yemen's population is divided into tribal groups.
• The 2011 Yemeni revolution was initially against unemployment,
economic conditions, and corruption.
• It was also against the government's proposals to modify the
constitution of Yemen so that the president’s son could inherit
the presidency.
• As seen before in Saudi Arabia, the Gulf States share many,
often limiting, characteristics that are part of a similar geographic
setting and shared history.
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40. Oman
• The Sultanate of Oman is located on the
southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula.
• At one time, Oman had its own empire and vied
with Portugal and Britain for influence in the
Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean.
• In the 2011 protests, citizens demanded political
reforms and jobs.
• As seen before in Saudi Arabia and Yemen,
the Gulf States share many, often limiting,
characteristics that are part of a similar
geographic setting and shared history.
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41. United Arab Emirates
• The United Arab Emirates is a federation of seven
emirates.
• Each emirate is governed by a hereditary emir who
jointly form the Federal Supreme Council, which is the
highest legislative and executive body in the country.
• The constituent emirates are Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai,
Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm al-Quwain.
• The capital is Abu Dhabi.
• Major efforts are focused on creating twenty-first century
tourist and business environments (such as Dubai) that
will have global economic impact.
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42. Iraq
• Three major zones
1. Desert
2. Land between Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
3. Mountainous northeast
• Al-Jazirah dominates the central portion of Iraq.
• Shatt al-Arab
– Common channel
– Flows the Tigris and Euphrates to the Persian Gulf
• One-party/dictatorship rule from 1963 through 2002
• Instability after second Gulf War
• Agriculture
– Dependent on irrigation in northeastern mountains
– Plans include dams for low-level zones
• Minerals
– Rich alluvial soils of Tigris and Euphrates floodplain
– Oil
• Marshes in Southeastern Iraq
– Home to Marsh Arabs
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43. Kuwait
• Modern urban center
• The metropolitan area of Kuwait City
contains 2.4 million of the country’s
2.9 million people.
• As seen before, the Gulf States share
many, often limiting, characteristics that
are part of a similar geographic setting
and shared history.
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44. Qatar
• The State of Qatar is a sovereign Arab
state located on the Qatar Peninsula of the
Arabian Peninsula whose only border is
with Saudi Arabia.
• Qatar is an absolute monarchy.
• It is considered a peaceful nation.
• The Gulf States share many, often limiting,
characteristics that are part of a similar
geographic setting and shared history.
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45. Bahrain
• The Kingdom of Bahrain is a small archipelago
situated near the western shores of the
Persian Gulf.
• In 1971, Bahrain declared independence and
signed a new treaty of friendship with the United
Kingdom.
• It had its own version of the Arab Spring in 2011
and still experiences minor conflicts.
• The Gulf States share many, often limiting,
characteristics that are part of a similar
geographic setting and shared history.
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46. Iran
• Pahlavi dynasty (1825–1979)
– Western-oriented
– Tried to promote social and economic modernization
– White revolution
– Resisted by religious leaders (mullahs)
– Secret police (SAVAK) dreaded
• Establishment of theocracy
– The monarchy collapsed and the Shah was ousted in 1979.
– Khomeini returns from Paris as the supreme leader of the new Islamic Republic of Iran.
– Seizure of U.S. embassy in November 1979
– The Khatami election in 1997 was originally thought to bring social reform.
– Conservatives resisted, and the Ahmadinejad election in 2005 cemented their control of
society.
• The physical environment resembles a traditional donut.
– Raised areas
– Central hole surrounding
• Mountain ranges in West
• North and west is desert.
• The bulk of the population is concentrated in valleys, interior basins, and coastal
plains.
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47. Land Use of Iran
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48. Problems of the Gulf States
• Limited minerals
– Only hydrocarbons are available in abundance.
– Other minerals are nonexistent or in insufficient
quantity for mining.
• Limited agriculture
– Extremely limited water supplies
– Only Iraq and Iran are suitable for cultivation.
– In other areas, slopes are too steep or rainfall is
too limited for nonirrigated agriculture.
– The traditional qanat system used to tap deep
groundwater originated in Iran.
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49. Gulf States / Weak Urban Traditions
• Weak urban traditions
– Focus on traditional livelihoods
– Oasis agriculture
– Rain-fed farming
– Pastoral nomadism
• Therefore, educational and technological
sophistication is generally weak in urban areas.
• Serious consequences
– Requires immigration to fill specialized jobs
– Threat to local culture
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50. Gulf States / Limited Resources
• Low population density
– In general, a small total population
– Exceptions
• Iran
• Iraq
• Saudi Arabia
– Density is concentrated in small, highly
productive zones.
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51. Gulf States / Oil
• Changing power relationships
• Oil revenues:
– are used to purchase military
hardware and equipment
– fund controversial research and
development (uranium
enrichment)
– Change the balance of power
in the region
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52. Gulf States / Religion
• Prominence of religion
– Islam
– Particularly pervasive role, socially and
culturally
– Mecca is located in Saudi Arabia.
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53. Gulf States / International Relationships
• Oil—Key resource for the industrial and post-industrial
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economy
– Gulf Cooperation Council
– Organization of Petroleum Exporting
Countries (OPEC)
• Islamic fundamentalism
– Iran
– Saudi Arabia (support for Wahabbism)
– Other states
• Kurdish independence movement
• Changing social conditions
• Internal reactions to globalization

54. Summary of Chapter
• The Middle East and North Africa world region appears in popular image to
be a sandy desert wasteland inhabited by one people, the Arabs, who are
uniformly Muslim in religion. In reality, the region is environmentally diverse
with considerable productive potential, and in these more productive zones,
great population densities are found.
• Aridity dominates almost all parts of the region and places severe constraints
on all economic activity.
• Despite economic progress, the stability and future of the Mediterranean
Crescent countries are jeopardized by severe internal tensions.
• More than one-third of the region’s population belongs to ethnic, linguistic, or
religious minorities that are neither Arab nor Muslim. There is diversity that is
unexpected.
• Mediterranean Crescent countries have attained significant levels of economic
development.
• The petroleum economy has changed and continues to alter many features
of the political, economic, and social fabric of the Gulf States. The challenge
facing the Gulf States is how to harness petroleum wealth to promote the
enduring development of their economies and societies.
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