Transcript Geography 176A Introduction to Geographic Information Systems

“Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Monday appointed
Dennis Ross a seasoned Middle East negotiator under Republican and
Democratic presidents, as her special adviser for the gulf and
Southwest Asia, a portfolio that will include Iran.”
http://www2.onu.edu/~dsmith3/westasia.pdf
Conflicts
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Arab-Israeli conflict
1948 Arab-Israeli War
1956 Suez War
1967 Six Day War
1970 War of Attrition
1973 Yom Kippur War
1982 Lebanon War
1987-1993 First Intifada
1982-2000 South Lebanon conflict
2000-2007 al-Aqsa Intifada
2006 Lebanon War
2008-2009 Israel-Gaza conflict
Contemporary SW Asia/N Africa
1. The Middle East is a region that spans southwestern Asia and
northeastern Africa.
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It has no clear boundaries, often used as a synonym to Near East, in
opposition to Far East. The term "Middle East" was popularized around
1900 in the United Kingdom.
2. The Middle East is also the historical origin of three of the
world’s major religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
3. The Middle East generally has an arid and hot climate, with
several major rivers providing for irrigation to support
agriculture in limited areas.
4. Many countries located around the Persian Gulf have large
quantities of crude oil.
5. In modern times the Middle East remains a strategically,
economically, politically, culturally and religiously sensitive
region.
Unifying Factors
1. GEOGRAPHY
Oasis-village type of organization
Beyond the oases – Nomadism
Plateau & mountain regions (Egypt & Tigris/Euphrates
region: Villages – dependable water supply for irrigation
2. CULTURE
Islam – official religion or leading religion of all but Israel
Arabic language a bond despite their linguistic differences
Social order of Islam
Region central to other monotheistic in faiths
Unifying Factors
3. COMMON HISTORICAL EXPERIENCE
Product of 20th century conflicts/interests of outside powers
Boundaries of Ottoman Empire
Islam
• Other “indigenous” religious traditions:
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Zoroastriansim (confined to Persia)
Judaism (Babylonians  Romans)
Christianity (shifted to Rome)
• Muhammad the Prophet (AD 571-632)
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Mecca: 45 mi. from Red Sea
receive revelations from Allah (God) AD 613
“recitation” = Qur’an (Koran)
Muhammad  Arab society  gained enemies
fled Mecca  Medina (Hejira: AD 623)
Islamic precepts
• New faith and new set of values  Arabs
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Five Pillars of Islam:
repeat basic creed
daily prayer
fasting  observe month of Ramadan
giving alms to the poor
pilgrimage to Mecca
The Spread of Islam
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By AD 1000: large empire
spread by Arab armies
 Islam not an “Arab” religion
 Arab capitals: Medina, Damascus, Baghdad
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Spatial Diffusion process:
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expansion diffusion
relocation diffusion
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Islam: leadership crisis
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Muhammad dies AD 632
blood relative? (Arab culture)
 any devout Muslim?
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Muhammad’s successor (Caliph)
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Abu Bakr (Muhammad’s wife’s father) d.634
Umar (d.644), Uthman (d.656)
 Ali, a cousin of Muhammad (d.661)
 Husayn ibn Ali & Karbala (AD 680)
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 Sunni
& Shiites (Shia: “follower”)
Islam
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Secularism vs. fundamentalism?
Ayatollah (leader under Allah) vs. Shah (King)
 Islamic Republics & Sharia criminal code
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Ottoman Empire -- 1453-1918
Ottoman provinces  colonies: boundaries?
 Fragmented pop.  borders drawn before oil
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Gross National Product per capita