Chapter 7: Southwest Asia and North Africa FIGURE 7.1

Learning Objectives Learn about the historical roots of Southwest Asia and North Africa, including religious significance Understand the role of Islam in shaping the history and current political situation in this region Understand the role of oil and water in shaping this region Become familiar with the physical, demographic, cultural, political, and economic characteristics of Southwest Asia and North Africa (SW Asia and N Africa) Understand these concepts and models: Exotic rivers Hajj Islamic fundamentalism Monotheism Ottoman Empire OPEC Levant and Maghreb Pastoral Nomadism Theocratic state Transhumance

Setting the Boundaries Sometimes called the Middle East (a European perspective) Region is generally arid, Muslim, and rich in oil (but this is not true of all countries in the region) This region is a culture hearth: cultural innovations that subsequently diffuse to other parts of world began here Development of petroleum industry has had large impact on the region OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries): member countries profoundly influence global prices and production targets for petroleum Islamic fundamentalism: aspect of Islam that advocates return to more traditional practices, calls for merger of civil and religious authority, and challenges encroachment of global popular culture

Environmental Geography: Life in a Fragile World A long history of human settlement in has left its mark on the environment in the region Deforestation and overgrazing Salinization of soils caused by centuries of irrigation FIGURE 7.5 Socotra’s Dragon’s Blood Tree FIGURE 7.4 Environmental Issues

FIGURE 7.6 Hydropolitics in Jordan River Basin Managing Water FIGURE 7.7 Saudi Arabian Irrigation – Iran’s qanat system and Libya’s “Great Man-Made River” tap groundwater – Egypt’s Aswan High Dam generates electricity – Israel’s “Peace Corridor” will bring water from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea FIGURE 7.6 Hydropolitics in Jordan River Basin Hydropolitics: interplay of water resource issues and politics

Regional Landforms • SW Asia is more mountainous than N Africa – North Africa • Maghreb (“West Island”): Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia; the Atlas Mountains of Southwest Asia • Levant: eastern Mediterranean region of SW Asia mountains and highlands • Anatolia: peninsula of Turkey (“Asia Minor”), geologically active plateau • Mesopotamia: in Iraq, between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers FIGURE 7.1 Southwest Asia and North Africa

Patterns of Climate Climate region is complex because of altitude and latitude Large portions of region are arid Deserts stretch from the Atlantic Coast across Africa, through Arabian Peninsula, into central and eastern Iran Arid Iran (Figure 7.12) FIGURE 7.12 Arid Iran FIGURE 7.14 Nile Valley

Patterns of Climate (cont.) – Mediterranean climates in the Atlas Mountains and the Levant coastline are caused by both altitude and latitude FIGURE 7.8 Atlas Mountains FIGURE 7.11 Climate Map

Population and Settlement: Patterns in an Arid Land The geography of population – 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 (farm) land

Population and Settlement: Patterns in an Arid Land (cont.) – Dry areas are sparsely settled; moist lands may be overpopulated – Population clusters: (1) Maghreb: moister areas of Atlas Mountains and coastal regions (2) Nile Valley FIGURE 7.13 Algerian Orange Harvest FIGURE 7.15 Population

Water and Life: Rural Settlement Patterns Domestication: plants and animals are selectively bred for desirable characteristics; domestication began in this region 10,000 years ago Fertile Crescent: ecologically diverse zone from Levant through fertile hill country of northern Syria into Iraq Pastoral nomadism Traditional form of subsistence agriculture that depends on seasonal movement of livestock Transhumance: seasonal movement of livestock from winter to summer pastures FIGURE 7.2 Man at Livestock Market, United Arab Emirates

Water and Life: Rural Settlement Patterns (cont.) Oasis life Areas where high groundwater or deep-water wells provide reliable moisture (small agricultural settlements or densely settled trade centers) Exotic river: a river that comes from a humid area and flows into a dry area that otherwise lacks streams; used for irrigation Kibbutz: collectively worked settlement that produces grain, vegetable, and orchard crops, irrigated by the Jordan River and feeder canals FIGURE 7.18 Oasis Agriculture in Morocco

Water and Life: Rural Settlement Patterns (cont.) The challenge of dryland agriculture – Depends on seasonal moisture, precipitation – Mostly in Mediterranean area (see map) – Crops: tree crops, livestock, grains, illegal hashish FIGURE 7.17 Agricultural Regions

Many-Layered Landscapes: Urban Imprint 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 Islamic religious administration and education Medina: the urban core of a traditional Islamic city has a central mosque and bazaar Colonialism left European influence FIGURE 7.20 Fes, Morocco Shown is the commercial district.

Signatures of Globalization Urban centers have become focal points of economic growth (Cairo, Algiers, Istanbul) Oil wealth has added modern element to traditional cities (e.g., Dubai) FIGURE 7.21 Modern Doha, Qatar

A Region on the Move Migration streams Rural-to-urban migration Outmigration from Iraq because of war 10 percent of population have left Job-related migration within the region More than 75 percent of Saudi Arabia’s workers are foreign Immigration of low-wage workers from other regions Emigration of workers from the region 2.7 million Turkish guest workers went to Germany Algerians and Moroccans went to France FIGURE 7.22 Labor Camp in Shariah City, United Arab Emirates Shown are South Asian workers.

Shifting Demographic Patterns Population growth rates vary within the region Women in are having fewer children Causes: delayed marriage, family planning initiatives, greater urbanization; rising consumer orientation Tunisia, Iran, Turkey, Egypt High rates of natural increase in West Bank, Gaza, and Yemen Increasing population strains cities, water supplies, public services, job availability FIGURE 7.23 Egypt’s Changing Population Shown are data for 2000 and 2050 (projected).

Cultural Coherence and Diversity: Signatures of Complexity Patterns of religion Hearth of the Judeo-Christian tradition Jews and Christians trace their roots to the eastern Mediterranean Monotheism: belief in one God The emergence of Islam Originated in Southwest Asia in 622 CE In the Judeo-Christian tradition: shares prophets, including Abraham, Moses, and Jesus Qur'an (Koran); Islamic book of revelations received by Muhammad from Allah (God) Islam means “submission to the will of God” FIGURE 7.25 Pilgrimage to Makkah

FIGURE 7.26 Modern Religions Patterns of Religion Schism in Islam Shiite Muslims favored passing power within Muhammed’s family Sunni Muslims favored passing power through established clergy; most Muslims are Sunni Iran is an Islamic theocracy Theocratic state: state where religious leaders (ayatollahs) guide policy FIGURE 7.26 Modern Religions

Patterns of Religion (cont.) Modern religious diversity Muslims are majority in region, except for Israel and Cyprus Sunni (73 percent) Shiites (23 percent); majority in Iran, southern Iraq, Lebanon, Sudan, Bahrain Sufism (mystic form of Islam) in region’s margins Druze (spin-off of Shi’a Islam) in Lebanon and Syria FIGURE 7.27 Old Jerusalem

FIGURE 7.24 Diffusion of Islam Patterns of Religion (cont.) – The expansion of the Ottoman Empire helped to spread Islam – Ottoman Empire: vast empire of Turks; it included most of Southwest Asia and North Africa, as well as southeastern Europe (circa 1453) FIGURE 7.24 Diffusion of Islam

Geographies of Language • Semites and Berbers – Arabic and Hebrew (Semite) – Berber in Atlas Mountains and Sahara • Persians and Kurds – Indo-European languages – Persian In Iran – Kurdish in northern Iraq, NW Iran, eastern Turkey • The Turkish imprint – Altaic language: more Turkic speakers in Central Asia (Chapter 10) FIGURE 7.28 Modern Languages

Regional Cultures in Global Context Islamic internationalism Islamic communities are well established in central China, European Russia, central Africa, southern Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, elsewhere Muslim congregations are expanding in western Europe and North America Globalization and cultural change Global economy is having impact on traditional cultural values Fundamentalism is a reaction Access to satellite TV, cell phones, Internet bring global culture to the region FIGURE 7.29 Kurdish Family in Eastern Turkey

Geopolitical Framework: Never-Ending Tensions The colonial legacy European colonialism after World War I Dominance of Ottoman Empire (1550–1850) 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 influenced Egyptian economy British instrumental in establishing Saudi Arabia Italians in Libya, Spanish in Morocco Turkey, Iran (Persia) never occupied

Decolonization and Independence Europeans began to withdraw before World War II By 1950 most countries independent Algeria independent in 1962 Modern geopolitical issues Across North Africa Libya formerly a problem; since 2004 moving toward cooperation, including disarmament Islamist movements in Algeria and Egypt Sudan had north (Islamist) versus south (Christian and animist) war in 1990s; now has conflict between nomadic Arabs and black African sedentary farmers in the Darfur region

Modern Geopolitical Issues The Arab–Israeli conflict – Creation of Israel in 1948 – Three wars: 1956, 1967 (when Israel gained most land), 1973 – Palestinian attacks on Jewish settlements (ongoing) • Israel’s construction of wall around settlements is a new source of tension; contributes to economic woes of Palestinians FIGURE 7.33 West Bank FIGURE 7.32 Evolution of Israel

Modern Geopolitical Issues (cont.) • Iraq’s political evolution – Iraq was born in colonial era: carved from British Empire, 1932 – Multiethnic: Shi’a Arabs, Sunni Arabs, Kurds, Marsh Arabs – U.S. troops in Iraq (since 2003) FIGURE 7.36 Multicultural Iraq

Modern Geopolitical Issues (cont.) • Instability in Saudi Arabia – Saud family (conservative monarchy) controls country – No democratic reforms – Home to radical Wahhabi Muslims (15 of 19 9/11 hijackers were Saudi) – Foreign workers, U.S. military presence FIGURE 7.30 Geopolitical Issues • Iranian geopolitics – Islamic Revolution 1978 – Supports other Shi’a Islamists – Oil and gas reserves – Nuclear development – Reformers among Iran’s educated middle class

Economic and Social Development: Lands of Wealth and Poverty The geography of fossil fuels – Oil unevenly distributed in the area • This region has 7 percent of the world’s population, 61 percent of the world’s proven petroleum reserves • Saudi Arabia, Iran, UAE, Libya, Algeria have much • Israel, Jordan, Lebanon have none FIGURE 7.37 Crude Petroleum and Natural Gas Production and Reserves

Regional Economic Patterns Higher-income oil exporters Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, UAE Not all benefit, e.g., rural Shiite Muslims and foreign workers do not Recent economic downturn caused oil prices to drop 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 long war with Iraq (1980–1990) and withdrawal from world trade lowered living standards Iraq struggling to get its oil industry back on track

Regional Economic Patterns (cont.) Prospering without oil Israel has highest living standard in the region Turkey has a diversified economy; has seen growth; 35 percent still employed in agriculture Economic reforms in Tunisia Lebanon has potential for prosperity through tourism and telecommunications FIGURE 7.38 Israeli High-Tech Industry

Regional Patterns of Poverty (cont.) Sudan’s economy ruined by civil war, political instability Egypt’s prospects unclear, with growth in 1990s, but many are still poor, with a large gap between rich and poor Brain drain: phenomenon in which some of brightest young people leave for better jobs in western Europe Yemen is poorest country in the Arabian Peninsula, with marginal subsistence farming and widespread unemployment Palestinians in West Bank and Gaza: political disruptions discourage investment; Israel has destroyed infrastructure; two-thirds of Palestinians live in poverty; unemployment above 40 percent

Development Indicators

A Woman’s Changing World World’s lowest female workforce participation; large gaps between male and female literacy More orthodox Islamic countries limit female participation In Saudi Arabia, women are not permitted to drive Women in Iran wear head scarves (but may also wear Western-style fashions) Educational opportunities for women are increasing – Some classrooms segregated by gender FIGURE 7.40 Women in the Workforce in Algeria

Global Economic Relationships OPEC’s changing fortunes OPEC no longer controls oil and gas prices globally but still influences availability and cost Saudi Arabia still dependent on oil and gas 90 percent of exports are crude oil shipments (70 percent) or refined petrochemical products (20 percent) Recession of 2008–2009 caused drop in oil prices Regional and international linkages Turkey asks to join European Union, but the going is slow Arab League formed in 1945 Greater Arab Free Trade Area (2005) to spur cooperation Islamic Development Bank; Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development

Global Economic Relationships (cont.) The geography of tourism Ancient historical sites and globally significant religious localities are a large draw Tourist hotels and condos on the Mediterranean Ecotourism Tourism is a large part of the regional economy in Turkey, Israel, and Egypt Impacts to visual landscape, physical environment, and archeological sites

Summary Southwest Asia and North Africa have played a critical role in world history and globalization Important culture hearth and religious center Oil plays world role Political conflicts disrupt economic development Tension between modern ways and fundamentalist traditions