1. Geography of the Middle East

2. Tricontinental Junction: An Introduction
Chapter 1
Tricontinental Junction: An Introduction
- Middle East as tricontinental hub between Europe, Asia, & Africa
- Birthplace of three monotheistic religions
- Geopolitical significance
- Base of extensive empires
- Resource area for most of the world’s oil

3. Place of explosive conflicts since World War II:
- Arab-Israeli conflict (1947 – present)
- Yemen Civil War (1960s)
- Lebanon Civil War ( )
- American Embassy hostage crisis ( )
- Iran – Iraq War ( )
- Gulf War I ( )
- Afghanistan (2001 – present)
- Gulf War II (2003 – 2011)
- Arab Spring (2010 – present)
- The Rise of ISIS (2013 – present)
- The War in Syria (2011 – present)
- Saudia Arabia’s & Iran’s proxy-war in Yemen (2012-present)

4. - Despite extensive reporting on the area, few media have offered
in-depth, objective analysis of the Middle East’s complex patterns:
- religions ?
- peoples ?
- cultures ?
- politics ?
- aspirations?
- Why this lack of analysis?
- Why the lack of objectivity?

5. as media sources fail to balance Middle East reporting,
Americans often perceive the Middle East in negative terms
- stereotypes and prejudices have roots as far back as the Crusades,
and experienced vivid injection after 9/11
- the need to learn the fundamental geographical factors:
- Middle East as “Cradle of Civilization”
- Middle East as matrix for later Western- and Orient civilizations
- Middle East as birthplace for three important religions
- Middle East as preserver of the Hellenistic world
- Middle East as remarkable commercial crossroads

6. Five contemporary facets dominate the world’s perception of the area:
1) unequaled petroleum sources
2) Arab-Israeli conflict, war in Syria, Arab Spring
3) terrorism and the rise of ISIS
4) rivalries among leaders and states
5) extremism among all religious groups

7. Defining the Middle East:
- limits of region are variously conceived
- terms such as “East”, “Near East”, “Far East”, or “Middle East”
are ultimately Eurocentric
- our textbook focuses on sixteen countries,
from Egypt in North Africa to Turkey and Iran in SW- Asia
What will the Middle East look like in 20 years?

8. NOW?
THEN?