geography of the middle east. - middle east as tricontinental hub between europe, asia, & africa...
TRANSCRIPT
- Middle East as tricontinental hub between Europe, Asia, & Africa
- Geopolitical significance
- Birthplace of three monotheistic religions
- Base of extensive empires
- Resource area for 66% of the world’s oil
Tricontinental Junction: An Introduction
Chapter 1
- Place of explosive conflicts after World War II:
- Arab-Israeli conflict (1947 – present)
- Yemen Civil War (1960s)
- Lebanon Civil War (1975-1991)
- American Embassy hostage crisis (1979-1980)
- Iran – Iraq War (1980-1988)
- Gulf War I (1990-1991)
- Afghanistan (2001 – present)
- Gulf War II (2003 – 2011)
- Arab Spring (2010 – present)
- The Rise of ISIS (2013 – present)
- 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?
- 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
Five contemporary facets dominate the world’s perception of the area:
1) unequaled petroleum sources
2) ongoing Arab-Israeli conflict
3) terrorism
4) rivalries among leaders and states
5) extremism among all religious groups
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?