The Middle East

The Middle East Today:Political Map

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Middle East? OR Near East?OR Southwest Asia? OR….?

What is the “Middle East”?• The Middle East is not a

separate continent, but geographically is the area in which Africa, Asia, and Europe interconnect

• There are no natural borders that delineate the boundaries of the Middle East.

• Egypt, Iran, Sudan, Turkey, North Africa are disputed parts of the region.

What is the “Middle East”?

• In fact the boundaries of the Middle East are political, and they keep shifting overtime.

• Islam is the common thread that join Middle Eastern Country together

Ancient Middle East• http://www.mapsofwar.com/ind/i

mperial-history.html

Kingdom of Israel in Ancient Middle East

Ancient Middle East

Middle East During Roman Empire

Post-Rome & Beginnings of Islam

Middle East - Muslim Empires

Ottoman Empire c. 1800• Multiethnic, multireligious state

ruled under Islamic laws• Ruled by sultan • By 1800, power beginning to

weaken• Threat from powerful,

industrialized European nation-states & imperialism

Middle East & European Imperialism

• France Algeria in 1830, Tunisia in 1881

• British took Aden (Yemen) in 1836, Egypt in 1882

• Italy Libya in 1911• Russia also gained influence

Middle East – Pre-WWI

Sykes-Picot Agreement• Ottoman Empire joined

Central Powers• Other Arab states joined with

British who promised them independence after war…

BUT• France & Britain had secret

Sykes-Picot Agreement which divided the territory among themselves!!!!

• Plus the Balfour Declaration (would support nation for Jewish people in Palestine)

= Distrust in the West

Middle East – Post WWI• Mandate System– Mandates = semi-colonial territories– Set up by League of Nations

• Hopes for nation-states crushed– Kurds (ethnic group) promised

settlement, instead were divided among Turkey, Syria, Iran, Iraq

Middle East in the 20th C.

SOME COUNTRIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST ARE:

ISRAEL

SAUDI ARABIA

TURKEY

IRAN

KUWAIT

QATAR

AND THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (UAE)

IRAQ

AFGHANISTAN

Development of Middle East

• Very different across the Middle East– Islam & politics? Modernization?

Relationship with West?• Three types of regimes in Islamic

states– Muslim States = Muslim majority,

secular gov’t (Turkey)– Islamic States = Muslim majority,

principles of Islam used for guidance (Egypt, Indonesia)

– Islamist States = Depend on Islamic or Shari’a law for governance (Iran, Saudi Arabia)

Middle East Nationalism• Rapid economic change

due to oil resources– Demand for oil among

industrialized countries• Arab Revolt of 1916-

1917– Led to partitioning of

Ottoman Empire• Rise of nationalism

around the Middle East– By 1936, Iraq, Trans-

Jordan, Lebanon, & Syria were independent

– Only Palestine was not autonomous

Modernization in Turkey• 1922 – Turkish nationalists led by Mustafa

Kemal overthrew last Ottoman emperor• Established Republic of Turkey (1st republic

in Middle East)– Kemal as 1st president of Turkey = Atatürk

(“Father of the Turks”) • Modernization

– Broke connection between Islam and state• Separated Islamic laws from national laws• Replaced Islamic courts with secular courts

– Gave women legal & political rights (suffrage, no veil)

– Western style of dress– EDUCATION!!! – Secular public schools

• Alphabet changed from Arabic to Latin

Modernization in Iran• 1921 – Reza Khan, army officer, seized power

– Military dictatorship• Became ruling shah in 1925, renamed Persia

as Iran (Reza Shah Pahlavi)• Westernization not as successful as in

Turkey– Broke w/Islamic traditions– Built roads & railroads, encouraged

industrialization – Women given more rights

• Iran occupied by British & Soviet troops in WWII (Iran’s pro-German policies)– Conflict w/U.S. & West over shah’s right to

throne – extended West’s influence – 1979 Islamic revolution by religious leader

Ayatollah Khomeini overthrew shah– Iranian hostage crisis in Tehran in 1979 –

released 444 days later

Egypt & Arab Nationalism• Controlled by British since 1882

(although under Ottoman Empire…)• Arab nationalism opposed British

control/influence• 1952 – Gamal Abd al-Nasser led coup

and was named president of Egypt• Suez Crisis in 1956• Brief union w/Syria as United Arab

Republic• Attacks on Israel • Replaced by Anwar Sadat & then

Hosni Mubarak

Palestine• Lesson for another

day…• Has some self-

determination but still strives for nation-statehood

2010

Saudi Arabia• While Turkey and Iran broke with many

Islamic traditions, Saudi Arabia held strictly to Islamic law.

• The harsh desert land was home to a group of nomads known as Bedouins.

• They lived in large family groups, each led by a shaykh (sheikh) = means “elder”.

• In 1902, a shaykh named Abd al-Aziz Obn Saud, set out to extend his power.

• In 1926 he proclaimed himself king of the nation of Saudi Arabia.

• Still an absolute monarchy.

King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud

IraqAfter fall of Ottomans…• British mandate, created

gov’t, renamed Iraq • Attacks on Israel, Iran,

Kuwait• Ethnic oppression &

genocide under Saddam Hussein

Afghanistan• Islamic Republic of

Afghanistan• Chronic instability & conflict• “Great Game” = Russia & Britain’s Empire

vied for control• Communist government for a period of time

(controlled by Soviets)• Withdrawal of Soviets led to civil war • Rise of Taliban (from largest ethnic group,

the Pashtuns)– Controlled Afghanistan until ousted in 2001

• President Hamid Karzai

Middle East: Population Density

The Natural Resources of theMiddle East

World Oil Reserves

Persian Gulf Oil Exports (2003)

Saudi Oil Fields & Refineries

Kuwait: An Island Floating on a Sea of Oil

KuwaitCity

Leading U. S. Oil Suppliers

The U. S. imports 30% of its oil needs from the Middle East.

Issues Facing Middle East• Ethnic & religious conflicts• Religion v. modernization v.

politics• Arab-Israeli conflict over

statehood/territory• Economics • Arab spring/political instability