The Middle East Unit Overview Lecture Notes
Location of the Middle East
This region is located where Africa, Asia, and Europe meet. The
countries in this region are aligned more by their cultural
characteristics than by their physical relationships.
Place of the Middle East
Made up of seas, plateaus, and peninsulas, the Middle East is a
region of vast differences, yet many similarities in their physical and
human place.
History
As the birthplace of modern farming, the “cradle of civilization,
and the homeland for many of the major world religions, the
Middle East has deep history that holds significance for many
people around the entire world.
The earliest civilizations arose in Mesopotamia along the Tigris &
Euphrates Rivers. These civilizations developed over time, bringing
about many inventions and advancements for the modern world.
Beginning around 1800 B.C. monotheistic religions grew out of the
Middle East, beginning with the Jewish faith and later branching
into Christianity and Islam. All three religions still consider their
homelands to be in the Middle East, and religion is still very
important to most Middle Easterners today.
Religions
People
The Middle East has over 400 million in population. Most of the
population lives in urban areas, but there is still a very large rural
population.
Living in this area can be very challenging. Many of the urban
areas have very high costs of living due to their control by the
wealthy oil industry, yet the rural areas suffer from a shortage of
water due to the vast desert lands.
The entire area is very productive in farming, industry, trade, and
tourism, yet the oil in the region is the primary money-maker for
many of the Middle Eastern countries.
Human-Environment Interaction in
the Middle East
The Middle East is an area known throughout the world for its rich
oil reserves. How they utilize this resource is important for their
current and future success as a region.
Positive or Negative?
Oil in the Middle East
Oil reserves in the background of the desert in Saudi Arabia.
Despite the wealth gained from the rich resource, it also has
displaced animals from their habitats.
Positive of Negative?
Oil in the Middle East
Oil spills in the region are more common as the industries push to
expand their oil shipment and production to countries around the
world.
Positive or Negative?
Urban Growth
Cities like Dubai, UAE have popped up in recent years due to the
increase in jobs and the movement of populations in search of
those new opportunities.
Positive or Negative?
New Energy Sources
Some more wealthy countries have started to look to the future for
cleaner, more efficient forms of energy.
Positive or Negative?
Commercial
Herding & Farming
Throughout the rural areas of the Middle East, farmers use
intelligent strategies to bring in water supplies for commercial
herding and farming. Some nomadic herders still travel the land to
supply food for their animals.
Movement in
the Middle East
People, goods, and ideas are constantly moving around the Middle
East. With continued growth and development, the region
continues to see change for its land and people.
Traditional Movement
Caravans
Nomadic Herding
Modern Movement
High Speed Trains
Modern Traffic
Growing Trends
The Middle East has the technology opportunities seen around the
world, but some countries are resistant to the influx of the media
age.
Region of
the Middle East
Most of this region share in a number of cultural traits, including
their history, religious beliefs, and traditions. They also share in the
struggles associated with living in a region filled with geographic
challenges.
Physical Region
The region of the Middle East has many shared physical
characteristics from the vast deserts to the many beautiful seas,
but the most significant is the oil reserves that provide wealth from
around the world.
Human Region
While the people of the Middle East share many characteristics,
most of their human traits stem from their shared belief of Islam.
With the shared history, traditions, political positions, and lifestyle
practices dictated by the religion, its influence is seen everywhere.
Concerns for
The Middle East
This region of the world has struggled with modernization as many
see it as a threat to their power, their religious practices and
beliefs, or their traditions.
Political Conflict &
Violence erupt in the region on a regular basis as different groups
attempt to take or keep power.
Violent eruptions take place throughout the region due to
differences in political and religious beliefs.
Civil Rights and the modernization of Religious Law bring
controversy to the region as some push for change while others
want to maintain tradition.
Due to the restrictions on women in Islamic law, many women are
now fighting for simple freedoms others around the world have
had for generations.
A Final Note
While the region of the Middle East is often seen as one with rich
resources and great wealth, that is not completely true. The
wealth in the region is NOT distributed evenly, and many suffer
from a lack of freedom, privilege, and prosperity as in other parts
of the world.