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

KuwaitCity

Leading U. S. Oil Suppliers

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