North Africa and Southwest Asia
Themes
Climate
change could greatly impact the small number of viable agricultural areas in
this overall dry region
High
(but slowing) rates of population growth and rapid urban growth
Big
divide in region between states with oil/gas (ie fossil fuel reserves) and
without; both types are involved in geopolitical and domestic political
contestations
Note:
This edition, they have decided to use the term occupied Palestinian
Territories to refer to Gaza and the West Bank.
NOTE:
I dont love the way the book writes about this region. There is good
information, but sometimes they dont frame it in ways most other scholars do.
So
trust my slides over the book if there is a discrepancy.
Physical Patterns
Driest
inhabited world region
Sahara:
worlds largest desert
Also
Rub al Khali in Saudi Arabia
Mediterranean
shores, uplands have Mediterranean and Steppe climates
Atlas,
Zagros mountains are the major ranges
Rivers
rise in uplands, travel through dry areas
Allows
irrigated agriculture
Earthquakes
common in Turkey & Iran
Bad
impacts in squatter, mud brick settlements
Environmental Issues: Water
Water
already scarce and
Living
standards are increasing overall (even if many left behind)
Populations
are booming
This is leading to issues
of quality, not just quantity
Traditional
water conservation methods used less
These methods include
public bath, water recycling, underground irrigation, shaded buildings
Water!
Upstream
countries like Turkey, Sudan using more water for own agriculture through dam
projects
Take it from Egypt,
Syria, Iraq
Dams also stop alluvial
soil, more evaporation, mosquitoes
Israel
got water rights in West Bank, Golan Heights
Good
solution: waste water recycling, efficient irrigation
Short
term only solutions: desalinization (takes a lot of fossil fuels and is very
expensive) ; over-pumping fossil water aquifers (those that dont recharge,
thus it can be used up)
Desertification
(turning of moist land to desert) caused by:
Settled camel farming
Dropping water tables
from urban water use
Likely climate change
(which will also lead to sea level rise in delta regions)
Can be related to
salinization (the salting of soil due to over-irrigation)
Agriculture
In
some countries, agriculture employs 40-50% of the populations
In
river valleys, near coasts
Saudi
Arabia uses desalinizing water to grow wheat
Salinization
due to irrigation evaporation
Herding,
once a staple, now in decline
Private property,
national boundaries made roaming harder
Agricultural Beginnings
Farming
began 10,000 ybp in Fertile Crescent
Had water, fish,
grasslands, grains, goats, sheep
Most important: wheat
and cattle
Nomadic hunters
domesticated these
Sumer, developed
writing, wheel
Specialized
professions; more specialized gender roles
Soon
after in the Nile Valley, in the Maghreb, and in Persia
Nomads
traded with, raided settled areas
Eventually
became assimilated
Increasing
evidence distinct gender roles began to emerge along with agriculture
Religious Beginnings
Region
origin of most of the worlds monotheistic religions (those that believe in
one God)
Judaism
Founded
about 4000 years ago, when Abraham led tribe from Mesopotamia to Eastern
Mediterranean
Rebelled
against the Romans, sent away from Israel
Scattering called Diaspora
Ended
up in Mesopotamia, North Africa, Spain, Eastern Europe
Faced much prejudice,
pogroms
Regional Religion (cont)
Christianity
Christians
Followers of Jesus of Nazareth
Built on Jewish belief
Preached in Judea,
Galilee (currently Palestine); early expansion into Syria/Turkey
Persecuted
by Romans until Edict of Milan (in the year 313)
Constantine converts in
330
Made state religion of
Rome in 380
Splits
in 1054 into Catholic (Rome) and Orthodox (Constantinople)
Largely
gone from region except
Maronites of Lebanon
Copts of Egypt
Small groups in Syria,
Iraq; European and Filipino expats in the Gulf.
Regional Religion (cont)
Islam
Religion
revealed to the Prophet Muhammad by the Angel Gabriel
Muslims (followers of
Islam)
Quran, the holy book
that contains the words of Allah (God)
Believe
the Propht Muhammad was seal of prophets, a tradition including Jewish and
Christian prophets
Jerusalem
believed to be the sight where Muhammad ascended into heaven
Five pillars of Islam
Shahadah
(the profession of faith)
No
god but God, Muhammad is the messenger of God
Salah
(prayer)
Five
times daily, towards Mecca
Zakat
(religious tax, or tithe)
Sadaqah,
voluntary almsgiving, is also encouraged
Sawm
(fasting during Ramadan)
Hajj
(the
pilgrimage to Mecca)
Mecca
also direction Muslims pray
The Diffusion of Islam
Islam
spread by both conquest and trade
In 100 yrs, from Spain
to Central Asia
Got control of trade
from Eastern Asia to Africa
Beyond
personal behavior, also had rules for business and government
Included tolerance for
people of the book
Continued under Ottoman
Empire
Unlike
some other religions, rules were known to all believers; all believers were
equal
While
Europe languished, maintained/expanded Greek and Roman knowledge
This despite the fact
there was no central authority in the religion.
Arabs
dominated Muslim empires early
Turks form Ottoman
Empire, displace Constantinople in 15th century
A little more Islam
93
% of region are Muslims
Saudi
Arabia contains the holy cities of Mecca and Medina
Law
based on the Quran is called Sharia (which has several schools)
Origin
of two Main Branches:
Sunni Believed
successor to the Prophet should be a Caliph, a virtuous political leader,
chosen by leaders of the Muslims
Shia Believed
successor, the Imam, should be member of his family through his daughter Fatima
and son-in-law Ali
Much
Sunni/Shia conflict over the centuries has not been about doctrine, but power
differences (with the Sunni often dominant over the Shia in most areas)
Western Domination
North
Africa barely controlled by Ottomans by 1800
France gets control of
Algeria, annexes it
Make Morocco, Tunisia protectorates
or local figure head rulers with France making all the decisions
Britain does similar
things in Egypt, Sudan
Italy into Libya
Raw
materials sent to Europe, while rising nationalism suppressed
Western Domination (cont.)
Ottomans
in WWI, align with Germany, lose
Syria, Lebanon to
France
Iraq, Jordan, Palestine
created by Britain
Both France and Britain
build weak, religiously divided states to strengthen their rule
Turkey remains
independent
Ibn
Saud unites Saudi Arabia
State Formation
After
World War II, states get independence
Small Gulf States
formalize boundaries
Bloodiest battle in
Algeria
Still dependent on
Europe, and now U.S. (and increasingly East Asia) for oil technology,
manufactured goods, arms and much food
In Iran, US and Britain
overthrow the democratically elected prime minister