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CHAPTER SIX

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Title: CHAPTER SIX


1
CHAPTER SIX
  • North Africa and Southwest Asia

2
I. THE GEOGRAPHIC SETTINGA. Physical Patterns
  • Climate
  • Although the Sahara is a particularly hot desert
    in the worlds driest region, humans make many
    adaptations in order to survive.

3
Physical Patterns
  • Landforms and Vegetation
  • Undulating surfaces cover most of the region. A
    few important mountain ranges affect climate
    patterns.
  • Tectonic plates are moving apart to create the
    Red Sea this movement is also causing a
    collision between the Arabian Plate and Asia,
    creating mountains.
  • The region is home to only three major rivers
    all have attracted human settlement for thousands
    of years.
  • Although many early agricultural societies
    existed here in the past, agriculture is now
    possible in only a few places.

4
B. Human Patterns Over Time
  • Agricultural Beginnings
  • Ten thousand years ago, nomadic peoples of this
    region began agricultural communities in the
    Fertile Crescent, eventually building elaborate
    settlements.

5
Human Patterns over Time
  • The Emergence of Gender Roles
  • After the development of agriculture, the concern
    over family lines of inheritance led to the idea
    that women should be controlled to prevent them
    from becoming pregnant by a number of men.

6
Human Patterns over Time
  • Other Sites of Early Cultivation
  • Early agriculture was also practiced in the Nile
    Valley, in the Maghreb, and in Persia.
  • As nomadic tribes banded together and attempted
    to expand their domains, they often conquered
    other tribes, adopting much of the culture of
    those they conquered.

7
Human Patterns Over Time
  • The Coming of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
  • Judaism was founded nearly 2000 years before
    Christianity. After the Jews rebelled against the
    Roman Empire, they were expelled from the eastern
    Mediterranean and migrated in the Diaspora.
  • Christianity gathered followers in the area of
    Palestine. The Crusades were later launched to
    retake the land they had lost because of the
    spread of Islam. Christianity later spread
    through European colonization and missionary
    activity.
  • Islam is now the overwhelming dominant religion
    in the region. The principles of Islam were
    revealed to Muhammad, who claimed to be the last
    in a long series of great prophets (including
    Abraham, Moses, and Jesus). These messages from
    Allah were recorded in Islams holy book, the
    Quran (Koran).

8
Human Patterns Over Time
  • The Spread of Islam
  • Islam spread far and wide through both trade and
    conquest. Muslim culture has made many
    contributions to history, mathematics, geography,
    medicine, and other academic disciplines.
  • Islamic rules of conduct guided taxation and law.
    Arabs remained the dominant elite as Islam
    spread.
  • The Ottoman Empire inherited the political and
    religious institutions of Islam, including
    religious tolerance.
  • Origins of cultural practices (including
    seclusion, veiling, and antiforeign attitudes)
    are obscure and subject to misconceptions in this
    region.

9
Human Patterns Over Time
  • Western Domination and State Formation
  • European influence was first exercised through
    the control of trade and finance.
  • France became the first European country to rule
    directly in the region, gaining control of
    Algeria.
  • Europeans also set up protectorates where local
    rulers remained in place, yet European officials
    made the important decisions.
  • Europe also influenced countries by example, as
    some reformist governments copied Europeans
    hoping they could become strong enough to resist
    European encroachment.
  • Effects of this influence disempowered many and
    concentrated power and wealth in the hands of a
    few.

10
Human Patterns Over Time
  • Western Domination and State Formation
  • After its defeat as an ally of Germany in World
    War I, the Ottoman Empire was split up and
    portions were allotted to various European
    countries. Only Turkey gained true independence.
  • Although the countries in this region became
    independent in the mid-twentieth century, they
    remained dependent on Western countries for oil
    technology. Meanwhile, oil profits were hoarded
    by the wealthy elite.
  • After World War II, a place was sought to settle
    the European Jewish survivors of Nazi Death
    camps. Zionists began to purchase land from
    Palestinian landholders, establishing kibbutzim.
    Palestinian Arabs objected to the establishment
    of a Jewish homeland in Palestine the hostility
    continues today

11
C. Population Patterns
  • Most people live along coasts and rivers and in
    mountainous areas that capture orographic
    rainfall however, due to a rapidly expanding
    population, efforts are being made to expand
    livable space into the desert.
  • Although women are marrying later and going to
    school longer, the fertility rate is still high
    water, food, and jobs are already in short supply
    for the growing population.

12
Population Patterns
  • Gender Roles and Population Growth
  • Fertility rates remain high in this region
    because of the desire to have a son and gender
    inequalities.
  • However, as women gain more educational,
    political, and economic opportunities, they
    choose to have fewer children.

13
Population Patterns
  • Migration and Urbanization
  • Many young men are leaving the region for jobs,
    intending to return home.
  • Immigration is also occurring because of job
    opportunities or religious persecution.
  • Internal migration from rural villages to urban
    areas is an important pattern in the region. Poor
    urban migrants often occupy the medieval
    interiors of old cities.

14
Population Patterns
  • Refugees
  • This region shelters many refugees who have fled
    war or environmental disasters others become
    refugees because of political conflicts.
  • An even larger group of people are refugees
    within their home countries, usually because of
    civil unrest.
  • Refugee camps often become semipermanent with
    their own communities and informal economies.
    However, the social costs are high.

15
II.CURRENT GEOGRAPHIC ISSUESA. Economic and
Political Issues
  • Many economic and political issues are barriers
    to peace and prosperity. Wealth is unequally
    distributed, oil and agricultural prices are
    unstable, and large national debts are common.

16
Economic and Political Issues
  • The Oil Economy
  • Oil reserves were exploited by Europeans and
    North Americans until the 1970s. Now OPEC
    restricts production, raising world oil prices.
    However, the resulting oil wealth has mainly
    benefited the politically powerful.
  • Although oil money has not been sufficiently
    invested in human, technical, or natural
    resources, significant improvements have been
    made in infrastructure.

17
Economic and Political Issues
  • The Traditional Economy Agriculture and Herding
  • Despite the abundance of oil and gas in the
    region, much of the region remains poor and
    dependent on agriculture and herding.
  • Agriculture
  • Irrigation is now being used to expand
    agriculture in marginal areas, often resulting in
    salinization of the soil. Poorer states are
    unable to afford the technology to avoid
    salinization.
  • Political tensions have convinced many
    governments to try for agricultural
    self-sufficiency no matter what the cost,
    resulting in poorly engineered development.

18
Economic and Political Issues
  • Herding
  • Herding was the economic mainstay of the region
    for thousands of years, but its importance has
    been declining.
  • Nomadic herders have lost financial and spatial
    independence as the region has modernized.

19
Economic and Political Issues
  • Attempts at Economic Diversification
  • Economic diversification can bring prosperity and
    stability however, in this region, the state has
    long driven economic development. Resources are
    limited, and local private capital and outside
    investment are insufficient to finance
    development.
  • Government protection of industry has resulted in
    low-quality and expensive products with limited
    export potential.

20
Economic and Political Issues
  • Side Effects of Development Efforts
  • Structural adjustment programs (SAPs) are an
    attempt to reduce debt and cut back government
    control in the economy. Because they cut
    government jobs and social welfare efforts, SAPs
    often have negative effects on the poor.
  • The conditions that have resulted make it
    difficult to attract private foreign investment.
    However, post-9/11 circumstances and the war in
    Iraq have encouraged more interest in industrial
    investment.

21
Economic and Political Issues
  • The Economic and Political Legacy of Outside
    Influence
  • Due to a long history of outside influence, a
    large number of hostilities exist, hindering
    needed changes in the region.
  • The Iraq War (2003-present)
  • The Bush administration thought Iraq was
    connected to the September 11 terrorist attacks
    and had nuclear weapons. Although neither
    accusation was proved, war was declared in 2003
    to remove Saddam Hussein from power and turn Iraq
    into a democracy.
  • Hussein was captured, and the United States
    turned over political control to the Iraqis,
    hoping for an end to the violence instead, it
    escalated.

22
Economic and Political Issues
  • Understanding the Continuing Israeli-Palestinian
    Conflict
  • Warfare began in 1948 and hostilities continue,
    creating hundreds of thousands of Palestinian
    refugees.
  • The loss of land and political oppression have
    led to uprisings among Palestinians.
  • Although Israel committed to stop settling Jews
    in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, they have
    continued to build housing and began constructing
    a wall around the Palestinian territory in 2003.
  • Most agree that violence is not the answer, yet
    recent talks have failed because of disagreement
    over how to share Jerusalem and how to resolve
    the refugee situation. Grassroots activists for
    peace have gotten little attention in the press
    and from world leaders.
  • This conflict is an example of an obstacle to
    political and economic cooperation. Israel has
    managed to develop, while Palestinians are
    severely impoverished and undereducated.

23
Economic and Political Issues
  • Understanding the Continuing Israeli-Palestinian
    Conflict
  • Most agree that violence is not the answer, yet
    recent talks have failed because of disagreement
    over how to share Jerusalem and how to resolve
    the refugee situation. Grassroots activists for
    peace have gotten little attention in the press
    and from world leaders.
  • This conflict is an example of an obstacle to
    political and economic cooperation. Israel has
    managed to develop, while Palestinians are
    severely impoverished and undereducated.

24
Economic and Political Issues
  • Islamism and Democracy
  • Islamist movements that favor strict
    interpretation of Muslim theology and seek
    political power are growing.
  • Many recruits are lower-class men, descendants of
    poor farmers, nomads, and refugees, but many
    well-educated males and females are also
    questioning the validity of secular societies and
    the influence of Western thought and customs on
    the philosophy of their governments.
  • Islamism, appealing to the widespread discontent
    of millions of increasingly poor people, seems to
    offer simple solutions to the regions problems.

25
Economic and Political Issues
  • Reform efforts from within the Arab Community
  • In 2002, a consortium of Arab governments,
    scholars, bureaucrats, and activists collaborated
    to produce a report on human development,
    identifying three deficits human freedoms,
    womens rights, and access to knowledge.
  • The key to ending these deficits is enhancing
    democratic institutions. The report argues for
    self-determined change from within the region.

26
II.CURRENT GEOGRAPHIC ISSUESB. Sociocultural
Issues
  • Religion in Daily Life
  • More than 93 percent of the people in this region
    are Muslim.
  • Saudi Arabia is at the heart of Muslim religious
    geography.
  • The two main groups of Islam, Sunni and Shiite,
    each have within them many different versions of
    the faith. These variations spring from the many
    different cultural settings in which Islam has
    taken root.

27
Sociocultural Issues
  • Role of Islam in Society
  • Islam is the officially accepted religion in
    theocratic states in the region, and even plays a
    public role in secular states.

28
Sociocultural Issues
  • Family and Group Values
  • Although it is changing, the multigenerational
    patriarchal family is still the norm.
  • Families maintain a physical space (often a
    walled compound) and a functional grouping along
    the lines of age and gender.

29
Sociocultural Issues
  • Thinking Geographically about Gender Roles and
    Gender Spaces
  • Carefully specified gender roles exist in Islamic
    culture, which is reflected in the organization
    of public and domestic spaces.
  • Women face many restrictions, including
    seclusion, requiring a male companion in public,
    wearing veils, and not having full legal rights.
    However, the patterns vary considerably.
  • Architecture, window treatments, and clothing are
    all elements of material culture that were
    designed to help seclude women.

30
Sociocultural Issues
  • Thinking Geographically about Gender Roles and
    Gender Spaces
  • Womens presence in public spaces is increasing
    however it varies by country, social class, and
    rural or urban setting. Many countries, including
    Tunisia and Morocco, are enacting legislation to
    improve the status of women.
  • The origin of seclusion is controversial, as some
    claim it is derived from the teachings of
    Muhammad, while others say it was influenced by
    non-Islamic cultures that were conquered by Arab
    Muslims.
  • In some states, polygamy exists, although it is
    not encouraged or common.

31
Sociocultural Issues
  • The Lives of Children
  • Childrens lives take place mostly within the
    family circle.
  • Their lives are now being extended and
    circumscribed by school and television. Both
    introduce outside influences.

32
Sociocultural Issues
  • Language and Diversity
  • Arabic is the official language in most countries
    in this region, masking and, to some extent,
    erasing the great deal of cultural diversity in
    the region.
  • The widespread use of Arabic increases regional
    communication and solidarity.

33
Sociocultural Issues
  • Islam in a Globalizing World
  • Many Muslims see modern (mostly Western) culture
    as undermining important values. They are worried
    about the loss of responsibility to family, the
    obsession with materialism, alcohol and drug
    addiction, and liberalization of womens roles.
  • Islamists favor a stricter interpretation of the
    Quran in reaction to what they view as negative
    Western secular influences.
  • Many are speculating how modernization can be
    combined with Muslim beliefs and values.

34
II.CURRENT GEOGRAPHIC ISSUESC. Environmental
Issues
  • Although the Quran refers to the role of humans
    as stewards of the earth, Muslims have not always
    cared for the earth, as urbanization, mechanized
    agriculture, and materialism have led to a
    degraded environment.
  • People in the region expect to achieve higher
    living standards, which along with population
    growth will tax resources even further.

35
Environmental Issues
  • Water Availability
  • Because of arid conditions, people have devised
    many strategies to live with low water
    availability. However, modernization, growing
    populations, and irrigation are increasing water
    shortages, soil salinization, and pollution.
  • Dams and reservoirs are causing problems with
    water resources, and conflict over water rights
    is growing. Artificial reservoirs are causing a
    lack of deposition during seasonal flooding,
    increased habitat for disease carrying mosquitoes
    and parasites, salinized soils, and wasteful
    evaporation.

36
Environmental Issues
  • Water Issues in the Palestine-Israel Dispute
  • Palestinians want Israel to relinquish its water
    rights in the Jordan Valley, but Israel believes
    it must have access to the water.
  • The two groups are currently working to resolve
    water allotment issues.

37
Environmental Issues
  • Desertification
  • Desertification is a major problem in this region
    as nondesert land is turned into deserts.
  • This is caused partly by climatic change, but
    also by human activity, as rangelands are
    overstocked, nomads are settling permanently, and
    irrigation and urbanization are depleting water
    resources.

38
II.CURRENT GEOGRAPHIC ISSUESD. Measures of Human
Well-Being
  • Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita does not
    take into account the uneven distribution of
    wealth in this region. Many are living on an
    income far below the average, while a very few
    are extremely rich.
  • Although some countries rank low on the Human
    Development Index (HDI) because of the neglect of
    womens well-being, Israel is the exception,
    reflecting its ability to provide the basics of a
    decent life.
  • The Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM) and Gender
    Development Index (GDI) illustrate the
    differences between genders and the roles they
    play in society.
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