EPQ PLAN

Sources:

Observer, Khalid Elhassan

CSIS, Anthony H Cordesman

Maudlin Economics

Cairo Review. Hooshang Amirahmadi

worldatlas.com

PBS.org

ifimes.org

Graham Chapman: "Changing Geography of Africa and the Middle East"

W.B. Fisher: "The Middle East"

Tim Marshall: "Prisoners of Geography"

The Silk Road

BBC, Tarek Osman

thetower.org

John Green Crash Course

JSTOR: Dona J. Stewart

Karen Culcasi

J.H Mackinder

David A. Andelman/Damien Glez

Bruce R. Kuniholm

Lecture: "The Mediterranean, Modernity and Maritime Criticism"

SOURCES:

worldatlas.com

PBS.org

Geoff Emberling essay

Britannica

Graham Chapman: "The Changing Geography of Africa and the Middle East"

W.B. Fisher: "The Middle East"

John Green Crash Course

JSTOR: Hussein A Amery

J.H. Mackinder

Douglas L Johnson

J.A. Allan

David Newman

Munther J. Haddadin

C.G. Smith

Lecture, "Towards a Polictical Theory of Terrain"

Sources:

Observer, Khalid Elhassan

Maudlin Economics

Cairo Review, Hooshang Amirhmad

worldatlas.com

Tim Marshall: "Prisoners of Geography"

Graham Chapman: "The Changing Geography of Africa and The Middle East"

W.B. Fisher: "The Middle East"

BBC Tarek Osman

thetower.org

JSTOR: Karen Culcasi

G.H. Blake

David Newman

David A. Andelman/Damien Glez

Lecture, "Towards a Political Theory of Terrain"

✳✱*

HINDRANCE

HELP

• Sykes-Picot - countries do not have one nationality
• Land given to Jews and Arabs after WW2
• Deportation of Iraqi Persians
• Kuwait extension of Mesopotamia
• Ottoman Empire
• Kurds live across borders - desire for Kurdistan
• Many boundaries not agreed therefore contested areas e.g. Golan Heights. Difficult when oil is discovered crossing borders
• UAE - unconfirmed boundaries at first?
• Minority rule

• Cradle of Civilisation – Mesopotamia, fertile land

ARTIFICIAL BORDERS

HINDRANCE

HELP

• Closed drainage basins
• IR for use of Jordan River/Tirgris-Euphrates
• Water wars - depletion of underground stocks
• Irrigation issues
• Disappear into kavirs/salt flats or covered by own alluvium
• Control of rivers during wars

• May become less important as nations give up rule for peace - more important what bloc they belong to?

HELP

RIVER SYSTEM

• Trade
• Link between people on its shores
• Oilfields between Israel and Turkey
• Open gulfs/seas allowed sea power

HELP

• Meeting of north/south and east/west
• Trade routes - merchant communities
• Suez Canal
• Formation of GCC

BODIES OF WATER: THE MEDITERRANEAN AND GULFS

HINDRANCE

POSITION IN THE WORLD

EPQ PLAN

HINDRANCE

• Bosporus – link for Russia, border with Europe, easily obstructed
• Conquerors – Romans
• Iraq want to own Kuwait for access to the sea
• Maritime borders of increasing importance for oil
• Caspian - oil pipelines, ownership?

• Discovery of sea route to India - decline in importance
• Conquered by many
• Ottoman Rule -capitulations etc.
• Rivalry of US, Russia, Europe
• Centre for religion - led to creation of Israel. Also reason for Israel wanting more territory. Rivalry with neighbours leads to 20% GDP spent on defence

IS THE GEOGRAPHY OF THE MIDDLE EAST A HELP OR HINDRANCE TO DEVELOPMENT?

Emma Carrie

HELP

• Raw resources
• Accelerated development - lower death rates
• Funds for investment - e.g. Persian Gulf coastline (industry), water resources (dams etc.)

CLIMATE

HELP

DISCOVERY OF OIL

MOUNTAINS

• Protection
• Advantageous to defenders
• NAtrual barrier between empires
• Trading with lowlands (Taurus and Zagros, steppes) helped keep peace

HINDRANCE

HELP

HINDRANCE

Sources:

Cairo Review, Hooshang Amirhmadi

ifimes.org

Britannica

Graham Chapman: "The Changing Geography of Africa and the Middle East"

W.B. Fisher: "The Middle East"

JSTOR: C.G. Smith

G.H. Blake

J.A. Allan

David A. Andelman/Damien Glez

Bruce L. Kuniholm

HINDRANCE

• Saudi Arabia – extent of desert prevented it from being conquered
• Nomads able to use their resources sustainably

• Lack of water - over-irrigation leads to poor farmland. Water undervalued?
• Small proportin of land is naturally cultivable - food shortages.
• Nomadic – raiding, kinship, desertification. Attempts to settle nomads have limited success
• Land reform – landless peasants
• Iran - unnavigable rivers led to tribalism
• Recent climate change? Evidence of wetter period

• Oil dependence - led to class divides
• US was a strong power in the region - now may draw out as shale/gas alternatives to oil in Middle East
• Lack of agricultural funding
• Rapid urbanisation - shanty towns, unemployment, spread of disease
• Kirkuk oil field part of reason for Iraqi oppostion to Kurdistan

• Cultures have developed separately
• Repeated conflicts - proximity of tribes
• Raiding of the steppes