most contemporary problems in middle east and north africa stem from two conditions: 1. boundaries...
TRANSCRIPT
Most contemporary problems in Middle East and North Africa stem from two conditions:
1. Boundaries and borders created by colonial powers
2. Strategic importance of region to political and economic interests of core countries
To review from last lecture:
The Transformative Power of Petroleum in Middle East and North Africa
The study of petroleum provides an example of how places become interconnected politically and environmentally through the movements of commodities. It also shows us the promises and perils of petroleum wealth.
Oil fires in Iraq, 2003
Why aren’t Middle Eastern and North African countries part of the core?
GDP, Oil, Single Commodity Economies
in Middle East and North Africa
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
OPEC Members
AlgeriaAngola (as of 2007)EcuadorIranIraqKuwaitLibyaNigeriaQatarSaudi ArabiaUnited Arab EmiratesVenezuela
Global Petroleum Flows
Major Petroleum Flows
What is this place?A case study in the rapid transformation of a country.
Geographic coordinates: 24 00 N, 54 00 E
Area – comparative: slightly smaller than Maine
Land use:arable land: 0.77% permanent crops: 2.27% other: 96.96% (2005)
What kind of climate and physical geography can you predict from these pieces of information?
Source: CIA World Fact Book
http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/idb/pyramids.html
Sex ratio: number of males for every 1 female
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.047 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 2.743 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.849 male(s)/female
total population: 2.19 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Age Structure:
15-64 years: 78.5% (male 2,558,029/female 932,617) 73.9% (2010 est)
Population Growth Rate: 4th highest in the worldBirth Rate: 124th highest in the world
What is odd about the following demographic data for this particular country?
Literacy:definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 77.9% male: 76.1% female: 81.7% (2003 est.)
Life Expectancy at Birth:
Total population: 75.69 years male: 73.16 years female: 78.35 years (2007 est.)
Some more information about this country:
Country GDP Rank GDP (CIA) 2010
Luxembourg 1 80,800
Qatar 2 75,900
Norway 3 55,600
Kuwait 4 55,300
Country X 5 55,200 21st, 40,200
US 7 46,000
Rep of Ireland 8 45,600
Equit. Guinea 9 44,100
Japan 26 33,800
GDP Rankings for 2007 by Central Intelligence Agency
GDP Ranking of “Country X” and other top GDP Countries, 2007
What Country Is This?
DubaiAn emirate in UAE, also name of a city
Photo: Maggie Steber, National Geographic
Photo: Wikipedia
Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyanنهيان آل سلطان بن زايد بن خليفة
President of OAEin office since 2004
Succeeded his father, the former president
United Arab Emirates
A federation of 7 emirates
Founded in 1971
Much of its economy has been based on oil and natural gas exports however….
It now has the third most diversified economy of the region
This country has transformed itself in the last 35 years:CulturallyEconomicallyDemographically
AndIt has LITERALLY RESHAPED itself and its image in the world.
Consider these construction projects:
Photo: Municipality of DubaiObtained: National Geographic
Dubai's Sheikh Zayed Road Early 1990s.
Photo: Maggie Steber National Geographic
Dubai's Sheikh Zayed Road Today
http://www.burjdubai.com/
A World’s Tallest Building Competition
Will it be Al Burj?
or Burj Dubai?
Burj Dubai, September 16, 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTyks-IRFPY&feature=related
Eighth Wonder of the World Photograph by Maggie Steber
The Palm Jumeirah, a man-made island whose fronds offer beachfront lots for 4,000 villas and apartments, juts audaciously into the Persian Gulf. Dubbed the Eighth Wonder of the World, the development has doubled Dubai's 45-mile (72 kilometers) shoreline, but has also disrupted its coastal ecosystem. (Text: National Geographic)
Atlantis, The PalmOpened Sept 2008
Go to a Meeting,Swim with Dolphins,Splash in the Aquaventure Water Park!
According to Wikipedia,
The Jonas Brothers, Sir Richard Burton, Robert DeNiro, Michael Jordan, Denzel Washington, Janet Jackson, and Sarah, Duchess of York all attended the Grand Opening, which featured more fireworks than the opening of the Beijing Olympics.
The Palm Islands
How are they made?
•3 artificial islands•Each made of 1 billion cubic meters of dredged sand and stone (from seabed and mountains)
The complex houses a variety of tourist attractions, ranging from spas and diving sites to apartments and theaters. The entire complex is designed to collectively resemble a date palm tree when seen from the sky. (Business Week)
Photo: Getty Images
Villas on the Jumeira Palm Island in Dubai. The Palm Jumeirah, a 12-square mile island group took 5 years to raise from millions of tons of Persian Gulf sand and quarried rock.
Source: Daily News June 2007
Sports City
The Dynamic Tower
http://www.dynamicarchitecture.net/home.html
Staying AfloatPhotograph by Maggie Steber
For laborers at the bottom of the pay scale, such as these South Asian men taking a water taxi to work, life in Dubai can be drudgery. (text: National Geographic)
Social Ills: Human Rights Abuses?
In this place, petroleum wealth touched off transformation in:
• Culture• Country’s overall wealth• Demography (population structure)• Social problems• Land forms• Economic diversification
Oil Diplomacy
Oil is not simply a natural resource, it is also a political issue, and affects international relations.
Most contemporary problems in Middle East and North Africa stem from two conditions:
1. Boundaries and borders created by colonial powers
2. Strategic importance of region to political and economic interests of core countries
To review (for the third time!):
http://plasma.nationalgeographic.com/mapmachine/
Photo: Xinhua/Anadaglu Agency
Turkish Soldiers Crossing the Iraqi Border at Night