Region #3 – the Middle East
Fact Sheet
Cultural
The Middle East is the birthplace of the three main western religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Islam is the majority religion of the Middle East. Sunnis are the majority sect, and Shias are a minority, except in Iran, Iraq, and Bahrain.
Judaism is the majority religion of the Israeli people, which was created as a Jewish state in 1948 by the United Nations.
Mecca, located in Saudi Arabia, is the most holy city of Muslims.
Jerusalem, located in Israel, is the most holy city to Jews and Christians.
Arabs make up the largest ethnic group in the Middle East. Other ethnic groups of the Middle East include Persians who live in Iran, Turks who live in Turkey, Berbers who live in pockets of North Africa, and Kurds who live in eastern Turkey and northern Iraq.
Palestinians are the Arab population whose home falls within the current borders of Israel and the Israeli occupied territories known as the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
Western “civilization” (farming and towns) began around 10,000 years ago near the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in what is now modern day Iraq.
Political
The majority of Middle Eastern nations had their borders created by European colonizers following either the First or Second World War.
The state of Israel was created in as a Jewish state in 1948 on land formerly controlled by the U.K. with the backing of the U.S. and the United Nations. This followed the near extermination of the Jewish people in Europe during the Holocaust.
The Arab nations were against the creation of a Jewish state on (mostly) Arab land, and attacked the new state of Israel resulting in the first Arab/Israeli war in 1948. Israel survived the attack and was able to capture more territory. Many Palestinians left their land after this to live as exiles.
In 1967, Israel launched a surprise attack on Egypt beginning The Six Day War. As a result, Israel gained control of the West Bank and Gaza strip, which had belonged to the Palestinians.
Egypt and Jordan are the only two Arab countries that recognize the state of Israel. No Arab country accepts the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Democratic institutions are lacking in most Middle Eastern countries as most governments are dominated by royal families or dictators.
The Gulf War in 1991 ended Iraq’s brief invasion and occupation of neighboring Kuwait. A United Nations force led by the U.S. pushed Iraq out of Kuwait.
Iraq was attacked again by the United States and coalition partners in April of 2003, who believed Iraq’s dictator, Saddam Hussein, was developing weapons of mass destruction. He was captured and executed after the invasion.
Islamic Fundamentalist movements, political instability, the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, and the spread of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East remain a concern of the United States government.
During the “Arab Spring” in 2011, many Middle Eastern countries experienced uprisings against repressive governments. In Tunisia and Egypt popular revolts successfully removed dictators. In Libya, Muammar Gaddafi was killed after a bloody nine-month civil war. In Syria, protests and government crackdowns have turned into a bloody civil war.
Economic
The Middle East has the largest supply of the world’s known oil reserves, yet its distribution is uneven throughout the region.
Several Middle Eastern nations are members of OPEC, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, which has a goal of limiting oil exports to keep the price of oil stable and high.
Lack of economic growth and opportunity plague most Middle Eastern nations as oil wealth has not always helped other aspects of their economies.
Israel has the most advanced economy in the region with an active technology sector, but high military spending limits growth in other economic areas.