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LECTURE GUIDE

SOUTHWEST ASIA

COUNTRY

CAPITAL

Afghanistan

Kabul

Bahrain

Manama

Cyprus

Nicosia

Iran

Tehran

Iraq

Baghdad

Israel

Jerusalem

Jordan

Amman

Kuwait

Kuwait City

Lebanon

Beirut

Oman

Muscat

Qatar

Doha

Saudi Arabia

Riyadh

Syria

Damascus

Turkey

Ankara

Yemen

Sanaa

United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Abu Dhabi

AFGHANISTAN

(Islamic State of Afghanistan)

Capital : Kabul (largest city)


Official Language: Pashto (Pashtuns language)
Dari (Tajiks language)
Official Religion: Islam
Highest Elevation : Nowshak
Lowest Level : In Sistan Basin
PLACE AND ENVIRONMENT:
-A country of great mountains, scorching deserts, fertile valleys, and rolling plains but has no seacoast.
- One of the worlds least developed countries where farmers still uses old-fashioned farming tools and
methods.
- most people are seminomadic they roam the grasslands in the summer with their herds of livestock and
spend the rest of the year farming.
3 MAINLAND REGIONS
1. Northern Plains
2. Central Highlands

3. Southwestern Lowlands
CULTURE AND HERITAGE
PEOPLE
- Most Afghans are blend of early peoples which includes Aryans, Persians, Arabs and Turkishspeaking from Central Asia.
- They had greater loyalty to their ethnic group or tribe or more than to their country.
- Pashtun
Tajiks
largest ethnic group
WAY OF LIFE
- Rural people live in sundried mud bricks.
- Most of the countrys semi-nomads live in tents made of goat hair.
- Turban worn by men tied in a certain way to indicate their ethnic group.
- Chadri full length hooded garment that leaves only their eyes uncovered.
- Flat loaves of whole grain, sourdough bread at every meal are served.
- Tea- favorite drink.
RELIGION
- 99% are Muslim influence family and community relationships.
- Mullah religious leaders of an Afghan village or semi-nomadic group which interpret Islamic law
and educate the young.
- Mosque Islamic house of worship

IRAN

(Islamic Republic of Iran)

Capital : Tehran
Official Language: Persian or Parsi
Official Religion: Sunni Islam
Highest Elevation : Mount Damavand
PLACE AND ENVIRONMENT
- A land of snowcapped mountains, green valley and barren deserts.
- One of the worlds oldest countries dated back to 5,000 years.
4 Major Land Regions
1. Interior Plateau occupies half of the country
2. The Mountains has two vast mountain range
a. Elburz
b. Zagros
3. Caspian Sea Coast most heavily cultivated region.
4. Khuzistan Plain rich in petroleum deposit.
CULTURE AND HERITAGE
PEOPLE
- 2/3 of the Iranian people are descendants of an Asian people called Aryans.
- Persian largest ethnic group of Aryan origin.
- Other ethnic groups: Azerbaijanis, Khamseh, Qashqais, Turkomans.
WAY OF LIFE
- Cities have older, traditional and modern sections.
- Blue-domes mosque stand in the older sections
- Bazaar spreads out in a network of narrow passage where merchants sell food, handmade products
and other goods.
- Most apartments and houses have Western style furniture.
- Persian rug hand-woven Oriental rugs made in Iran- cover the floors of almost all homes.
RELIGION
- 99% are Muslim
- 95% belongs to the Shiah branch and the rest are Sunni Muslim.
- 250,000 belong to Bahais religious group minority.
- Zoroastrianism ancient Persian religion.
- Islamic government has little tolerance for Irans religious minorities.
CLOTHING
- Chadong women in the cities also wear long usually black , body veils over their other clothes
(based on Islamic moral teachings)

Men in rural villages dress in rough cotton shirts, baggy black trousers and/or long blue or black
trousers.
- Women sometimes cover their head with scarfs instead of using chadors.
FOOD AND DRINK
- Rice and Bread main food
- Abgusht- thick meat and bean soup
- Dolmeh vegetables stuffed with meat and rice
- Dough yogurt drink
- Kebab lamb roasted on a skewer
RECREATION
- Zurkhaneh house of strength a club performing traditional form of weightlifting exercises and
gymnastics.
- Nowruz Iranian New Year which begins on the first day of spring.
- Green sprouts- symbolize the coming of spring.
ARTS
- Persian poets: Firdausi, Hafiz, and Saadi
- Divan a collection of mystical poems to help plan their lives.

SAUDI ARABIA

(Kingdom of Saudi Arabia)

Capital : Riyadh
Official Language: Arabic
Official Religion : Sunni Islam
PLACE AND ENVIRONMENT
- Lies in the largest known petroleum deposits in the world.
- of the land region are called Arabian Peninsula
- Land is mainly barren.
5 Mainland Regions
1. Western Highlands
2. Central Plateau
3. Northern Deserts
4. Rub al Khali
5. Eastern Lowlands
CULTURE AND HERITAGE
PEOPLE
- People are racially and ethnically mixed
- Pilgrims- descendants of African, Indonesian and Indian Muslims
- Foreign workers include India, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, United Kingdom and the United
States.
- Nomads travelling herders who were known to be Bedouins
CLOTHING
- Thawb ankle-length cotton or wool garment worn by men covered with jacket or cloak.
- Ghutra head covering as a protection against the sun and wind
- Iqal piece of cloth held in place by a rope band.
- Abayah floor length robe.

TURKEY

(Republic of Turkey)

Capital : Ankara
Official Language: Turkish
Official Religion : Islam
Highest Elevation: Mount Ararat
PLACE AND ENVIRONMENT
- Occupies 3% of the easternmost tip of southern Europe, a region called Thrace
- Istanbul Turkish largest city
- Anatolia / Asia Minor a rocky, barren mountainous peninsula in the eastern part of Turkey.
- Strait - Three bodies of water: Bosporus, Dardanelles, and Sea of Marmara

8 Mainland Regions
1. Northern Plains
2. Western Valleys
3. Southern plains
4. Western Plateaus
5. Eastern Plateau
6. Northern Mountains
7. Mesopotamian Lowlands
CULTURE AND HERITAGE
PEOPLE
- 85% are descendants of an Asian people called Turks.
- Other ethnic groups: Caucasians, Greeks and Armenians
FOOD AND DRINK
- Cracked-wheat and yogurt chief foods.
- Shish Kebab consists of pieces of lamb, tomatoes, peppers, and onions cooked together on skewer.
- Pilaf- combination of rice with almonds, meat, pine nuts and raisins.
- Borek flaky pastry stuffed with meat or cheese.
- Baklava popular dessert made of thin layers of pastry, honey and chopped nuts.
- Kadayif a pastry made with shredded wheat.
- Raki liquor made from raisins.
RECREATION
- Family outings and celebrations are the most common forms of recreation
- Drinking coffee and tea at a restaurant with a scenic view are common past time.
- Others spend their leisure time playing dice game of backgammon
- Greased Wrestling- Turkish form of wrestling where contestants wear tight leather trousers and cover
their bodies with olive oil.

TIME CONTINUITY AND CHANGE OF


SOUTHWEST ASIA
Impressionistic Chart: Sumerian River Civilization
Chapter 2: The Ancient Near East
SUMERIAN CIVILIZATION:
- The first of the river civilization was organized in the 12 city-states of Sumer or southern
Mesopotamia (6000 years), which later on influence the people of Mesopotamia.
- They are nomadic herders that gradually changed to the farming way of life near the mouths of two
rivers, Tigris and Euphrates.
- They drained the swamps so that they could farm the rich land.
- They built dams and dikes to keep the rivers and flooding their fields.
- They also built an irrigation canal which carries the water from the rivers to the fields when there
was little rain.
- They drew up multiplication and division tables and made calculations using geometry.
- They used number system with 60 as a base and from this came the system of dividing a circle into
360 degrees and an hour into 60 minutes.
- They develop a widespread trade that developed bazaar or marketplace.
- Each city-states considered itself the property of the own government and was independent of the
other city-states.
- Polytheism belief in many gods. They feared gods and demons and performed rituals or world
charms to protect themselves.
- They believed that the dead descended to a gloomy underworld.
- Epic of Gilgamesh one of the worlds earliest literary work which describe the underworld as a
huge dark cave where they sit in darkness, where dust is their food and clay their meat.
- Ruler were thought to be responsible to the gods for keeping the irrigation system working, storing
food for emergencies, and overseeing building projects.
- Sumerian artisans use clay from the rivers to construct homes and temple pyramid (ziggurats) to
provide a home for their gods.
- The first known use of the wheel started in Sumer where potters wheel was also used.

Cuneiform a Sumerian form of writing in square tablet of damp clay which was used to keep
records. In 1840s a British officer Henry Rawlinson identified three types of writing on a huge cliff
known as Behistun rock between Babylon and Ecbatana
Sumerians established schools attended mostly by upper-class professionals- priest, temple and
palace officials, army officers, sea captains and other scribes.
They however do not form a strong and united government preventing them solve the war over land
and water rights of the city-states.
2350 B.C- Sargon the Great of Akkad ruled the city-states which became part of the worlds first
empire (a states in which one ruler controls other kingdoms or territories that are included within the
empires boundaries.). The empire stretches from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea.
2100 B.C. Ur regained power and ruled both Sumer and Akkad.
Rule by Ur-Nammu about 2100 BC and made the first written law code The code of Ur-Nammu.
1792- Babylonian ruler named Hammurabi conquered and united Mesopotamia. He ruled the land
based on Code of Hammurabi which seems harsh today.
Semitic language spoken by the Akkadian and Babylonian
Impressionistic Chart: Nile River Valley Civilization
Egypt the gift of the Nile
Nile River overflows regularly each July.
Flood waters brought moisture to the dry land and also left behind a layer of rich black soil called
Silt.
Silt carried by the river gradually built up a marshy, triangular Delta at its mouth.
Egyptians built reservoirs to store water and dug canals to carry it to the fields.
Egyptians are polytheistic and they believe that the Nile, star or sun are gods dwelling place.
Scribe of the gods is often seen as a man with a head of the bird.
Important feature of Egyptian religion was the belief in life after death which is connected to the
rising and setting of the sun and with the yearly flooding of the Nile.
OSIRIS ruler of the Nile and rich harvest who died each year and was brought to life by his wife
ISIS.
Egyptians believed that when they died, their souls would be weighed against a feather symbolizing
the law to determine who will live in the Other World with Osiris.
2 Kingdoms of Egypt was united by one ruler: Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt.
3100 BC- Menes conquered Lower Egypt and brought all of Egypt in his rule. He built the city of
Memphis as his capital. Double Crown became his symbol.
Menes established the first Dynasty or family of rulers. They ruled until they were overthrown or
there are no heirs to rule.
3 PERIODS:
1. Old Kingdom- based on the strong rule of Menes. Rulers of Egypt established a central
government which held supreme power.
PHARAOH ruler of Egypt, not just a king but considered as one of Egyptians many gods. He is
believed to possess the secrets of heaven and earth. They thought themselves as the protectors of the
people and so tried to rule justly. They are responsible in all aspect of Egyptians life- keeping the
irrigation works in order, directing the army, keeping peace and issuing of laws. The pharaoh owned
Egypts mines and quarries and the trading fleets that sailed to foreign lands.
Chief overseer acting in the name pharaoh, he presided over the royal court, acted as diplomat and
was in charge of tax collection and public works.
Age of Pyramid-- Pyramids were built to serve as pharaohs tombs, built with solid stones in layers
and then covered with smooth facing of white limestone.
Great Pyramid is one of the three known pyramid which still stand in the desert on the west bank of
the Nile near Giza. It was built in honor if Pharaoh Kufu in 2600 BC. Standing 450 feet high and has
more than two million stone blocks, each weighing about 2 tons. The blocks were fitted in place
with such precision that a knife could not be slipped between them.
Old Kingdoms power decline when nobility gains more authority and challenge the supreme rule of
the pharaoh.
2. Middle Kingdom - - ruled by a strong dynasty from Thebes. Culture and trade flourished for 250
years. Expeditions were sent to Nubia to bring back gold and traded with Palestine, Syria and
island of Crete.
The power of the nobles and priests grew again and weakened the pharaohs rule.
1700s Hyksos, meaning Princes from Foreign Lands invaded Egypt.. they had horses and war
chariots, bronze swords and daggers, and heavy bows. They rule over 100 years in Egypt due to their
superiority. However the Egyptians learned how to use their weapons and used it against them.

3. New Kingdom - Empire Age 500 years


Aggressive rulers established this new kingdom and began conquering lands. They demanded that the
conquered peoples must pay tribute to Egypt. This included slaves, food products and treasure such
as gold, jewels or ivory.
OUTSTANDING PHARAOHS OF THE NEW KINGDOM:
a. Thutmose II ruled in 1512 BC. he added Nubia to the empire and conquered Syria and
Palestine.
b. Hatshepsut- wife of Thutmose II and was the daughter of an earlier pharaoh. She seized power
after the death of Thutmose and ruled for 20 years. She was the first great woman ruler of
history. She did not seek military victories but built temples and sent large trading expeditions to
other lands.
c. Thutmose III- son of Thutmose II regained the throne after Hatshepsuts death. A strong warriorking, he ruled for 30 years and expanded the empire along the Euphrates using the tribute
collected to decorate temples in Egypt.
d. Akhenaton (Amenhotep- It is well with Aton)- change Egyptians worship of many gods to a
single god, Aton, who was represented by the sun but gained few followers.
e. Tutankhamen 9 year old son of Amenhotep. He ruled after his fathers death.
f. Rameses II- one of the last effective rulers of the New Kingdom. He fought nearly 20 years
against the Hittites before peace was made by marrying the daughter of the Hittite king. He built
many temples and colossal statues for himself and his family. The statues of Ramses at the
temples of Abu Simbel, carved in a rock cliff were 65 feet high.
The New Kingdom weakens due to outside or foreign invasions. Libyans invaded the fertile land of
Nile. The Sea peoples raiders from Asia Minor and the islands of Mediterranean and Aegean
seas- attacked the coast. Egypt were also under the rule of the Assyrians, Persians and Kushites.
EGYPTIAN SOCIETY AND CULTURE
Hieroglyphics sacred carving
Papyrus reed like plant
Rosetta Stones- clay tablet that contains 3 languages- hieroglyphics, Egyptian script and Greek. It
provided key to deciphering ancient writing. A French scholar, Jean Francois Champollion, guessed
correctly that all inscriptions said the same thing.
Mummification- chemicals were used to dry out the body.
Book of the Dead collection of illustrated scrolls for burial customs and rituals.
Treasure of King Tuts Tomb greatest archeological find from ancient Egypt which provides good
evidence of the enduring wealth and power of the Egyptian civilization.
NEAR EASTERN PEOPLES:
a. Hittites Aryans who settled in the mountains of Asia Minor and mixed with people living there.
They are artisans which mastered the used of iron they are the first iron smelters. Iron tools and
weapons are much stronger than bronze.
b. Lydians- first to use coins in trade. Stamped into the metal of the coin were its value and a
symbol that showed government coinage especially during the period of Croesus. Coins became
the medium for exchange.
c. Phoenicians great seafarer and the carrier of Civilization. Located in the south of Asian
Minor whose land was dry and hilly. Their known business ports are Tyre (where Carthage was
founded) and Sidon. They exported timber to Egypt and first to make clear glass. They also made
the famous purple cloth dye obtained from seashells and cost so much to produce that only the
wealthy could afford. (Royal Purple). They developed new writing system where each letter
symbol stood for a sound called Phonetics.
d. Philistines- people related to the Phoenicians found in the land called Canaan. They are the
present day Palestine.
e. Hebrews- a small group from the tribe of Ibri under its patriarch Abram or Abraham who settled
in the Ur Mountains. Their influence in the world history was great as recorded in the first books
of the Bible (Old Testament). Due to famine they moved to Egypt and became farmers and
herders but suffered so much under Rameses II, was enslaved to build roads, temples or tombs.
They fled to Mt. Sinai under Moses in a flight known to be Exodus. Moses is known to be the
peoples chief law-giver. He passes on to them the 10 Commandments which believed came from
God. Their religion is monotheistic. During the Exodus, they migrated to Canaan, believed by the
Hebrews as a promised land.
Saul- first Israelite king

David a poet-king who defeated the Philistines and made Jerusalem under the royal capital. He
trade treaty with King Hiram of Tyre.
Solomon Wise Ruler- had a large army protecting the kingdom. Hebrew-Phoenician trading
expeditions were sent into the Red Sea and possibly the Indian Ocean. He built a palace and a
magnificent temple for Yahweh made from cedar wood, gold and silver. After his death, the
kingdom was broke into two, a. Nothern part conquered by the Assyrians and b. Southern part by
Nebuchadnezzar who destroyed the Solomons temple, captured the Hebrews and sent to
Babylon which were later freed by the Persians.
Prophets messengers of God. They are Elijah, Isaiah, Micah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah and among
others.

LATER EMPIRES DOMINATE THE EAST


1. Assyrian Empire Assyrians lived in the upper Tigris. They became skilled and ruthless warriors.
They uses iron weapons, horse-drawn chariots and battering rams that could knock down the
walls of enemy cities. They deliberately used terror in the lands they invaded and control their
subjects in conquered lands.
Tiglath-Pileser compared their invasion with the Storm-god Adad or Thunderer.
RULERS:
a. Ashurbanipal- controlled lands from Egypt to Persian Gulf and took a building program.
Adopted the religion, art, and literature of Mesopotamia.
Madethe city of Nineveh as their capital.
Built a library that contained thousands of cuneiform tablets written in Babylonian, Assyrian and
Sumerian.
2. Chaldeans- an alliance of Babylon and Medes from Persia which overthrew the Assyrians and
destroyed the city of Nineveh.
They remained powerful under their greatest king Nebuchadnezzar who conquered much of the
Fertile Crescent, capturing Jerusalem and the Phoenician city of Tyre.
He rebuilt Babylon with huge gates in the city walls decorated with colorful glazed bricks in animal
designs.
Ziggurat of the Babylonian god Marduk was rebuilt.
The city became known for a series of terraces planted with flowers and trees and watered by streams
known as Hanging Gardens
3. Persians- one of the Aryan people who had settled in the eastern part of Mesopotamia.
RULERS:
a. Cyrus the Great conquered Medes and the Chaldeans and released the Hebrews from their
captivity in Babylon.
He took the rest of the Fertile Crescent and Asia Minor.
Set up the first efficient postal system using relays of mounted messengers like the Pony Express of
America.
Used the same coin and same system of weights and measurements.
Aramaic was used as the official language of government officials and merchant.
b. Darius the Great extended the Persian conquest into northern India and his only failure was the
invasion of Greece.
Divided the empire into 20 provinces known as satrapies and governed by appointed satraps which
were kept track by the king through inspector-spies known as Eyes and Ears of the King.
c. Xerxes failed to conquer Greece but he was able to unite all the Near Eastern Peoples
Egyptians, Babylonians, Assyrians, Hebrews, Phoenicians, Hittites and Lydian under one rule and
blended together the many different cultures.
Zoroastrianism emerges as a new religion introduced by a Persian religious teacher named Zoroaster.
He teaches that human beings had a choice between doing good and evil. He saw the world as a
struggle between these forces.
Ahura Mazda the Wise Lord and the supreme god.
Ahriman Evil Spirit which represents darkness.
Zend Avesta sacred book

NATIONALISTS COME TO POWER IN THE MIDDLE EAST


Three Issues: nationalism, oil and conflict between Arab and Jews.
- Nationalism gained strength among the Arab people during the World War I when they fought on the
side of the Allied forces against the Ottomans with hope that they will gain their independence.
- After the war, League of Nations divided the Arab lands either to the mandates of Britain or France.

Britain controlled Iraq, Palestine includes Trans-Jordan, Egypt and the Arabian Kingdom which
while France rules Syria and Lebanon.
Arabs felt betrayed and demanded independence.
1920s Turkey and Iran gained their independence including the other Arab territories.
1948- United Nations established a Jewish state of Israel.
1950s Egypt set up the republic which ends the British control.
Growth Arab nationalism was spurred by the British mandate of Palestine
Balfour Declaration viewed that favor the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the
Jewish people
Chaim Weizmann and the Zionist Movement pressed for action to set up a Jewish state.
Oil industries were controlled by foreigners which is an essential for industrialized societies.
1945, oil was the Middle Easts major export and profit went to foreign companies and investors.
Nationalist demand for a greater share of oil profits.
1960 OPEC was established by 13 major oil-producing nations. Through this organization, these
countries can act together in setting oil prices and dealing with the industrial nations. The group
includes 8 largests producers in the Middle East Algeria, Iran, Kuwait, Libya, Qatar, Saudi Arabia,
and the United Arab Emirates. Other 5 members are Indonesia, Ecuador, Gabon, Nigeria and
Venezuela.
Young Turks- one of the earliest nationalist movements in the Middle East who sought to take control
in the Ottoman Empire.
Mustafa Kemal a Turkish military hero and member of the Young Turks.
He turkeys first president and took the name Ataturk (Father of the Turks).
He aims to modernize the backward and tradition bound nation that changed a little since
19500s.
He believed that strong authoritarian was the road to reform. His first move was to separate
the government from the Islamic religion and its tradition. He began by eliminating the
official government position held by the caliph.
Took control of education and legal systems from religious leaders.
He replaced the Arabic script with the Roman alphabet and began a full-scale attack on
illiteracy.
Women were granted equal rights with men including the right to vote and to hold office.
Abolished the Islamic practices of having more than one wife.
Demanded that the Turks should abandon traditional dress and adopt western styles.
Determined to eliminate Western control of industry and trade.
Set up banks, agricultural training stations and cooperatives.
Harry Truman sent aide to Turkey after WWII to keep it from falling under Communist control.
Riza Khan an army commander who overthrew Persias weak government.
He deposed the shah (traditional ruler) and took the crown and the name Riza Shah Pahlavi.
Launched the program of modernization and free the country from foreign control.
He promoted the building of roads and railroads, improve the postal system and developed
programs to bring about industrial and agricultural growth.
He improved the medical care, promoted public education and encouraged western styles of
dress.
1935- returned to its older name Iran meaning land of the Aryans
Mohammed Riza Pahlavi allowed the Allies to station troops in iran and to use the nations
railways.
Started the work of modernizing Iran after the war.
His power was challenged by nationalists led by Irans powerful Prime Minister Mohammed
Mossadegh. They however was also thrown out with a strong western support.
He acted as a dictator and was denounced for spending billions on defense.
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini abolished most of the shahs reforms and ruled the nation according
to Islamic law.
Fundamentalist demanded a return to ancient ways of life sprang up in many countries.
Saddam Hussein ruler of Iraq who ordered the invasion of Iran in 1980.
Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud united Middle East and most of the people of Arabia.
Prince Faisal Saudi Arabias prime minister used oil profits to begin a modernization program in
building hospitals, schools and extensive irrigation works. He provided free education for all
children.
Mohammed Ali modernized Egypt which includes the programs for building of Suez Canal but
remained under the control of Britain.

Gamal Abdel Nasser gained sole authority in 1954 and seek to end foreign interference of Egypt
and the Suez Canal system.
He limited the land owned by one person, reduced rents and set up cooperatives where
farmers could get tools and seeds at low prices.
Began the building of Aswan High Dam on the Nile River
He gave the Arabs a sense of pride and be united under the movement Pan-Arabism: 1.
Elimination of all foreign control over Arab affairs, 2. Unification of the Arab world, and 3.
The destruction of Israel.
Anwar el-Sadat more interested inEgypt than in Arab unity and continued the policy of hostility
toward Israel.

SOCIAL ORGANIZATION
Iran
-

Presidential parliamentary democracy under Islamic religious control


Power is shared by an elected Parliament and a President elected by the
people.

Iraq
-

One-party presidential dictatorship


A President with complete power leads the countrys only political party.

Israel
-

Parliamentary democracy
The people elect a Parliament, which in turn elects the Prime Minister.

Kuwait
-

Constitutional Monarchy
The power of the Emir (king) is limited by a constitution and a National
Assembly.

SaudiArabia
-

Monarchy
The country is ruled by a King who is a member of the Al Saud royal family.

Syria
-

Dominant party (military-dominated)


The government is controlled by a single political party, but opposing parties
exist.

Turkey
-

Presidential parliamentary democracy


The Parliament elects the President (head of state), who appoints the Prime
Minister.

RESOURCES ANDECONOMIC ACTIVITIES


The middle Eastern nations are home to some of the largest oil reserves in the world. Thus oil
has made them very rich since all nations around the world need oil to function. Many nations
especially the UAE have reinvested the money they have earned through oil to diversify their
economies. However, note that more money doesn't make these nations developed. Saudi Arabia
for example has significant numbers of very poor people (illiterate, denied access to health care),
the same goes to places like Iran. This is because there is no equal distribution in the oil wealth.
As a side note, many Arab countries, seeing the volatility of crude oil, have started to diversify
their production. Dubai and Abu Dhabi are the best examples of this, as their governments are
expanding tourism and services as well as aluminum and coal production.

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