Most contemporary problems in Middle East and North Africa stem from two conditions: 1 . Boundaries and borders created

1. To review from last lecture: 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

2. 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

4. Why aren’t Middle Eastern and North African countries part of the core?

6. GDP, Oil, Single Commodity Economies in Middle East and North Africa

7. Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) • OPEC Members • Algeria • Angola (as of 2007) • Ecuador • Iran • Iraq • Kuwait • Libya • Nigeria • Qatar • Saudi Arabia • United Arab Emirates • Venezuela

8. Global Petroleum Flows

9. Major Petroleum Flows

12. What is this place? A case study in the rapid transformation of a country.

13. What kind of climate and physical geography can you predict from these pieces of information? • 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) Source: CIA World Fact Book

14. What is odd about the following demographic data for this particular country? • 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 world • Birth Rate: 124th highest in the world http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/idb/pyramids.html

15. Some more information about this 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.)

16. GDP Ranking of “Country X” and other top GDP Countries, 2007 GDP Rankings for 2007 by Central Intelligence Agency

17. What Country Is This?

18. Dubai An emirate in UAE, also name of a city Photo: Wikipedia Photo: Maggie Steber, National Geographic

19. 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

20. This country has transformed itself in the last 35 years: • Culturally • Economically • Demographically • And • It has LITERALLY RESHAPED itself and its image in the world. • Consider these construction projects:

21. Dubai's Sheikh Zayed Road Early 1990s. Photo: Municipality of Dubai Obtained: National Geographic

22. Dubai's Sheikh Zayed Road Today Photo: Maggie Steber National Geographic

23. A World’s Tallest Building Competition Will it be Al Burj? or Burj Dubai? http://www.burjdubai.com/ Burj Dubai, September 16, 2009

24. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTyks-IRFPY&feature=related

25. Eighth Wonder of the World Photograph by Maggie SteberThe 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)

26. Go to a Meeting, Swim with Dolphins, Splash in the Aquaventure Water Park! Atlantis, The Palm Opened Sept 2008 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.

27. 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

28. 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

29. Sports City

30. The Dynamic Tower http://www.dynamicarchitecture.net/home.html

31. http://The World! On hold… global financial crisis

32. Social Ills: Human Rights Abuses? Staying AfloatPhotograph by Maggie SteberFor 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)

33. In this place, petroleum wealth touched off transformation in: • Culture • Country’s overall wealth • Demography (population structure) • Social problems • Land forms • Economic diversification

34. Oil Diplomacy Oil is not simply a natural resource, it is also a political issue, and affects international relations.

35. To review (for the third time!): 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

36. Turkish Soldiers Crossing the Iraqi Border at Night Photo: Xinhua/Anadaglu Agency http://plasma.nationalgeographic.com/mapmachine/