The region comprising the Middle East is located in the western portion of the Asian continent, known as Western Asia. It has a territorial extension of more than 6.8 million square kilometers, with an estimated population of 260 million inhabitants. It comprises 15 countries: Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Syria, Turkey.
Climate
The climate of the Middle East is arid and semi-arid, which provides the predominance of a vegetal landscape marked by presence of xerophilic species (in areas with arid climate), or of steppes and grasslands (in areas of climate semiarid). Only small strips of land, in the coastal portion, have slightly more humid climates, where there is the presence of shrubby vegetation.
Economic activities
Oil is the main product responsible for the economy of the countries of the Middle East. This region has the largest concentration of this energy source in the world (approximately 65% of all oil in the world). This large amount of oil, combined with economic and political factors, created the conditions for training, in 1960, from one of the most important cartels in the world today, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
Another important economic activity in the Middle East is agriculture. As it is predominantly carried out in a traditional way, with the use of little technology and mechanization, this activity incorporates around 40% of the economically active population. The predominance of arid and semi-arid climates in the region is very detrimental to the development of this economic activity.
Industrial activity in the Middle East is not very expressive. In oil countries, there are refineries and petrochemicals. Other industries are related to more traditional sectors, such as textiles and food.
Tourism is another activity that has been showing importance for some countries in the Middle East, such as Israel and Turkey (which receive around 2.5 million tourists a year).
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religions
In the Middle East, approximately 238 million people (about 92% of the population) are Muslims. Most belong to the Sunni and Shiite sects (suggested shortly after the death of the prophet Mohammed in 632 AD. Ç.). There are smaller groups of Muslims, such as the Druze and the Alawites.
The region is also home to around 13 million Christians, many from Arab churches, such as the Coptic or the Maronite, which are among the oldest in Christianity. In addition, about 6 million Jews also live in the Middle East, almost all of them in Israel. Their migration took place in waves, originating first from Europe and then from all over the world. Therefore, in the Jewish State there are numerous ethnic groups whose cultures, traditions, political orientations and religious practices vary greatly and are freely expressed.
Consequences of conflicts in the Middle East
Conflicts
The Middle East region is one of the most conflicted areas in the world. Several factors contribute to this, including: its own history; origin of conflicts between Arabs, Israelis and Palestinians; the geographic position, in the contact between three continents; its natural conditions, as most of the countries located there are dependent on water from neighboring countries; the presence of strategic underground resources, in the specific case of oil; position in the world geopolitical context.
The borders of the new nations, defined according to European interests, have not considered history and local traditions, consequently several conflicts have occurred and continue to occur in the East Average.
The new Arab states – Iraq, Kuwait, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan – fought over natural resources and territory. The most serious conflict took place in Palestine, where, by the end of World War II, half a million Jews had migrated. When the State of Israel was created, five Arab countries attacked, in the first of six wars between Arabs and Israelis.
Jerusalem
Medieval cartographers placed Jerusalem at the center of the world and, for many people, the Old City continues to be regarded as such. For Jews, the Western Wall, part of the Second Temple, is the holiest site of all. Above him is the Dome of the Rock, the third most important site in Islam, from which Muhammad ascended into heaven. A few blocks away, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher marks the traditional site of Jesus' crucifixion, burial and resurrection. Israel claims the city as its eternal capital; already the Palestinians want it as the capital of their state.
By Wagner de Cerqueira and Francisco
Graduated in Geography
