1. Across North Africa: Many states have witnessed recent political changes related to the Arab Spring rebellions; in Tunisia a moderate Islamist government replaced a deposed dictator; in Libya a dictator was removed; in Egypt Hosni Mubarak was overthrown—the country remains politically unstable; elsewhere Islamist political movements continue to reshape the geopolitical landscape. 2. The Arab-Israeli Conflict: The Jewish state of Israel was created in 1948; since then, political tensions have continued; territorial has been gained and lost through a series of wars and negotiations; relations with neighboring countries remains poor; crucial has been demands to create a Palestinian state. 3. Devastation in Syria: Political instability in Syria transformed into civil war—rebel protests (mostly by Sunni Muslims) against autocratic regime of current president continue; the rebels themselves are fragmented and divided, each reflected different demands and objectives. 4. Iraq’s Uncertain Path:Iraq continues to experience political instability and conflict following the US-led Iraq war in 2003; the destruction of Mosul during ISIS reign. 5. Iran Ascendant:Iran continues to receive international attention; Islamic fundamentalism remains strong; and the country continues to pursue a nuclear weapons program. 6. Politics in the Arabian Peninsula: Protests have occurred throughout the Arabian Peninsula, including in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen; the devastation in Yemen now includes armed conflict and humanitarian crises. 7. Tensions in Turkey: Turkey is strategically positioned between often contradictory geopolitical forces, including pro-Western sentiments and anti-Western Islamist political elements. V. Economic and Social Development: Lands of Wealth and Poverty: the region exhibits stark contrast between areas of remarkable wealth and extreme poverty; some countries enjoy economic prosperity while others are among the world’s leastdeveloped. A. The Geography of Fossil Fuels: These resources are extremely uneven within the region; Saudi Arabia, UAE, Libya and Algeria have sizeable deposits; others, such as Yemen, do not; the world’s largest concentration of petroleum lies within the Arabian–Iranian sedimentary basin; in North Africa, Morocco possesses few developed petroleum reserves, especially compared to Algeria and Egypt.
6B. Global Economic Relationships: The region shares close economic ties with the rest of the world—largely through oil and gas and also through manufacturing and tourism. 1. OPEC’s Changing Fortunes: OPEC continues to influence global oil and gas prices; the region’s major energy producers however remain vulnerable to global-scale recessions and fluctuations; other trade flows are important—such as manufactured goods from Turkey and exports from Israel.
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