MENA, IMF, Unemployment, and Diffusion

Middle East and North Africa (MENA)

• "Southwest Asia" is an alternative name
• Afghanistan and Pakistan were added to the IMF's definition of the region in April 2013

International Monetary Fund (IMF)

• Established in 1944, during World War II
• It aims to foster global economic growth and stability
• It advises developing countries on policy
• Voting is unevenly distributed
• The United States holds approximately 16.5% of the votes as of 2022
• The US possesses effective veto power because major IMF decisions need an 85% supermajority

Unemployment in MENA

• Was persistently high for an extended period

Diffusion Types

• Expansion diffusion: Originates from a strong, durable source area, spreads outward, and impacts increasingly larger regions and populations
• Relocation diffusion: Occurs when migrants or technology transfer innovations, ideas, or viruses from a source to a distant, unconnected region, followed by further diffusion from the new location
• Many diseases spread through relocation diffusion

Fragmentation of Islam

• Islam divided into multiple sects
• A question of succession after Muhammad's death arose
• Heirs could be a blood relative or any devout follower
• The majority, Sunnis, chose Muhammad's wife's father as the first successor
• Shi'ites proclaimed Ali, Muhammad's cousin as caliph, also called Shia
• Shiites survived scattered throughout the realm as minorities
• Sunnis propelled the expansion of Islam, representing 85% of Muslims today, and were at the root of many conflicts

Ottoman Aftermath

• Islam's last major advance into Europe led to European occupation of Islam's heartland
• The Ottomans, named after Osman I, conquered Constantinople (now Istanbul) in 1453 and invaded Persia, Mesopotamia, and North Africa
• The Ottoman Empire, under Suleyman the Magnificent between 1522 and 1560, was the most powerful
• After WWI, the Ottoman Empire ended.
• The Balkans have a strong Muslim presence because of Ottoman influence

Sharia Law

• Provides moral and religious guidelines for Islam
• Uses guidelines from the Quran and Muhammad's life to regulate behavior
• There's increasing demand to integrate Sharia into official judicial systems

North Africa

• The Sahara Desert separates it from the rest of Africa
• Has a heavy Islamic influence
• Gradual southern margin inhabited by non-Islamic subgroups
• Religious differences are a primary reason for conflict

Maghreb Region

• Under the influence of the Atlas Mountains
• Refers to countries on the coast, including Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia, and Western Sahara
• Maghreb means "west," referring to the extent of the Arab conquest.
• This is the historical location of the Berber people, occupied since 10,000 BC

Orographic Lifting

• On the western edge of the Atlas Mountains, orographic lifting produces rainfall
• Driving winds push air up the windward side of a mountain
• Air expands, cools, and rises
• Moisture precipitates out
• On the leeward side, air loses water content, becoming drier and hotter
• This pattern creates the desert in the western United States

Malian Civil War

• The country is culturally divided, similar to other countries on North Africa's southern border
• Physical divisions in Mali can be seen in satellite photos

Mali

• Located in northern Mali along the Niger River
• According to the CIA World Factbook, Mali is about 1.2 million square kilometers, twice the size of France or Texas, and is landlocked
• Mostly flat, with savannah in the south
• Arable land comprises 3.8% of the total.
• The population is 21 million (2023 est.)
• The U.S. population is 340 million (2023 est.)
• The median age is 16 years compared to 38.5 in the U.S
• The population growth rate is 2.9% versus 0.7% in the U.S
• Urbanization is 46%, while in the U.S. it's 83%
• Literacy is 36% compared to 99% in the U.S

French Influence in Mali

• Was in the center of French West Africa
• The French colonized large parts of West, Central, and Northwest Africa
• Was initially part of French Sudan and later French West Africa
• In January 2012, Tuaregs rebelled, seeking an autonomous state called Azawad in Northern Mali

Tuaregs

• Are a subgroup of Berbers
• Form an ethnic subgroup in North Africa

Berbers and Tuaregs

• Berbers are an ethnic minority in most of the Maghreb
• Tuaregs are Berbers inhabiting the desert interior of North Africa
• They are typically nomadic and pastoral

Mali War (2012-Present)

• Tuareg rebels seized control of sparsely populated Northern Mali in Jan-Apr 2012
• National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (NMLA) was formed
• Azawad is the Tuareg Berber name for all Tuareg Berber areas, especially in the northern half of Mali and northern and western Niger
• Islamists aided by Ansar al-Din and Al-Qaeda in Maghreb joined them
• The NMLA and Islamists split after the introduction of Sharia Law
• Islamists took control of Northern Mali
• The NMLA realigned with the Malian government, aided by the French and the African Union
• Official peace occurred between the Tuaregs and the government in June 2013 but was withdrawn in September 2013
• Two military coups in 2020 and 2021 intended to overthrow the Malian government, demanding French withdrawal
• French troops left in August 2022, UN leaves in 2023
• Malian government controls most of the south, including the capital

Libya

• The population is quite small relative to its landmass, with only about 6 million people
• Most people live in cities, with an urbanization rate of 81.6% (2023)
• Longtime dictator Quadaffi was deposed and executed in 2011
• Deemed a failed state by the Bertelsmann Transformation Index and Fragile States Index

Egypt

• Egypt is a transcontinental country since it occupies both Africa and Asia
• It has a very large population of about 110 million, making it among the largest in the MENA region
• It is a middle power with strong regional influence and the largest state by population in MENA
• Its real population density is much higher due to the limited arable land and is known as physiological density
• Its GDP is approximately 400 billion, with oil revenue from the Sinai Peninsula

Copts

• Are a significant Christian minority (Coptic Christians)

Nile River

• Is the longest river in the world at 4100 miles
• The White and Blue Niles meet in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan
• 95% of its 110 million people live within 20 km of the Nile
• The Aswan Dam, built from 1960-1970, regulates water flow and provides electricity, around 15% of Egypt’s usage

Suez Canal

• Connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea
• Many ancient canals existed in the region
• Opened in 1869, built by a private company (Suez Canal Company) with French financing
• Britain took increasing control
• Egypt nationalized the canal in 1956

Sudan

• South Sudan became independent in 2011, but the Darfur region is still in conflict
• Recent oil discoveries make the border with South Sudan contentious
• Proven oil reserves are geographically varied

Arabian Peninsula

• Is the world's largest peninsula
• Bordered by the Red Sea to the southwest, the Persian Gulf to the northeast, and the Arabian Sea to the southeast
• Home to the Arab pan-ethnicity, defined by language, genealogy, and culture
• Not to be confused with Persians, Turks, or Egyptians

Saudi Arabia

• Is ruled by monarchy
• Has it's center of Wahhabism, a conservative branch of Sunni Islam
• Has the United States as a longstanding ally

Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Bab-el-Mandeb Strait

• Forms the route between the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal
• The Bab-el-Mandeb is a strategic chokepoint
• Piracy in this region has been on the rise but seems to have fallen off in recent years

The Levant

• It is the littoral zone between the Eastern Mediterranean, Turkey, and Egypt
• Includes Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan

Syria

• The capital is Damascus, one of the oldest cities in the world
• Up until Nov 2024, rulers were of the Alawite sect (a type of Shia) of Islam's
• Bashar al-Assad's family ruled for 40 years.
• Iran and Russia support the ruling party in the current civil war

Israel

• The League of Nations granted Britain the mandate to administer Palestine from 1920-1948, which included the modern territory of Israel
• The UN Partition Plan of 1947 recommended creating separate Jewish and Arab states with an international regime for Jerusalem
• Jewish leaders accepted it, but Arab leaders rejected it.
• The Jewish state was created in 1948 by the United Nations mandate
• The displacement of Palestinian Arabs is the root cause and a continuing problem
• The current Palestinian authority is in the West Bank and Gaza
• Israel is the only state in the region with nuclear weapons, following a policy of deliberate ambiguity

Turkey

• The modern incarnation of the Ottoman Empire
• An Islamic but secular state
• Has a questionable human rights record, particularly with respect to women and ethnic minorities like the Kurds, who make up 18% of the population.
• The capital is Ankara, not Istanbul

Choke Points in Turkey

• Turkey has two choke points from the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea: the Dardanelles and the Bosphorus

Strait of Hormuz

• It is a choke point between the Persian Gulf and the open sea
• UAE/Oman and Iran are impacted
• Control means control of a vast supply of the world's oil, 20% of its total and 35% of its volume

Iran

• Heir to the Persian Empire
• Not to be confused with Arabs
• The largest state is ruled by Shia Islam
• Ruled by a theocracy since the Shah was overthrown in 1979

The Arab Spring

• Arose from widespread public protest in the Arab world of the Middle East and Northern Africa starting in late 2010
• This was a response to longstanding secularist and authoritarian regimes
• Decentralized communication (Twitter, the internet) moved too quickly to be easily controlled
• It began in Tunisia in response to government corruption and high unemployment
• Quickly spread to Egypt, Libya, Syria and elsewhere

Revolution in Egypt

• Massive protests called for the removal of longtime dictator Hosni Mubarak, who had ruled since 1981

2013 Egyptian Coup d'état

• On July 3, 2013, the Egyptian military, led by General Abdul Fatah al-Sisi, overthrew President Mohamed Morsi after mass protests
• Egypt had been sharply divided by the Egyptian Revolution of 2011 as part of the Arab Spring
• Morsi was arrested, also several members of the Muslim Brotherhood
• Hamas is an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood

Libya

• Longtime dictator Muammar al-Gaddafi was overthrown
• The UN Security Council voted to condemn Gaddafi's repressive tactics
• NATO supported rebels with airstrikes
• The interim government has little control

Turmoil in Syria and Yemen

• In Syria, President Bashar al-Assad, son of dictator Hafed al-Assad, uses the military to suppress protests.
• Syria, like most of the Middle East, wasn't independent until after World War II
• Syria devolved into a civil war
• Russia and Iran supported Assad's government.

Assad Rule in Syria

• Increasing support from the Soviet Union, because the United States was an ally of Israel
• Suppresses groups favoring an increased role of Islam, such as the Muslim Brotherhood
• Bashar al-Assad, like his father, is Alawite, an offshoot of Shia Islam
• Iran, which is primarily Shia, supports the Assads in Syria

Ba’athism

• An Arab nationalist ideology
• Aims to develop a socialist, pan-Arab state
• Secular
• Typically authoritarian but anti-monarchy
• Anti-colonial
• Somewhat non-aligned during the Cold War

Syrian Revolution

• Came from mostly Sunni resistance, and was concentrated in Aleppo, the largest city
• Was supported by groups interested in a stronger role of Islam
• Some are al-Qaeda affiliated
• Casualties: 830 civilians (mostly Alawite), 231 Syrian security forces, and 250 Alawite militants

Israel and Palestine

• The Jewish state was created in 1948 by the United Nations
• Displacement of Palestinian Arabs as a root cause and continuing problem
• Current Palestinian authority in the West Bank and Gaza.
• Formerly relatively united under the Palestinian Liberation Organization, under leader Yasser Arafat until his death in 2004
• It became the Palestinian Authority governing Gaza and the West Bank
• Hamas and Fatah are the two main factions, with Fatah being the dominant party controlling the West Bank

West Bank area

• The term "West" refers to territory west of the Jordan River to Jerusalem
• Since 2007, the Palestinian Authority (now just Fatah) governs these areas, following Israel's evacuation from Gaza in 2005
• Fatah and Hamas go to war with each other in 2008 for control

Key aspects of Hamas

• Functions as an Islamic Resistance Movement
• Is a Palestinian Sunni group
• Founded in 1987 as an offshoot of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood
• Has headquarters in Gaza, with offices in neighboring areas
• Classified as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and others
• Won elections in the Gaza Strip in 2006

Blockades and Tunnels

• As of 2007, Israel and Egypt blockade Gaza for military supplies and other traffic
• High military priority given to rockets, mostly of Russian and Iranian manufacture
• Israel Defense Forces (IDF) typically respond with air strikes
• Hamas rocket attacks and Israel responses have been common for 20 years
• The MENA region has been intricately bound up with The Global War on Terrorism

The Global War on Terror

• Involves against al-Qaeda and other militant organizations
• Response to the September 11 terrorist attacks on NYC and Washington, D.C.
• Targeted at terrorist organizations and regimes that support them
• One Origin Point: The First Gulf War (1990-1991)

Iraq

• Invaded and annexed neighboring Kuwait
• Had US targeted by anti-imperialist elements in the MENA region

September 11 Attacks

• Were the largest part of a series of terrorist attacks against the United States and other countries
• Al-Qaeda leader was Osama bin Laden

Afghanistan and the Taliban.

• Al-Qaeda operated in Afghanistan under the protection of the Taliban government between 2001-2021

War in Iraq

• From 2003-2011, there was a widespread belief that Iraq was funding terrorist organizations retaining weapons of mass destruction
• The US invasion toppled longtime dictator Saddam Hussein, increasing sectarian violence
• The Civil War in Iraq and Sectarianism (2006-2007) included a Muhasasa System and the 2019-2021 "October Protest” movement against this system

Islamic State

• Arose during the power vacuum that wanted to create a caliphate
• During the power vacuum and widespread discontent following the Iraq War and Syrian Civil War

OPEC

• The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
• The economic cartel, involving agreements between firms, (countries), in this case

Yemen Civil War

• Ongoing and a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran

Asian Demographics

• Population around approximately 2 billion
• GDP around $4.5 trillion
• The GDP per capita is about $2250 Afgh
• Are fastest growing
• What part do each of their economies play

Indian Subcontinent

• Is a definition of South Asia
• Indian Plate is the main definition, historically part of the Gondwana super continent
• Contact with the Australian, and Eurasian Plate with the formation of Himalayas

Asia

• Afghanistan is not directly apart of the plate, but included in the region
• Srilanka part of indian plate but separated
• Collision resulting the Himalyas

Physical Geography

• 1. Himalayas
• 2. Tibetan Plateau
• 3. Hindu Kush
• 4. Indus Plain
• 5. Ganges Plain
• 6. Deccan Plateau
• 7. Western Ghats
• 8. Eastern Ghats
• 9. Arabian Sea
• 10. Bay of Bengal

Himalayas

• Mt. Everest is located; 29029 ft. of sea level
• The sources of the Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra Rivers are also located here

Tibetan Plateau

• Plateau is an elevated land that is relatively flat, formed by glacier erosions
• Largest spot is southwest China

Hindu Kush

• Largest area between the Middle East, China, and India

Indo-Gangetic Plain

• Fertile soil great for agriculture, and primarily for wheat and rice
• Is a center for human civilization, Indus Valley Civilization

Deccan Plteau

• Volcanic Basalt primary source
• Variable climate from rain shadow from the larger Ghat regions

Eastern and Western Ghats

• Has orographic lifting that draws moisture to it
• Large levels of rainfall west

Monsoon

• Region had a high biodiversity spot
• Water has very high heat capacity
• Sea breezes during the summer create great heat on land, and eventually result in rainfall

Monsoon Details

• American Meteorological Society:seasonal winds, first applied to northeast for six months and southwest for six months
• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCCtropical and subtropical seasonal reversal in both the surface winds and associated precipitation caused bydifferential heating between
• Indian Meteorological Departmentwind direction along the shores of the Indian Ocean, especially in the Arabian Sea

Indian Plentiful

• High levels of water and soil allows very large capacity for agriculture
• 15% of its GDP is related. 420 Billion vs 1% in USA 200 bill
• Most people in South Asia lie where lie where the water, Bangladesh is low lying with constant flooding
• Indus is another largest ancient civilization
• Harpoa was site found in 19th century

Society

• Had very high Elgarlism
• Had historic evidence of Proto dentistry 7500 ago
• Civilization decaled 1700 centuries ago
• Indo-European/Aryan Before Nazi
• Described language, a high level for people people that inhibit the subcontinent in 1500 centuries
• Derovldan, Proto-d live in the entire zone and were pushed out

Sio - Prefix's Description

• Relates to the chinese boarder Hinduism
• Close link with Indi the forefront of religion and high diverse with high practice
• Hindu- relate the other religions
• Samsala is of reicartion
• Good deeds with yield goods
• rules/Rites/order

South Asia

• India High diaspora, 18 million
• Send High amount of amount

Caste Systen

• A stable social structure in India - Described to other societies today
• Four group today, and the un totalabales

Buddisim

• A life time with ascetisim, and the right path of Moderation and the Enlinghent

Budies Details

• Theravada is an area of high canoical order
• School El ders in Lanka, The Great Vehicle- Tibet, Japan,
• All inflinced by tocal

India and Islam

• Islam descent Genghis Khan, Babur conquered of india
• 1542 -1606: High expanision of Mongal
• inclusive and stable

Islamic Religion

• Sikhis, origin North West India
• Was monotheistic and had high diaspora
• East India Company was high power

East India Details

• Indian British gov, 876 queen as emprss, with all large ww contributions and nationalst to ghundi
• In 1948, Mountbatten help India-Pak
• Kashmir to Hindu w Musliniw, English is the ligana

Mahatma Gandhi & Prime Minister Jawharlal

• M.Gandhi known as great sold
• In 1942, fought to leave
• Hindu Assasination high power First high centralion

Asia conflict List

• KAshhmir requested in Partion
• It's very secure and de fator Control
• Annex by china and Tibet led by India
• Pakistan friendly to border
• Proxy war high deaths to Bangladsh

Asia testing

• 1970 india nuke test
• High warheads but treaty's
• Guahndi and two syick
• 1998 pm death/ tamil

Demography

• Transition relation to growth birth
• Falls death levels and calture high levels
• India High un even Infdicide and gender Ratio, high power and production,