365 Days of Climate Awareness 285 – Introduction to the Middle East

The Middle East is a geopolitical term for a region spanning several continental plates, from Egypt in Africa, through the Arabian Peninsula, including the Levantine coast of the Mediterranean, Asia Minor, and eastward through Iraq into Iran in Asia. The region is spanned by the Fertile Crescent, one of the cradles of civilization, which runs from Egypt north through the Levant, across and down through Mesopotamia along the Tigris and Euphrates. Three of the world’s major religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, were born there (and continue to be sources of much of the conflict). The region also, by virtue of the shallow marine deposits of the ancient Tethys Ocean, holds an estimated 55% of the world’s total oil reserves.

Map of the Middle East.

Laurasia, Gondwana, and the Tethys Ocean in between.

The Middle East ranges from 12° to 40°N latitude, and its climate ranges from the hot deserts of Arabia to the temperate Mediterranean climate of Turkey’s mountains. It covers an area of 7,207,575 sq km/2,782,860 sq mi (roughly ¾ the area of the US), and a population of 371 million (about 40 million more than the US). The three largest economies are Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Iran. Many countries, such as Iran, Iraq and the countries of the Arabian Peninsula depend heavily on oil, while Turkey, Israel and Egypt have diversified economies.

OPEC oil reserves, 2018.

Traces of human existence extend back deeply into prehistoric times throughout the entire regions, with major civilizations developing before the Bronze Age (which, like other ages, at different times in different locations). Writing, including cuneiform and Egyptian hieroglyphics, was developed there by 3000 BCE. Later the Phoenicians developed the alphabet, where individual symbols stand for specific sounds, which served as the basis for nearly all writing systems which followed in the western world. (Full disclosure: I nearly became a biblical archeologist. I’m fascinated by this part of the world, and the amazing depth of its history. That’s one of the larger what-ifs of my life.)

Köppen-Geiger climate zones

Hundreds of ethnic groups have inhabited the region, but it is dominated now by Semites—Arabs, Palestinians and Jews—to the west, Turks to the north, and Iranians (of Persian descent) in the east, to name only a very few. Ethnic, cultural and religious differences have combined with the terrible geopolitics of petroleum to turn the Middle East into a morass of war and violence. Despite the devastation of war and disruption of climate, the world still slouches toward its oil.

Baghdad on the Tigris at evening.

Tehran at night.

Tomorrow: the Middle East and climate change.

Be brave, and be well.