Quote: "The Middle East is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq."
Ongoing conflicts and political unrest in the Middle East, including the Iraq War, Arab Spring, and Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
History of the Middle East: Understanding the history of the region is essential to understand the conflicts and issues still prevalent in the Middle East.
Rise of Islamic Fundamentalism: The emergence of these religious movements has played a significant role in shaping the violent conflicts in the Middle East.
The Arab-Israeli Conflict: The ongoing conflict over the land of Palestine and Israel remains one of the most significant and volatile issues in the Middle East.
The Gulf War: The Gulf War of 1990-91 had a lasting impact on the Middle East, as it set the stage for later conflicts and shaped the geopolitical landscape of the region.
The September 11 Attacks: The 9/11 attacks marked a turning point in the United States' relationship with the Middle East and sparked the global war on terror.
The Arab Spring: The 2011 Arab Spring led to significant political changes across the Middle East, with varying degrees of success.
The Syrian Civil War: The Civil War in Syria has been one of the bloodiest conflicts in the Middle East, and it remains ongoing.
The Islamic State: The rise of ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria), and other extremist groups, has added a new layer to the conflicts in the Middle East.
The Iran Nuclear Deal: The Iran nuclear deal, signed in 2015, has had a significant impact on geopolitics in the Middle East.
Refugee Crisis: Conflict in the Middle East has led to a significant refugee crisis, with millions of people displaced from their homes.
Oil and Energy Conflicts: The Middle East is known for its vast oil reserves, which have been the source of conflict and negotiating leverage for various countries.
Regional and International Relationships: The complex relationships between Middle Eastern countries and external powers such as the United States, Russia, and China, has played a significant role in shaping the conflicts in the area.
Sectarianism: Differences in religious beliefs, particularly between Sunni and Shia Muslims, has been a significant source of conflict in the Middle East.
Nationalism and Identity: Nationalistic and identity movements have played a significant role in shaping the conflicts in the Middle East.
Human Rights and Social Justice: Human rights abuses and unequal treatment of certain groups have been a significant source of conflict in the Middle East.
Ethnic conflicts: Ethnic conflicts are conflicts that arise within a state due to differences in ethnicity, culture or language. The Middle East has seen ethnic conflicts in places like Iran, Turkey, Iraq, and Syria.
Religious conflicts: Religious conflicts are conflicts that arise due to differences in religious beliefs. The Middle East is home to many religious conflicts due to the presence of multiple religions such as Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism.
Civil wars: Civil wars are conflicts between people of the same country or nation. The Middle East has seen civil wars in Syria, Yemen, and Libya in the post-Cold War era.
Resource conflicts: Resource conflicts arise due to disputes over natural resources like oil, water, and land. The Middle East is home to many resource conflicts due to the abundance of oil and water, which are both essential for the world economy.
Regional conflicts: Regional conflicts are conflicts between neighboring countries or states. The Middle East has seen regional conflicts between countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia, Israel and its neighboring countries, and Turkey and Syria.
Terrorism: Terrorism is the use of violence and intimidation for political gain. The Middle East has been a hotbed for terrorism due to its geopolitical importance, strategic location, and religious extremism.
Insurgency: Insurgency is the organized use of subversion and violence by groups or individuals against ruling governments. The Middle East has seen insurgencies in places like Iraq, Syria, and Yemen.
Border disputes: Border disputes are disputes over the demarcation of international borders. The Middle East has seen border disputes between countries like Iraq and Kuwait, Iran and Iraq, and Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
Ideological conflicts: Ideological conflicts are conflicts between different ideological beliefs. The Middle East has seen ideological conflicts between secularism and religious fundamentalism in countries like Iran and Turkey.
Proxy wars: Proxy wars are wars fought between nations using third-party actors. The Cold War era saw many proxy wars in the Middle East, like the Afghanistan-Soviet War, but post-Cold War era too saw proxy conflicts in Syria and Yemen.
Quote: "The term came into widespread usage as a replacement of the term Near East (as opposed to the Far East) beginning in the early 20th century."
Quote: "The term 'Middle East' has led to some confusion over its changing definitions, and being seen as too Eurocentric."
Quote: "Most Middle Eastern countries (13 out of 18) are part of the Arab world."
Quote: "The most populous countries in the region are Egypt, Turkey, and Iran."
Quote: "Saudi Arabia is the largest Middle Eastern country by area."
Quote: "Several major religions have their origins in the Middle East, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam."
Quote: "Arabs constitute the main ethnic group in the region, followed by Turks, Persians, Kurds, Azeris, Copts, Jews, Assyrians, Iraqi Turkmen, Yazidis, and Greek Cypriots."
Quote: "The Middle East generally has a hot, arid climate, especially in the Arabian and Egyptian regions."
Quote: "The Levantine coast and most of Turkey have relatively temperate climates typical of the Mediterranean, with dry summers and cool, wet winters."
Quote: "Several major rivers provide irrigation to support agriculture in limited areas here, such as the Nile Delta in Egypt, the Tigris and Euphrates watersheds of Mesopotamia, and the basin of the Jordan River that spans most of the Levant."
Quote: "These regions are collectively known as the Fertile Crescent, and comprise the core of what historians had long referred to as the cradle of civilization."
Quote: "Because of the arid climate and heavy reliance on the fossil fuel industry, the Middle East is both a heavy contributor to climate change."
Quote: "The Middle East is a region expected to be severely negatively impacted by climate change."
Quote: "Other concepts of the region exist including the broader Middle East and North Africa (MENA), which includes states of the Maghreb and the Sudan..."
Quote: "...or the 'Greater Middle East' which additionally also includes parts of East Africa, Mauritania, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and sometimes the South Caucasus and Central Asia."