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Patrick Buckley Dept. Envr Studies: Geography

Arab Political Demography Development, Resources, and Demography in the Middle East: Is Oil Destroying the Arab world?. Patrick Buckley Dept. Envr Studies: Geography. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezVk1ahRF78. Introduction.

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Patrick Buckley Dept. Envr Studies: Geography

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  1. Arab Political DemographyDevelopment, Resources, and Demography in the Middle East: Is Oil Destroying the Arab world? Patrick Buckley Dept. Envr Studies: Geography

  2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezVk1ahRF78

  3. Introduction • Start combining demographics with migration, religion, linguistics, culture, economics, and potential global security issues

  4. Some Questions • Is there an Arab World? Is this term based on a Formal, Functional, or Vernacular Region? • Does it relate to the Muslim World?

  5. As a Linguistic Region

  6. Arab World Linguistically Defined Note how this is the heart of Islam, but not all or even most of Islam. Critical thinking: Would this be a formal, functional, or vernacular region?

  7. Result • Yes, seems fairly unified – it shares a common characteristic (formal region)

  8. As a Historical Region

  9. Arab World Historically Defined The Arab empire that extended into Europe until 1491 Critical thinking: Would this be a formal, functional, or vernacular region?

  10. Result • Perhaps, over about 1,400 years a number of empires have unified this region, but not all were controlled by Arabs. • Each of these empires would also be a formal region

  11. As a Religous Region

  12. With few exceptions Islam is a result of Arab Expansion/Trade

  13. Result • Depends, Islam certainly dominates but it has branches and there are also some minority religions including branches of Christianity. • Still a formal region, but note the fuzzy borders as Islam as a % varies.

  14. Religious % in Arab League

  15. As a Political Region

  16. Today The Arab World Politically Defined – the Arab League

  17. The Arab League - The League of Arab States Arab League, informal name of the League of Arab States, a voluntary association of independent countries whose peoples are mainly Arabic speaking. Its stated purposes are to strengthen ties among the member states, coordinate their policies, and promote their common interests. MauritaniaMorocco Oman Qatar Saudi Arabia Somalia Sudan Syria Tunisia U.A.E Yemen Algeria Bahrain Comoros Djibouti Egypt Iraq Jordan Kuwait Lebanon Libya FACTS OVERVIEW Founded: 1945 Headquarters: Cairo, Egypt Key players: Egypt, Saudi Arabia

  18. How does this compare to the US? Note this crude map contains only part of the Arab League, plus two non-Arab League state. But it should get you thinking!!! Turkey not Arab Iran not Arab

  19. More Direct Comparison USA Population: 314 million (US Census Bureau estimate, 2012) Capital: Washington D.C. Area: 3.8 million sq miles Major language: English Major religion: Christianity Life expectancy: 75 years (men), 80 years (women) (UN) Arab League Founded: 1945 Population: 340 million (approx. 2007) Headquarters: Cairo, Egypt Area: 5.25 million square miles Key players: Egypt, Saudi Arabia Members: 22 members including Palestine Major language: Arabic Life Expectancy: Varies generally approaches 70 years for men

  20. Conclusion of Comparison • Today the Arab League population is bigger than the US • 25 years from now its could be 50% greater than the US • Question How unified is this region? How well does it exist as a Formal rather than merely Vernacular Region.

  21. Result • On paper there is a single group, but it is of limited use, much like the Organization of American States for North and South America

  22. As a Unified Region

  23. How unified is this region? Variations on the Western Fringe: Note that Turks, Kurds, and Persians are not Arabs

  24. Note Shi’a Locations and Proportions Inside there are variations. Winckler (2005) notes that most if not all Arab nations have missing religious and ethnic data to hide/ignore problematic data inside their countries Click here for examples: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/globalconnections/mideast/maps/final_maps_soc.swf

  25. Examples of Hidden Information

  26. Unemployment • No Arab state seems to accurately report unemployment • For example S. Arabia has claimed about 10% when reality could be as high as 20 to 30%.(recent Wall Street Journal put it even higher) • See http://www.indexmundi.com/saudi_arabia/unemployment_rate.html

  27. How does this relate to Oil/Gas? • Again do we have an Arab World or a couple of “worlds”? Oil and Non-oil? • In general many Arab countries with the largest populations have the least oil.

  28. As an Economic Region

  29. http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/colombia/images/map04.gifhttp://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/colombia/images/map04.gif Two oil centers in Arab Region

  30. Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC): the oil & gas rich Saudi Arabia Oman United Arab Emirates Bahrain Kuwait Qatar The Gulf Cooperation Council, created in response to the outbreak of the Iran-Iraq war, established the Gulf Standards Organization in November 1982 and the Gulf Investment Corporation in 1984.

  31. If Iraq were to join the GCC then the vast majority of world oil reserves would be controlled by this group.

  32. A result • Wealth and jobs have become highly concentrated in the region around the Gulf resulting in large scale migration into the Gulf area. • GCC states have favored pro-natalist (pro-birth) policies even as Non-Oil states have started moving towards anti-natalist policies, why?

  33. Population in 2000 Nationals ............ 20 million Non-nationals …. 10 million

  34. Note how many 30-35 year old Saudi’s there are and how many non-nationals

  35. As a Demographic Region

  36. 2 1 3 4 patterns emerge: (1) low growth regions, (2)slowing regions, (3) oil rich regions, and (4) “least developed” regions (not on chart).

  37. Result • Some argue that the Arab world is splitting into these 4 different parts with following results

  38. Most recent 2011

  39. Additional Results • Slow growth areas will join developed nations • Slowing areas will face possible instability and hope to supply Europe and the GCC with labor

  40. Possible Results 3. The GCC hopes to “grow” enough labor to oust outsiders, but as population momentum grows, energy resources will decline – too many for too little? 4. The ‘backward’ not developing areas will continue to fuel regional and world instability

  41. Somalia???

  42. Final Conclusions • There are a number of factors suggesting a unified Arab World, but… • Differences in resources and resulting economies has resulted in different demographic patters and policy – and thus possible futures • Oil wealth seems to be causing more differentiation rather than unity between Arab states

  43. Study Questions • Is there an Arab World? How many different ways did we look at this and what is the evidence for or against? • In your opinion is the pro-natal policies of the Gulf states a good thing or a bad thing? • If the Arab World was unified, could it rival the US? Explain.

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