23. Identify and explain the factors that have combined to produce the CW climate in Yemen and Oman.
A Cw climate is characterised by a very dry winter and rainy summer. The amount of rain experienced in such a climate in the summer season is ten times more than that experienced in the winter (Kartin 29). The Cw climate is as a result of the climatic change which has been experienced in most parts of the word. In Yemen and Oman, the climatic change is mainly as a result of greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is caused by carbonated gases that for a blanket of insulation on the atmosphere. As a result, the summer periods are characterized by high temperatures leading to evaporation and condensation which latter lead to huge downpour in the summer season. During the winter when the temperatures are very low, there is little evaporation leading to very little precipitation. As a result, the driest period in winter receive rainfall which is ten times less than the wettest period in summer.
24. Pre-classical and classical cultural development in Egypt, Mesopotamia and Syria followed different paths. For Egypt and Mesopotamia list the cultural contrasts and identify the geographical factors which explain these contrasts.
Both Egypt and Mesopotamia are some of the areas which are recognized to have experienced ancient civilization. One common aspect that both the regions share is that they were some of the most ancient civilizations which were first involved in agriculture. In Egypt, agriculture was made possible due to the readily available domestic-able animals and plants along the Nile River. Mesopotamia, on the other hand enjoyed the availability of crops and animals along the rivers Tigris and Euphrates. However, there were major contrasts between the two regions. First and foremost, there was a contrast between the geography of Mesopotamia and that of Egypt. Due to these differences, the two regions had different exposure to the outside world. This influenced their ability to involve in trade with other regions, share their expertise and even become more susceptible to invasions. The political system of Egypt was focused on centrality with the Pharaoh ruling the entire region with a centralized form of government (Maisels 58). Mesopotamia, on the other hand, was ruled by regional city states which kept on shifting from time to time. The Egyptians were more focused on geometric and monumental arts. On the other hand, the Mesopotamians focused on literacy.
25. Explain how “geography” provides the clue to relative independence maintained by Saudi Arabian Peninsula through much of the history of the Middle East.
Saudi Arabia was the first country to officially achieve its independence from the British colonization. Headed by their ruler Ibn Saud, the Saudi Arabian Government signed a treaty with the British government which provided it with the autonomy and equal dominance among her citizens, in 1927 (Leatherdale 2). The geographical position of the Saudi Arabian Peninsula provided it with a unique significance for the British. The Saudi Arabian Peninsula formed the communication centre for the British within the entire Middle East Empire (Leatherdale 2). To the East and the southern part of the Saudi Arabian Peninsula, there was the sea which connected the region to Far East, India, and Australia. To the northern part, there was a land that which provided the route for oil and air. This, therefore, made Saudi Arabia special among other British colonies in the Middle East.
26. In 2010, the Middle East recorded the following demographic statistics: 5.3% of the population emigrated and 3.5% of the population were in-migrants and the population is doubling in about 37 years. List some of the most important socio-economic consequences of the pattern of net migration of the Middle East.
In 2010, more people migrated out of the Middle East than those who migrated into the Middle East. On the other hand, the population of the Middle East has increased drastically. This can be attributed to the increase in the per-capita among the people of the Middle Eastern which has led to improved living conditions thereby low mortality rates. The most important socio-economic consequence of this migration is the instances of brain-drain (King 265). Most learned people run away from the war torn countries of the Middle East into the Americas and the European countries. Secondly, the instance of brain-drain has led to a scenario where most of the population are not adequately literate thereby there are instances of people demanding for jobs which they are not qualified for (King 265).
Works Sited
Kartin, Amnon. "The Middle East, Geography and Geopolitics by Ewan W. Anderson. London and New York: Routledge, 2000." Geography Research Forum. Vol. 22. 2016.
Leatherdale, Clive. Britain and Saudi Arabia, 1925-1939: The Imperial Oasis. Psychology Press, 1983.
Maisels, Charles Keith. Early civilizations of the Old World: the formative histories of Egypt, the Levant, Mesopotamia, India and China. Psychology Press, 2001.
King, Russell, ed. Return Migration and Regional Economic Problems (Routledge Library Editions: Economic Geography). Vol. 6. Routledge, 2015.
