According to the map on page 840 of our textbook, major oil producing areas in the Middle East are in the hands of 7 countries: the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Turkey and Iran. The UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have relatively small populations, the largest belonging to Saudi Arabia with 28.6 million and the smallest belonging to Qatar with 833,000. Turkey on the other hand, has a population of 76.8 million and Iran has 66.4 million. These countries, all situated in the Middle East, the Oil Capital of the World, are affected differently by oil. By examining the map, it is very clear that most of the oil is in the hands of countries with small populations, which is why those countries have higher GDP per capita than others. While Saudi Arabia has a GDP per capita of $20,000, similarly populated Iraq has a GDP per capita of $4,000. This is a large difference in economic status and is most likely dictated by the abundance of oil in those countries. Oil has become a very important source of profit fot Middle Eastern countries, some more than others, and this wide range of per capita GDPs is a true embodiment for that notion.