Comparing the Maps

The map on page 840 indicates the major oil producing areas as Iraq, Kuwait, and around Qatar. The topographical map of the MENA region indicates such regions as being "green", except for Iraq which is on the outskirts of the green and heading towards brown. This means that Kuwait and Qatar are indicated as very fertile areas, which corresponds with producing lots of oil. However, Iraq is much less fertile and is still a major producer of oil. The wealthier people in the Middle East live in these areas, for their money comes from producing oil. However, a large portion of the remainder of the Middle East are of the poorest countries in the world.