Oil

These days oil is a very important resource. It is very valuable since we are running out of it and therefore whoever has it are powerful. Looking at the map of the Middle East, I have noticed that almost all of the countries with the most oil are near bodies of water. I think that a large part of the reason that these places are so oil rich is that they are so low. Since they are next to water, they are most likely near sea level. Since most oil is drilled from the ground, I believe that it makes drilling easier the lower you are because you can reach lower areas in the earth. Also, the lower that the land is, the more moist the ground is and therefore the more liquids will be in the ground including oil. This is why there isn't as much oil in the mountain ranges.

Drama-rama in the Middle East

Humans like to fight- often with each other. This statement may be vastly over-generalizing things, but looking at the past few thousand years or so of recorded history, it is hard to disagree. Oil, one of the most valuable natural resources since the invention of the automobile, is a large source of strife- especially in the Middle East. Because the distribution of oil in the Middle East is so uneven, the wealth is therefore also distributed unevenly. What compounds the uneven distribution of wealth even further is the fact that very few people own the companies that own the wealth. What you get is a high concentration of money in one place, and no more money left elsewhere.

Part of the reason that oil is so unevenly distributed is gravity; Yes, I said "gravity". Gravity is the force exerted by masses that pulls other masses towards the object's center of mass (in case you didn't know. Teehee.) You might notice that the largest areas of oil reserves lie in valleys, nestled on many sides by large mountain ranges. Oil, being a liquid, seeks the lowest elevation possible, and will therefore flow into the ground at the base of valleys. Water (also a liquid) also seeks the lowest elevations possible, and this means that oil and water will often be found near each other (because they have both sought the areas of lowest elevation). Notice that the more mountainous countries in the Middle East such as Afghanistan have very little amounts of oil.

Everything goes back to physics. Yay physics.
Yes, you can blame the world's conflicts on physics.

Thriving off oil

Both over the years and hearing stories about the "middle east" I have felt as though the middle east thrives off oil.  However when I was reading through the text book it was made very apparent to me that oil was the only thing that the middle east had.  If oil weren't as popular as it is today, the middle east, dubai and Iran would have virtually no money.  These countries are living off of something that is diminishing more and more every day which sets them up to completely run out fairly soon.  This is interesting to me because present day there is so much talk about these middle eastern countries, and the power that they hold because of how much land they have that is filled with oil.  The middle east participates the most out of any region of the world in the selling of oil, and its inevitable that they will run out pretty much wiping these countries off the list of "world powers".  There seems to be a trend when comparing the two maps.  Oil is located on planes that are very close to sea level.  Why is this the case? now that is a very tough question to answer and there would have to be some map of the geography of the middle east about 100,000 years ago to truly understand why this trend is present.  

One inconsistency that I noticed was how they called Iran one of the most important countries with oil even though when looking at the map which clearly shows where there are large oil fields, it seems as though oil is pretty scarce.  Im not to sure if this is just the book contradicting itself which happens fairly often, or it could just be talking more about the size and how much political pull Iran has, as opposed to how much oil it contains.

Reasons for Successful Oil Production

The map in the textbook highlighted the small regions in the Middle East that were the highest in oil producing. By looking at the topographical map, one can see that all of these areas are flat, and either next to a large body of water or river. I can think of a few reasons for this pattern. Oil is the biggest source of money and wealth in the area. This results in it being in great demand. If an area of land is rich in oil, then that land becomes in high demand. If everyone were to gravitate towards the oil, then there will no longer be any oil left, or it will cause chaos and slow the production. Perhaps, the reason that those areas are so successful in their production, is because they are protected by water. The water provides a secluded area to produce oil.

This can go hand in hand with what the book said about the population of areas with high oil production, the population of these areas is usually low. Because these areas are mostly flat terrain, the primary economy of the areas is probably agriculture. This would make the areas more rural and not as populated. Oil reserves are easier to maintain in a rural and lowly populated environment, rather than cities and towns. This is why small, lower populated areas produce more oil.

Oil and Geography

First of all, to clear up confusion regarding the topographical map linked to the blog, green does not indicate that a land is more fertile at all; it simply means that it's at a lower altitude than the brown areas. Also, Dana was correct in saying that oil doesn't have to do with fertility of soil (I think, but I'm not sure, that it comes from remains of plants and animals from millions of years ago - the soil simply had to sustain life a long time ago).

One interesting thing that I found in the maps was that there is a large amount of oil sitting under the Persian Gulf. Who "owns" this oil? Have any attempts to extract it been made yet? Are there any conflicts regarding it? Who discovered its existence in the first place?

Another interesting thing I noticed on the map is the large oil reserve in northern Iraq. This oil reserve, though, happens to be smack in the middle of the Kurdish part of Iraq. It would be interesting to find out more about the exploitation of that oil, and if the Kurdish inhabitants of the region benefited at all from its discovery.

Finally, one last point regarding the oil fields in the Middle East was that I noticed that all the countries that were for the pan-Islamic union in the textbook (Syria, Yemen, Egypt, etc.) don't have any oil at all. I wonder if their motives for such a union could have been driven by desires for something other than Islamic unity? In contrast, none of the oil-gifted countries wanted a union, not even amongst themselves. All they formed was OPEC, an economic treaty. This, then, clearly shows that the oil countries, at least, are motivated more by money than by religion.

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.

Oil In The Modern Middle East: An International Conflict

As many others have observed, the major oil-producing areas of the modern Middle East are in areas surrounded by water (with the exception of Iraq). The MENA map shows these areas as mostly fertile lands (which is not surprising—they are not lacking water to feed vegetation). They are also very flat areas, which make sense as locations for easily accessible oil. Further, it is clear that these regions are areas with a lot of conflict—an understandable result of having oil (and thus money). Oil has always been sought after. Aside from disputes within the Middle East over money and oil, the rest of the world is very concerned with what happens in oil-rich areas. This concern is mostly selfish, because oil is so precious. The problem you always hear about is the one of limited gas for our cars. The initial turmoil in the Middle East is not a result of this need for foreign fuel, but the U.S.'s involvement has undoubtedly made everything more violent and chaotic. Because of the topography of the land by major oil-producing areas—mostly flat, not mountainous—they are not ideal places for fighting. Any conflict that breaks out in those specific regions will be bloody, with many fatalities, because there are no natural covers given by the land. Wars are always awful, but the Middle East has some especially dangerous and, unfortunately, desirable regions to fight over.

Oil

Like many others have observed, location plays a huge role in the amount of oil produced in a country. However, to question Caitlin's point (which seems to be a common theme in my blog posts for some reason), does land fertility really imply more oil? I did some basic research on oil production, and I believe that oil exported from the Middle East is derived from rocks. I'm not entirely sure what this means in terms of having the major oil-producing areas be in forested areas, but the fertility of land is not necessarily the cause of prosperous oil.

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. 

Afghanistan - oil

When you first locate Afghanistan on the map, immediately you see that there are no bodies of water surrounding Afghanistan nor are they a major producer of oil. Afghanistan is land locked. Since Afghanistan is not able to thrive off of those two major Middle East money makers, they have resorted to their own natural resource, poppies. Poppies are very lucrative because they are able to be converted into Heroine and Opium. Also, the profits from the poppies are used to support the Taliban. As we have seen, the Taliban is pro-violence, war and fighting and not something the United States supports. Sadly, Afghanistan is not the only land locked country, there are many other countries in the Middle East that are land locked, and not oil producers. I hope they can find other ways to support their population other than the drug trade. 

Battle for Control

Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Kuwait are all very small countries located in the major oil-producing areas. These oil-producing areas also coincide with the green part of the topographical map, meaning near sea level and less desert. Why are these countries so tightly packed around one area? This area is what we might call prime real-estate. Pakistan might have a bigger land area then the United Arab of Emirates, but this does not affect its income per capita. All you need is a little land on this prime real- estate and your good to go. The income per capita of the UAE is many times more than that of Pakistan. One might think that more land equals more resourses, which will equal more income. The UAE doesn't need more desert land to become more powerful.

Allies Among the Middle East

It is interesting to note which of the countries the United States is allies with and how they relate geographically to the rest of the Middle East. The Unites States' allies are either greatly involved in producing the oil that we need, like Saudi Arabia, or they seem to be on the outskirts of the Middle East. For example, Turkey and Israel are on the edge of what is classified as the Middle East and it seems as though they are on the edge of the politics of the area as well; almost as if they are being pushed out. Israel, as we well know, obviously does not have good relations with much of the Middle East and if you compare it geographically, it is about as far west as you can get in the Middle East. Turkey also does not seem to belong anywhere. Europe rejected it, and the Turks were not comfortable with the military power of the rest of the Middle East, so it seems to fall into the pattern of the United States' allies. If you're not in agreement with the rest of the Middle East, the United States will take you in it appears.

Oil Trends

Arab factions + oil+ islam= the worst combination we've seen since George W. Bush decided to add his name into the equation and see where it lead us. There are two separate oil trends in regard to the map in our textbooks on page 840. Out of all 3 oil rich regions, two have had either significant ongoing or past conflicts that involved the United States of America. Kuwait and Iraq, both boasting western intervention, have endured a combined 3 wars in the last decade or so. Only Qatar and The U.A.E. stand firmly unaffected by any form of physical conflict. And while taking a peek at surrounding countries, one can learn a thing or two about the dynamic of the middle east: some countries have oil, others don't. Qatar and The United Arab Emirates are protected geographically by the imposing forces of Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan through a Persian Gulf buffer that only leaves Saudi Arabia as a primary neighbor; yet no surprise here- Saudi is the U.S's greatest ally in the Middle East. Iraq and Kuwait, however are left out in the open for inevitable ethnic and religious tension. And that is mainly, the ruinous disease of the middle east, where oil is the incentive for warfare and theocratic governments who virtually condone the terrorism that is inflicted upon oil rich countries and their western connections. While at the same time, America is willing to devote themselves to the protection of oil and its development. We aren't there to foster a new nation, just foster the guarantee of a stable economy back home. So what a surprise, most nations in the middle east see though our attempt to implement democracy, and are bitter about the advantages we provide to certain nations. We can only expect the highest degree of anti-western mentalities that derive from our specialized foreign oil policies. So until we discover some alteratives, we might as well prepare for most of the same.

The Deadly Seas - the Role of Water in Middle Eastern Conflict

Like Jackson, I found that the countries that were surrounded by water and had oil were the ones plagued with conflicts. But, I also found that even countries without oil that were along the water were also areas of turmoil. For example, Israel, which borders the Mediterranean Sea and has a corner that just touches the Gulf of Aqaba, which leads to the Red Sea, has been an area of conflict since its formation. Of course, one of the main causes of conflict has been the fact that Israel was formed in an area where Jews only made up 1/3 of the population. This caused a conflict because the Palestinians, the other people, were now being forced to live under a Jewish rule. But, part of the conflict probably also arose because Israel has direct access to the Mediterranean Sea. Even with the advent of airplanes, ships and waterways are still the main way to transport goods, and Israel has access to a very important one; one that connects the Middle East to Europe. Because of this, they are allowed to regulate trade that passes through them and charge taxes. It is a great way for the nation to make money - quite possibly the most important thing to many in the world today. And, Israel does have a fairly strong economy (22nd highest GDP per capita and 2nd highest amount of start-up companies). While it would take a little more research to see if there is truly a correlation between their economy and their connection to the Mediterranean, it is clear that this access they have combined with their economic success could aggravate both the other countries surrounding it and the Palestinians, who could have had this land for themselves.

Oil !!!

As we can see from the map in our textbooks, the major oil-producing areas are surrounded by water in this case, the Persian Gulf and also the two major rivers in the Middle East (Tigris and Euphrates). Also from the topographical map we can see that the major oil-producing areas are where there is low altitude (near water). We can see why Iran was one of the richest countries in the Middle East as our textbook mentioned. It was a major oil-producing area. Yes, oil did lead to many conflicts and instability in the middle east, this instability usually came from outsiders who tried to take over the oil reserves. The money oil helped people in the middle east gain, lured many outsiders which led to increased conflicts within the middle east. Even internal invasions occurred in the middle east. In 1190 Kuwait was invaded by Iraq. How come? Perhaps because Kuwait is a major oil-producing area. 

Oil in the Middle East

As the textbook and topographical map shows, every major oil producing area is surrounded by water. The areas are primarily in the Persian Gulf, however there is also one in Iraq. The oil reserve in Iraq is next to a river. Also, all the oil producing areas are in low-lying regions (signified by dark green). In today's world, oil signifies wealth and power for those who possess it. Many nations - in particular the first-world superpowers - are in desperate need of oil, and that has been a hidden motive behind the good Samaritan persona used when those countries intervene in the Middle East.

Oil Production

All of the major oil-producing areas are by major bodies of water (rivers, persian gulf), and this can easily lead to conflict.  This can lead to war because countries will want to take over the oil areas so they can control the oil production and so that they can control the waterways.  It would cost the countries MUCH less in shipping fees if they had control of the waterways, and they would make a great deal of profit from the production of oil.  Therefore, the location of oil production sites can, will, and have resulted in conflicts.