Arthur G. Sharp MA - The Everything Guide to the Middle East: Understand the People, the Politics, and the Culture of This Conflicted Region

THE

GUIDE TO
THE MIDDLE EAST

Dear Reader,

My introduction to the Middle East began in the Northeastthe Northeastern part of the United States. I grew up in a neighborhood that was populated heavily with Syrian and Lebanese immigrants who added flavor to our multiethnic enclave. My exposure to their culture prompted me to learn more about their homelands and the rest of the Middle East.

Later, I visited Turkey and Morocco, where I learned more about the region. My experiences as an International Business and Management professor and writer broadened my knowledge of the Middle East through contacts with business professionals and students from various countries. Those experiences were a continuation of my vow to learn as much as I could about the diverse region we label the Middle Eastand led to this opportunity to share my knowledge with you.

Hopefully, through these pages you will find the region as fascinating as I do.

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THE

GUIDE TO
THE MIDDLE EAST

Understand the people, the politics, and the culture of this conflicted region

Arthur G. Sharp, MA

To my childhood neighbors who sparked
my interest in the Middle East.

Copyright 2011 by F+W Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced
in any form without permission from the publisher; exceptions
are made for brief excerpts used in published reviews.

An Everything Series Book.
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Published by Adams Media, a division of F+W Media, Inc.
57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 02322 U.S.A.
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Contains material adapted and abridged from The Everything Middle East Book by Jacob M. Fellure, copyright 2004 by F+W Media, Inc., ISBN 10: 1-59337-053-9, ISBN 13: 978-1-59337-053-4.

ISBN 10: 1-4405-2901-9
ISBN 13: 978-1-4405-2901-6
eISBN 10: 1-4405-2911-6
eISBN 13: 978-1-4405-2911-5

Printed in the United States of America.

10987654321

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There is an abundance of information about the history of and current events in the Middle East available today through a variety of online sources, published books and articles, etc. Many sources are available in a one-stop format on the Internet. Thanks are due to the people who have assembled them all in one place, facilitated the research process, and made real-time access to information easier for people who want to increase their knowledge of the region.

1. There is more trade internationally in oil than in any other good. Despite the strong recent growth in oil production in other areas, the Middle East still exports significantly more oil than any other region in the worldthe region holds about two-thirds of the 1 trillion barrels of global proved oil reserves.

2. Although many people associate the Middle East with oil, its countries export numerous other products, including dates, beans, and grapes, ores and other minerals, iron, steel, chemicals, automotive products, textiles, and clothing.

3. The value of beef exports from the United States to the Middle East in 2010 grew by more than 75 percent over 2009, reaching $261 million. Egypt is the largest importer of U.S. beef in the region.

4. One of the problems contributing to unrest in the Middle East is the imbalance between education and jobs. Many countries in the region created and made available a basic education system, but there was no concomitant growth in jobs for the people who completed their university studies.

5. The majority of Egyptian physicians speak fluent English. Many have studied in the United States or Europe.

6. Turkey and Israel dominate the list of Forbes Top 40 largest publicly traded companies in the Middle East. The breakdown is Turkey (15), Israel (9), Saudi Arabia (5), Egypt (4), Morocco (3), Pakistan (3), and Jordan (1).