The State of the Middle East

Introduction * Part I : The Shaping of the Middle East * The Ottoman Empire * European Colonialism * The New Middle East after World War I * Decolonization * Anti-Colonial Forces * Arab Nationalism * The Formation of the State of Israel * Zionism and Anti-Semitism * Flight and Exile * Oil * The US Presence * Part II: Arenas of Conflict * Arab*Israeli Warfare * Israel and Palestine * Jerusalem * Lebanon * Syria * Libya * Egypt * Algeria * Iran * The Iran*Iraq War * Iraq * The Kurds * The Gulf Wars * Saudi Arabia * Crisis, Danger and Opportunity * Part III: The State of the Nations * Ethnicity and Language * Religion * Life Expectancy and Health * Population and Urbanization * Water and Sanitation * Education and Literacy * Government and Economy * Military Spending * Energy and Transportation * Water Resources * Labour and Migration * Refugees * Gender Equality * Human Rights * Sources * Index

Dan Smith is Secretary General of International Alert and former Director of the International Peace Research Institute, Oslo (PRIO).

'This book shows why there is still a need for reference books, at a time when we have almost limitless access to the internet...it decisively outscores both Google and Wikipedia on their two weakest points - context and provenance...a useful resource, for specialists and non-specialists alike.' Socialist Outlook, Spring 2007 'Ever since the pre-war days of Lancelot Horabin, maps have been a time-honoured way of conveying information to activists and the series from Earthscan have garnered plaudits for their graphical representation of everything from climate change to the status of women. Dan Smith has already produced two for them, The Atlas of War and Peace and The State of the World, both widely and deservedly praised. This latest one is in the same, brilliantly researched and effectively presented tradition. Since the world's warmongers seem to have seized upon the Middle East as their hegemonic area of choice, this atlas ought to be in every peace worker's armoury of information.' Morning Star Praise for Dan Smith's other atlases: 'It combines short brutally clear analysis with maps and graphics showing exactly what is going on around the world' New York Times 'A new kind of visual journalism...this book comes with a flavour of originality hard to find in publishing today' New Scientist 'Highly recommended.' Dr Brandan Whyte, Geographical Education