The modern world is conditionally divided intoseveral parts characterized by some peculiarities. Western and Eastern, European and Arab cultures have their geopolitical "binding". Today, the term "Arab countries" means states whose main population speaks Arabic.
The main forming element of any Arabicstate is the language and culture that develops on its basis. Today such a culture is open and exposed to the influence of others, such as Indian, Mongolian, Andalusian. However, Western traditions have the strongest influence.
In the Arab community, a religion such as Islam,performs a dual role. On the one hand, it unites the Arabs in public and political life, and on the other - it causes disagreements and even armed conflicts between supporters of various currents within. It should be understood that the Arab and Muslim countries are not identical concepts. In the world not all Arab states profess Islam, in some simultaneously several religious confessions coexist. In addition, it should be remembered that Muslim countries include those where most of the inhabitants are not Arabs.
Islam is a powerful cultural factor, thanks to which, along with the language, there is a rallying of the entire Arab world, but it can also divide and lead to bloody wars.
In total there are 23 Arab countries, the list of which is presented below:
It should be noted that not all Arab countries,the list of which is presented, are recognized by the other states. Thus, the Saharan Arab Democratic Republic, which is not part of the League of Arab States (LAS), is officially recognized by only half the world's countries. The Moroccan authorities exercise control over most of its territories.
In addition, the state of Palestine, which is part of the Arab League, is recognized by 129 states. In this country there are two areas that do not share a common border: the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
The countries of the Arab world are territorially divided into three large groups:
- African (Maghreb);
- Arabian;
- East Mediterranean.
Let's briefly review each of them.
In the strict sense, Maghreb (the West) are calledonly those states that are located to the west of Egypt. However, today it is customary to refer to all the North African Arab countries, such as Mauritania, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria. Egypt itself is considered the center, the heart of the whole Arab world and is part of the Great Maghriban Arc. In addition, it includes countries such as Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Mauritania, Libya and Western Sahara.
The largest peninsula on our planetis Arabic. It is on it that most of the countries that supply oil. For example, the United Arab Emirates (United Arab Emirates), consisting of seven independent states. In addition, it is on its territory that such countries are leading in oil production, such as Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar. In former times, the countries located on the Arabian Peninsula acted only as trans-shipment and intermediate points on trade routes leading to Iraq and Iran. Today, thanks to the huge oil reserves discovered in the middle of the last century, each of the Arab countries of the Arabian region has its own significant political, strategic and economic weight.
In addition, the countries located in the Persian Gulf are historical centers for the birth and development of Islam, from where it spread to other regions.
To the East Mediterranean Asian region,The name of Mashriq refers to such countries of the Arab East as the Republic of Iraq, the Kingdom of Jordan, Syria, Libya and having only the status of Palestinian autonomy. Mashrik - this is the most restless, almost constantly fighting zone of the Arab world since the formation of the State of Israel in the late 1940s. Throughout the twentieth century, Arab-Israeli wars and conflicts were constantly occurring here. Let us dwell in more detail on such states of the Eastern Mediterranean as Iraq, Jordan and Palestine.
Это арабское государство располагается в долинах the rivers Euphrates and Tigris, in the Mesopotamian lowland, and washed from the southeast by the waters of the Persian Gulf. The country is bordered by Kuwait, Iran, Turkey, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. In the north and north-east of Iraq are the Armenian and Iranian highlands, which are distinguished by high seismic activity.
The country of Iraq, whose capital is Baghdad, is the second largest Arab country in the East Mediterranean and Middle East region, with a population of more than 16 million people.
The 1958 revolution led to the fall of the monarchy inthis country, and since 1963 the Party of Arab Socialist Revival (PASV) has been gaining more and more political power. As a result of the fierce struggle in the sixties of the last century, this party came to power in 1979, headed by S. Hussein. This event has become a significant stage in the life of the state. It was this politician who managed to eliminate all his rivals and establish a regime of totalitarian power. Hussein, through the liberalization of economic policy and the rallying of the nation on the idea of a "common enemy", managed to ensure the growth of its own popularity and get virtually unlimited power.
Under his leadership, Iraq unleashed in 1980year war against Iran, which lasted until 1988. The turning point was 2003, when US-led coalition forces invaded Iraq, resulting in the execution of Saddam Hussein. The consequences of this invasion are still being felt. Once a strong country has become a huge arena of military operations, in which there is neither a developed industry, nor peace.
In the south-west of Asia, at the north-western endThe Arabian Peninsula, west of Iraq and south of the Syrian Republic, is the Kingdom of Jordan. The map of the country clearly shows that almost all of its territory consists of desert plateaus and various hills and mountains. It borders on Jordan with Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria, Israel and the Palestinian autonomous region. The country has access to the Red Sea. The capital of the state is Amman. In addition, it is possible to single out large cities - Ez-Zarka and Irbid.
From 1953 to 1999, until his death,the country was ruled by King Hussein. Today, the kingdom is ruled by his son Abdullah II, who is a representative of the Hashemite dynasty and is believed to be in 43 generation one of the direct descendants of the Prophet Muhammad. As a rule, the ruler in the Arab countries has unlimited influence, but in Jordan the monarch's power is regulated by the Constitution and the parliament.
Today it is the most peaceful in all respects the territory of the Arab East. The main income for this country is tourism, as well as assistance from other, richer Arab states.
Эта автономная область восточного Средиземноморья consists of two regions not adjacent to each other: the Gaza Strip, which borders with Israel and Egypt, and the West Bank, which only comes from the east to Jordan, and is surrounded on all other sides by Israeli territory. In terms of nature, Palestine is subdivided into several areas: the fertile lowland located along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and the hilly highlands east of it. In the very east of the country, steppes begin, gradually turning into the Syrian desert.
In 1988, after many Arab-Israelimilitary conflicts and the refusal of Jordan and Egypt from claims to the Palestinian territories, the National Council of Palestine announced the establishment of an independent state. The first president of the autonomy was the legendary Yasser Arafat, after whose death, in 2005, Mahmoud Abbas, who is still in power, was elected to this post. Today, in the Gaza Strip, the ruling party is Hamas, who came to power as a result of winning the elections in this autonomy. The West Bank manages all state activities of the Palestinian National Authority.
Relations between Palestine and Israel are inextremely tense state and permanently turn into an armed confrontation. The borders of the Palestinian state are controlled from virtually all sides by the Israeli armed forces.
