Level 83
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Regional Geography of the Continents

Geography of North Africa and the Middle East

A regional survey of the great river valleys, deserts, oil economies, and geopolitics that define North Africa and the Middle East, from the Nile and the Fertile Crescent to the Gulf states and the Maghreb.

60-Second Review

Express review

A condensed, point-by-point summary of the module, for reviewing right before a test or exam.

  1. The Nile Valley and Its Civilizations. The Nile's predictable floods built Egypt and Nubia and still divide its modern basin states.
  2. The Arabian Peninsula and Gulf States. Oil wealth transformed the Arabian Peninsula's desert sheikhdoms into global financial and energy hubs.
  3. The Fertile Crescent and Mesopotamia. The Tigris-Euphrates system nurtured the world's earliest cities, writing, and law codes.
  4. The Maghreb and Atlas Mountains. The Atlas ranges separate a Mediterranean Maghreb from the Sahara and shelter its Amazigh heritage.
  5. Oil Geography and Regional Economies. A handful of chokepoints and fields make the Middle East the pivot of the global oil trade.
  6. Water Scarcity in an Arid Region. Shared rivers and falling aquifers make water one of the region's most contested resources.
  7. Ethnic and Religious Mosaic of the Region. Arabs, Kurds, Persians, and Amazigh peoples share a region layered by Sunni-Shia and minority faiths.
  8. Regional Conflict and Shifting Borders. From Sykes-Picot to the Arab Spring, colonial lines and their fractures still drive regional conflict.

This module continues after "Geography of Sub-Saharan Africa" in the syllabus. If you haven't reviewed it yet, it may help set the context.

Key points

Visual module map

1The Nile Valley and Its Civilizations
2The Fertile Crescent and Mesopotamia
3Oil Geography and Regional Economies
4Water Scarcity in an Arid Region
5Regional Conflict and Shifting Borders

Alternative visual view: a simplified sequence of some of the module's key points, in their order within the syllabus.

Your module mastery

0% (overall measurement)
Approximate breakdown by skill
Understanding of historiographical debate0%

A rough estimate based on the key points reviewed, not an exact measurement of actual mastery.

Final test

You need to review all key points to unlock the final test.

Optional mini-games

Extra practice, with no penalty, to reinforce the module's content.

Review Flashcards

Review each key point with cards that flip to reveal the summary.

Memory

Match each concept with its definition in as few attempts as possible.

Time Attack

Answer true or false statements before time runs out.

Chronological Order

Put the module's key points back in their original order.

Further reading

Bibliography and cited sources used to create this module.

  • Fisher, W.B. (1978). The Middle East: A Physical, Social and Regional Geography (7th ed.). London: Methuen.
  • Held, C.C. and Cummings, J.T. (2018). Middle East Patterns: Places, Peoples, and Politics (7th ed.). New York: Routledge.
  • Breasted, J.H. (1916). Ancient Times, A History of the Early World. Boston: Ginn and Company.
  • Waterbury, J. (2002). The Nile Basin: National Determinants of Collective Action. New Haven: Yale University Press.
  • Yergin, D. (1991). The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power. New York: Simon & Schuster.
  • Fromkin, D. (1989). A Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East. New York: Henry Holt.