Unit 4: The Middle East
Located at the intersection of Africa, Asia and Europe, the Middle East has been and continues to be one of the most pivotal areas of the world. Its geographic setting has contributed greatly to its strategic importance in global power struggles. The significance of two resources, water and oil, continues to play a key role in shaping interactions within the region and in the larger world. Tensions between Islamic fundamentalists and those groups with a modern, secular view contribute greatly to cultural clashes within the Muslim world and with western society. The growth of decentralized Islamic movements with origins in the Middle East has dominated the new millennium and has led to a global war on terror. An understanding of the dynamics of the Middle Eastern cultures in the last century is essential to understanding the complex relationships in the world today.