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1. How does oil affect relationships between countries?

2. Who controls the supply of oil in the world?

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Can the Middle East Survive Without Oil?

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Can the Middle East Survive Without Oil?

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1. How does oil affect the amount of money in Middle Eastern countries?

2. How does the money from oil affect the people?

3. What do you think would happen if oil were to run out in the Middle East?

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Can The Middle East Survive Without Oil?

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1. Why are natural resources important for people and countries?
2. What is the difference between a renewable and nonrenewable resource?

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Natural resources are found in nature, and can be either renewable or nonrenewable based on whether they can be replaced.

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What questions do you have after conducting your research? 

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What questions do you have after conducting your research? 

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Record them in the comments section below.

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Choose FOUR of the resources posted in this padlet to explore in more detail. Answer the guiding questions and use your checklist to keep track of your work as you go!

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1. Why is oil considered to be such a valuable resource?
2. How might oil influence the relationship between two countries? What can happen if one country wants oil and the other country has oil?
3. How might access to fresh water create tension between countries?

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DOD, Defense Visual Information Center, March Air Force Base, CA

The Middle East has always had a rich abundance of natural resources, although which resources are coveted and valued has changed over time. Today, abundant petroleum fields dominate the area's economy. The Middle East is similarly disproportionately rich in natural gas (32 percent of the world's known natural gas reserves are in the region) and phosphate (Morocco alone has more than half of the world's reserves).

Water has always been an important resource in the Middle East -- for its relative scarcity rather than its abundance. Disputes over rights to water (for example, building a dam in one country upstream from another) are a fundamental part of the political relationships in the region. Water for irrigation is necessary for many of the ecosystems to sustain crops.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, major European nations competed to establish and maintain colonies around the world. Superior military power and economic leverage allowed them to create new markets for their manufactured goods, and to exploit the natural resources of the African, American, and Asian continents.

Since the early part of the 19th century, Europeans vied to control the Middle East. The Sykes-Picot Agreement of 1916 divided the Ottoman lands between the British and the French, giving those nations control over any natural resources, most importantly oil.

Modern armies were thirsty for oil. The British navy was the first to switch from coal to oil in 1912, and other new technologies, like automobiles and airplanes, quickly and drastically increased the demand for fuel.

The United States was becoming an important player in world affairs during the early 20th century, and soon Americans found they, too, had a vested interest in developing and controlling oil reserves in the Middle East to supply their growing needs.

More than 1,000 years ago, Zoroastrians in Iran revered the perpetual flames that burned where natural gas vented from the earth. In the early 20th century, British prospectors discovered oil in Iran and in 1908 began the first large-scale drilling projects there. The government of Iran sold the exclusive right to explore and drill for oil in Iran -- a " concession" -- to the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (AIOC). The British government bought a controlling stake in AIOC, and by the start of World War I, Iranian oil was Britain's most important strategic resource.

In time, Iranians grew to resent the AIOC. The terms of the concession were so unbalanced that British investors were rewarded handsomely while the government of Iran made very little profit. Foreign businessmen and engineers in Iran led extravagantly wealthy lifestyles that contrasted sharply with the poverty of the local population.

Frustration with foreign exploitation led to nationalization. The Iranian government of Mohammed Mossadeq nationalized the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company in 1953, but in a coup engineered by the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), this nationalist government was overthrown, and a government friendly to Western interests was installed under the control of the Shah of Iran.

The continued economic and cultural influence of the West and the repressive nature of the Shah's regime led to the Iranian Revolution of 1979. The Shah was overthrown and exiled, and the new Islamic Republic of Iran was established, led by the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

After World War II, Britain and France gave up control over much of the Middle East, as they could no longer afford to continue their imperialist strategies, either politically or economically. But a new world power, the United States, increased its presence in the region as American demands for oil were rapidly growing and outstripping domestic supply.

Standard Oil of California first discovered oil in Saudi Arabia in 1936. The huge deposits there and in the neighboring Persian Gulf countries -- the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Bahrain -- established these countries as some of the richest in the world.

Continuing American military power and domestic lifestyles depend on available access to Middle Eastern oil and reasonably low world petroleum prices. Thus, U.S. foreign policy initiatives work to support the stability of pro-U.S. governments, prevent anti-U.S. powers or blocs from forming, and reduce tension and potential armed conflict in the region.

Relations between the Saudi and U.S. governments have traditionally remained strong. Some Americans have questioned that relationship since the events of September 11, 2001, when Osama bin Laden and several other Saudis were involved in the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. At the same time, many Saudis mistrust their government's close relationship with the U.S. and resent other American policies in the region, such as U.S. support for Israel and the U.S.-led bombing of Iraq. The presence of armed U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia -- the birthplace of Islam -- is particularly galling to many Muslims.

Because the Middle East has the world's largest deposits of oil (55 percent of the world's reserves) in an easily extracted form, Middle Eastern oil continues to be necessary to the United States. American dependence on foreign oil has grown steadily over the years; currently about 55 percent of the oil consumed in the U.S. is imported. This reliance on foreign oil leaves the country vulnerable to unilateral political and economic acts by oil producing countries. For example, although the U.S. advocated economic sanctions against Iraq after the Gulf War, 9 percent of the oil used by Americans after the war still came from Iraq, shipped through other countries.

Oil money has created both opportunities and problems for the region.

Middle Eastern nations have learned to manipulate their production of oil as an international strategy. After the unsuccessful Yom Kippur War with Israel in 1973, an OPEC oil embargo by Arab nations demonstrated a new way to influence European and American policy. Oil prices quadrupled from $3 a barrel in 1972 to $12 a barrel in 1974. In the U.S., the era of cheap gas came to an end, stimulating research on increasing energy efficiency, conservation, and alternative fuels as well as exploration for alternative sources of oil.

Uneven distribution of petroleum deposits has created a disparity of wealth and power in the Middle East. Gulf countries with relatively small populations have the most oil. When workers from countries with large, poor populations, such as Egypt, come to the Gulf region to work, they are often treated as second-class citizens. Meanwhile, wealthy Saudis and Kuwaitis may vacation in Egypt, openly drinking alcohol and displaying other behaviors that would not be permitted in their home countries. Even within oil-rich nations themselves, there is a large gap between rich and poor.

Oil will continue to be an important regional and global issue. In fact, some question whether one reason the U.S. seeks to maintain influence in Afghanistan after the overthrow of the Taliban is American interest in Central Asian oil and a possible pipeline through Afghanistan. Some estimates show that by 2050, landlocked Central Asia will provide more than 80 percent of the oil distributed to the U.S. As a result, the control of pipelines through Afghanistan or Turkey to distribution centers will be of increasing importance to the United States.

Another resource of vital importance to the region is water. Egypt, Iran, and Turkey are the only countries in the region with abundant fresh water resources. Roughly two-thirds of the Arab world depend on sources outside their borders for their water supply.

The scarcity of water is a major cause of tension between states in the region. Former U.N. Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali has said that the next war in the Middle East will be fought over water.

The Jordan River provides 75 percent of Jordan's water and 60 percent of Israel's. In the early 1960s, Arab nations worked to divert the headwaters of the Jordan away from Israel and towards Jordan. One of Israel's objectives in the Arab-Israeli Six Day War of 1967, among others, was to control the Golan Heights and prevent this plan from being carried out. Israel is still reluctant to restore control of the Golan Heights to Syria. Though often ignored in Western analyses, water is one of the most contentious issues in the discussion of any peace plan for the Jordan Valley.

The Euphrates River, which originates in Turkey, provides most of the water for eastern Syria and almost all of Iraq. Turkey plans to build almost two dozen hydroelectric power dams for its growing population and industries. These dams, joining the completed Atatürk Dam, would drastically reduce the water available to Syria and Iraq. Syria, in turn, has dammed part of the Euphrates under its control, further choking off the water supply to Iraq. International complaints and protests are often challenged on the grounds that the dams are domestic infrastructure projects.

While most Americans may think of the Middle East as primarily desert, agriculture has been important for millennia, with farmers adapting to environmental conditions in different locations.

The history of cotton in Egypt is a good example of how Europeans have exploited the region's agricultural resources. During the American Civil War, American cotton grew scarce, and Egyptian cotton became increasingly important to England. Agreements signed in 1880 with European powers meant that no tariffs were applied to cotton. This meant that more and more farmable land was used to grow cotton instead of food crops. Most of the profits were taken by Egypt's small ruling elite and the Europeans. This system remained in place until the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, when the era of state-sponsored industrialization and a movement toward self-sufficiency began, reducing the amount of cash crops, like cotton, that were exported.

Middle Eastern cotton and textile products, however, are still an important export of the region. More and more garments in American malls, for example, carry a "Made in Turkey" label. Other important agricultural exports found in supermarkets around the world include citrus, dried dates, figs and apricots, and olive products.

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Related sites

Oil Prices on the Rise:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/middle_east /july-dec99/oil_11-23.html
NewsHour discusses Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's decision to cut off his country's oil exports to push up prices around the world.

Afghanistan's Agony:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/asia/jan- june01/afghanistan_3-29.html
NewsHour reports on the devastating drought and political turmoil in Afghanistan. (March 2001)

Oil Price History and Analysis:
http://www.wtrg.com/prices.htm
A discussion of crude oil prices, the relationship between prices and rig count, and the outlook for the future of the petroleum industry.

Is America Stuck in the Middle East?:
http://www.pbs.org/thinktank/show_978.html
Is Middle East oil still crucial to American security?

Global Issues - Middle East:
http://www.globalissues.org/Geopolitics/MiddleEast.asp
Modern Middle Eastern geopolitics have always been about oil. Given the vast energy resources that form the backbone of Western economies, the Middle East has been of paramount importance.

Energy Matters - The Mideast Oil Crisis:
http://library.thinkquest.org/20331/history/mideast.html
A brief history of the Mideast oil crisis in the 1970s and reasons for the embargo

Water Diplomacy in the Middle East:
http://www.netcomuk.co.uk/~jpap/dolat.htm
This site explains how access to water is a key environmental factor in the politics of the Middle East.

People, Land and Water:
http://www.idrc.ca/research/xplaw_e.html
Articles and research dedicated to land and water issues in the Middle East and Africa

Water in the Middle East:
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/indiv/mideast /cuvlm/water.html
A list of links from Columbia University's Middle East and Jewish Studies Department related to water issues in the Middle East

Commanding Heights Web Site:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/commandingheights/
An economist's look at world history and development from 1910 to the present

Middle East: Crossroads of Faith and Conflict (map):

Supplement to National Geographic, October 2002

Economics: It's More Than Oil

What have been the role and effects of U.S. foreign policies and actions in the Middle East?

Middle East Topographic and Natural Resources

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Global Connections . Natural Resources | PBS

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DOD, Defense Visual Information Center, March Air Force Base, CA The Middle East has always had a rich abundance of natural resources, although which resources are coveted and valued has changed over time. Today, abundant petroleum fields dominate the area's economy.

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1. What do you notice about the natural resources in the Middle East as compared to those in other countries?

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1. What do you notice about the placement of oil and gas lines in the Middle East?
2. Which facts stand out to you or surprise you most?

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Fueling the world: A guide to the Middle East's oil and gas reserves | CNN

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1. Why is water "the resource we need to worry most about"?
2. What are some potential solutions to the problems described?

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Mideast Policy Spills Over to Create 1970s Oil Crisis

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Mideast Policy Spills Over to Create 1970s Oil Crisis

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1. What is oil used for?
2. How are people and companies affected when countries fight over oil? Consider the effect it might have on prices, lifestyle, etc.

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Newsela | Instructional Content Platform

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Newsela is an Instructional Content Platform that supercharges reading engagement and learning in every subject.

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1. Which region of the world is at the highest risk for running out of water?
2. What are some of the consequences of a lack of water or access to clean water?
3. Which facts or statistics surprised you most?

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World Water Day 2013

WATER TIME I S STATS RUNNING DRY Water use in many parts of the world has become unsustainable, so much so that local populations, agriculture and businesses are under heavy threat. The 10 countries facing the most 'extreme' risk level are Of all the water on Earth, 97.5% is salt water, leaving only 2.5% as fresh water! Water tables are falling in many parts of the world. Himalayan glaciers will shrink massively in the next century, reducing natural water storage in the mountains. The shortfalls will have to come from groundwater and surface storage. Many great rivers have drastically diminished flows. all in North Africa or the Middle East. The top five countries facing extreme risk are as follows: Saltwater 97% Demand for food and fiber is projected to increase by 70% by mid-century when the world's population is projected to reach nine billion; without intervention untenable Almost 70% of that fresh Freshwater (Frozen) water is frozen solid in Antarctica's and Greenland's Freshwate (Avallahle) icecaps, and the majority of pressure on water resources in many regions will threaten food and water security. the remainder is in the earth's soil or lies as groundwater in deep underground aquifers. Water on Earth Less that 1% of all fresh water on earth (equivalent to 0.007%) is accessible for human use. This water is found in rivers, lakes and reservoirs as well as underground sources that are shallow enough to be tapped. UN WATER O Bahrain O Qatar o Kuwait O Libya O Djibouti World Water Day 2013 POVERTY/DROUGHT International Year of Water Cooperation The lack of fresh water in 3rd world countries also contributes to food insecurity and malnutrition. This can result in poor or failed harvests which in turn result in food scarcity and high prices of the available food. 3rd WORLD 1" WORLD Drought is now the most common cause of food shortages in the world. In 2006, recurrent drought caused crop failures and heavy livestock losses SOURCES: in parts of Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya. * The UN suggests that each person needs 20-50 litres of water a day According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S.households http://www.globalchange.umich.edu/globalchange2/current/lectures/fr eshwater_supply/freshwater.html to ensure their basic needs for waste 1.25 trillion gallons of water each drinking, cooking and cleaning. http://www.harvesthelp.org.uk/causes-of-food-insecurity-in-african-and -other-third-world-countries.html year. More than one in six people worldwide (894 million) don't Around 30% of the water an average http://maplecroft.com/about/news/water_stress_index_2012.html http://www.wfp.org/hunger/causes American uses is used outdoors, mainly just to water their lawn and flowerbed. Garden hoses spray around 10 gallons of water per minute, so using around 150 gallons of water in one wash isn't difficult at all. World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP) World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) Joint Monitoring Programme on Water Supply and Sanitation (UMP) WATER have access to improved water sources. COOPERATION Globally, diarrhoea is the leading http://www.channel4.com/4homes http://www.howdini.com Torgny Holmgren - Stockholm International Water Institute ens-newswire.com http://www.unece.org 6 1989 - 1992 - Water Convention plans negotiated. cause of illness and death, and 88 % of diarrhoeal deaths are due to a lack of access to sanitation facilities, together with inadequate availability of water for hygiene and unsafe drinking water. O 6 1994 - Recommendations to UNECE Governments on the Prevention of Water Pollution from Hazardous More than one-fourth of all the water we use worldwide is taken to grow over one billion tons of food that nobody eats. Substances. BATHSHOP321 6 1996 - The Water Convention enters into force First Guidelines on Water-Quality Monitoring. 6 1999 - Agreement on the status of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea. 6 2001 - Belarus-Ukraine and China-Kazakhstan THE UK'S BEST VALUE BATHROOM SHOP! www.bathshop321.com Today 2.5 billion people, including almost one billion children, live agreements. * 2003 - Hungary-Romania and Estonia-Latvia agreements. 6 2006 - Dam safety project starts in Central Asia. 6 2007 - The new Franco-Swiss Genevese aquifer agreement is signed. without even basic sanitation. Every 20 seconds, a child dies as a result of poor sanitation. That's 1.5 million preventable deaths each year. 6 2008 - Water quality project starts in Central Asia. 6 2012 - Expected globalization of the Water Designed by: Info Graphicg DEION TIAM Convention. To learn more, head to - http://www.unwater.org/watercooperation2013/

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WATER TIME I S STATS RUNNING DRY Water use in many parts of the world has become unsustainable, so much so that local populations, agriculture and businesses are under heavy threat. The 10 countries facing the most 'extreme' risk level are Of all the water on Earth, 97.5% is salt water, leaving only 2.5% as fresh water!

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1. What is the problem described?
2. What surprised you?
3. What is this video advertising?

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1. What is the problem described?
2. What surprised you?

3. How is this problem impacting people and countries?

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1. What is desalination?

2. Why is desalination important? What problem is it trying to solve?

3. What are potential problems with desalination?

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Water desalination in thirsty Gulf region