Arab countries. Palestine, Jordan, Iraq

The modern world is conditionally divided into several parts, characterized by some peculiarities. Western and Eastern, European and Arab cultures have their geopolitical "linkage". Today, the term "Arab countries" means states whose main population speaks Arabic.

Association of Arab States

22 such countries united in an international organization - the League of Arab States. The total area of the territory inhabited by the population speaking the Arabic language is approximately 13 million km ² . This education is in the zone of connection of three continents - Asia, Africa and Europe. Thus, the Arab countries are almost a single geocultural space, ranging from the Persian Gulf to the Atlantic, most of whose population has Arab roots.

Language and cultural features

The main constituent element of any Arab state 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, the western traditions have the strongest influence.

Religion

In the Arab community, a religion such as Islam plays 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 inside. 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 the 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.

Countries of the Arab world

In total there are 23 Arab countries, the list of which is presented below:

• Republic of Djibouti;
• The Algerian Republic;
• Kingdom of Bahrain;
• Kingdom of Jordan;
• The Arab Republic of Egypt;
• The Republic of Yemen;
• Republic of Iraq;
• The Lebanese Republic;
• Union of the Comoros;
• The State of Kuwait;
• State of Qatar;
• Syrian Arab Republic;
• The State of Libya;
• Islamic Republic of Mauritania;
• The Kingdom of Morocco;
• United Arab Emirates (UAE) ;
• Oman;
• Saudi Arabia;
• The Republic of South Sudan;
• The Federal Republic of Somalia;
• The Republic of Tunisia;
• The Saharan Arab Democratic Republic (Western Sahara);
• The autonomous region of Palestine.

It should be noted that not all Arab countries, whose list is represented, 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.

Arab countries of Africa, or Maghreb

In the strict sense, the Maghreb (West) refers only to 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 entire 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.

Countries of the Arabian Peninsula

The largest peninsula on our planet is the Arabian one. 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 the historical centers for the birth and development of Islam, from where it spread to other regions.

Countries of the Eastern Mediterranean

The East Mediterranean region of Asia, called Mashriq, includes such countries of the Arab East as the Republic of Iraq, the Kingdom of Jordan, Syria, Libya and which has 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, the 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.

Republic of Iraq

This Arab state is located in the valleys of the rivers Euphrates and Tigris, in the Mesopotamian lowland, and is 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 Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East region, with a population of more than 16 million people.

The 1958 revolution led to the fall of the monarchy in this 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 a war against Iran in 1980, which lasted until 1988. The turning point was 2003, when the 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.

Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

In the south-west of Asia, on the north-western end of the 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, however 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.

Palestine

This autonomous region of the eastern Mediterranean consists of two non-neighboring regions: the Gaza Strip bordering Israel and Egypt, and the West Bank of the Jordan, which only touches the Jordan from the east, and is surrounded on all sides by Israeli territory. In natural terms, Palestine is divided into several areas: the fertile lowland, located along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, and the hilly highlands east of it. In the east of the country, steppes begin to flow smoothly into the Syrian desert.

In 1988, after many Arab-Israeli military conflicts and the refusal of Jordan and Egypt to make claims on Palestinian territories, the National Council of Palestine announced the creation of an independent state. The first president of the autonomy was the legendary Yasser Arafat, after his death, in 2005, Mahmoud Abbas, who was and still is 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.

The relations between Palestine and Israel are in an extremely tense state and are permanently transferred to armed confrontation. The borders of the Palestinian state are practically controlled from all sides by the Israeli armed forces.