Atlas of the Near East: State Formation and the Arab-Israeli Conflict, 1918-2010

Description

The Atlas of the Near East offers an in-depth examination of the economic, social, and demographic dynamics of the Arab Near East, defined here as Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine, in the period from 1918 to 2010. It discusses the central problem of aridity, the effects of foreign domination, Arab nationalism, Baʿathism, and communitarianism. It addresses the makeup of the population, the region's development, economic issues, cities, and urban areas. It assesses the partition of Palestine and the geography of the Occupied Territories, and concludes with a chapter on the geopolitics of the Near East. With numerous maps, charts, and data published for the first time, it is key to a comprehensive understanding of the region. Contents Introduction Menacing Aridity Between the Mediterranean and the Desert “Levantine” and “Syrian” Climates Overexploited Water Resources The Deterioration of the Environment Foreign Domination The Ottoman Empire: An Apparent Modernity Communitarianism European Imperialisms The Franco-British Partition The State of Greater Lebanon Mandatory Palestine Ephemeral States National Constructs Arab Nationalism and the Struggle against Communitarianism Reorganisation of the Transportation Network after Independence The Administrative Network in the Service of Centralisation Syrian Nation-Building and Baʿathism Lebanon: The Triumph of Laissez-Faire and Communitarianism Jordan: An Arabian Monarchy Population and Development A Dense and Urbanised Population Uncontrolled Population Growth An Educated Population The Increasing Participation of Women in the Economy Waves of Refugees Demographic Issues and Nation-Building A Fragile Economy Commerce, Family-Owned Businesses, and the Fear of the State A Threatened Farming Sector An Industry Victimised by Bureaucracy and East Asia Uncertain Tourism The Energy Challenge Hydrocarbons Bypassing the Near East The Marginalisation of the Levantine Coastline in the Near East A Growing Dependence on the Petro-Monarchies of the Gulf The Urban Archipelago of the Near East An Urban Network Dominated by Four Metropolises Damascus Devours its Gardens Amman, Capital of an Emirate Without Oil Beirut, A Shattered City Aleppo, A City Reactivated by an Open Economy Palestine Partitioned Territories and Populations High Densities and Urbanisation The Demographic Battle An Aided and Controlled Economy Unemployment and Poverty The Service Sector Domination of Employment The Partition of Palestine 1936–49 The Partition of the Occupied Territories Jewish Colonisation The Judaisation of Jerusalem The Geopolitics of the Near East The Arab-Israeli Conflict: From One Cold War to Another Water and the Arab-Israeli Conflict The Golan Heights or the Alsace-Lorraine of Syria The American Strategy Lebanon: A Buffer State Turkey’s Resurgence Conclusion Glossary Bibliography Index