Lausanne World Pulse – Urban Articles – An Overview of the Middle East/North Africa

By Justin Long
November 2006

The Middle East/North Africa region is comprised of the United Nation’s Western Asia and North Africa regions, stretching from Iraq to the Atlantic Ocean. North Africa’s seven countries are full of sand, oil and little water. Most have petroleum and natural gas reserves, but not in large amounts. All are water-stressed and none are completely self-sufficient in food. Some smaller amounts of minerals can be found, but natural resources are generally scarce. All have serious resource management problems. The countries of Western Asia (east of the Red Sea) have more significant resources, but water stress remains a problem.

This region has 368 million people; this number is expected to grow to 555 million by 2025. Well over half of the people live in dense, urban centers around limited resources (North Africa, for example, has over 160 megacities with one million residents or more), but many nomadic groups continue to drift through the rural areas and deserts. A third (nearly 100 million) are children under the age of fifteen (many of the countries have up to fifty percent of children under the age of fifteen).

The economies of the region are mixed: some suffer abject poverty, some are very wealthy and a few are managing their wealth well. Much of the wealth is found in petrodollars, and with the rising cost of crude oil, the treasuries of these nations are enjoying a bubble of wealth. This comes with a catch, however. While oil is unlikely to run out soon, it will probably not last this century. By 2050, much of the oil wealth could well be gone. Navigating this transition will be the challenge of the next generation. States like Qatar have transitioned into diversified economies centered on banking, entertainment and media. Others, like Azerbaijan, are pouring money into their military. The transition will be most difficult for Africa: Northern Africa accounts for over forty percent of the continent’s total Gross National Product (GNP), but much of the oil money does not translate into jobs and economic improvement and there are few resources outside the oil sector. Widespread unemployment has led to civil unrest and could again in the future.

Most of the governments are stable; however, most are also highly controlling or dictatorial. Many have very small vestiges of democracy, although some (particularly the smaller nations) are more liberal than others. Yet beneath the dictatorial surface are very complicated political climates. For example, the current president of Iran has certainly disturbed international relations, but in reality his political power at home is complicated and limited.

The concentration of religious fervor, oil, lack of water and human rights abuses together make this region a powderkeg waiting for a match. 

Since 1950, over a dozen serious wars have been fought in this region. Algeria’s now subsiding civil war included bloody massacres of civilians. Morocco annexed Western Sahara in the 1970s and shows no sign of giving up on its occupation. Sudan’s 40-year civil war has been one of the worst in Africa, and has spilled over into every country on its borders. Egypt has battled and continues to struggle with fundamentalist extremism. Future wars are almost certain. The concentration of religious fervor, oil, lack of water and human rights abuses together make this region a powderkeg waiting for a match.

Of special mention, of course, is the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine. The battles, wars and political machinations involved consume countless headlines and articles in the press and books worldwide, and this article cannot do it justice in the space allotted. However, Christians should be careful not to assume an automatic pro-Israel/anti-Arab stance. The situation is complex and neither side is innocent. The courageous position of Brother Andrew, who regularly labors to befriend and minister to Palestinians and had the opportunity to speak to the Palestinian leadership on several occasions, has been a particular model for many Christians.