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A land of few natural resources, the region of Jordan has nevertheless had strategic importance for thousands of years. Today, Jordan is situated between four powerful countries in the Middle East, Israel, Syria, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. Unlike the countries that surround it, Jordan was never the center of an empire. It never supported a large population or a great urban center. The Jordan River Valley forms 6 percent of Jordan's land. The only other important source of water in Jordan is found in the Azraq Oasis. Because of its environmental significance, the modern government of Jordan has turned the region near Azraq into a wildlife preserve.

Situated between Africa, Europe, and the Far East, the Middle East has played a unique role in world history. Often described as the birthplace of religions, notably Judaism, Christianity, and Islam and the cradle of civilizations namely, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, this region and its peoples have given humanity some of its most precious possessions. Today, more than ever, Americans are aware that events in the Middle East can affect the security and prosperity. The United States has a considerable military, political, and economic presence throughout much of the region.

The chapter describes the history of Palestine. Historic Palestine is part of a region called the Fertile Crescent, where the earliest human civilizations are thought to have begun. Over the next two millennia, a succession of powerful invaders conquered all or parts of Palestine. The period of continually shifting imperial control in Palestine came to an end in the mid-1500s with the arrival of the Ottoman Empire. In 1831 Muhammad Ali, the pasha of Egypt, conquered Palestine and welcomed Westerners as foreign investors. The end of the 19th century also saw the beginnings, in Europe, of a movement that would eventually change the history of Palestine: Zionism. The first major clash between Arabs and Jews under British military rule took place in 1920, during a Muslim festival near Jerusalem. In 1964 the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was established, principally under Egyptian sponsorship, to coordinate the activities of Palestinian nationalist groups. In November 1967, the United Nations attempted to lay the foundations of a diplomatic solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict with the passage of Resolution 242, which essentially called on Israel to withdraw from territories it occupied as the result of the Six-Day War to secure and recognized boundaries, and required the Arabs to recognize Israel's right to exist and make peace with the Jewish state.

The chapter describes the Palestinians. Their numbers are relatively small-fewer than 8 million people worldwide-and they have never had an independent state of their own. Yet the Palestinians figure prominently in the strategic concerns of many of the world's most powerful countries, including the United States. The Palestinians are Arabs who currently live, or whose ancestors lived, in the eastern Mediterranean land called Palestine. The modern history of the Palestinians is inextricably linked to the history of another people with ancient ties to Palestine: the Jews. As Jewish immigrants began settling in the region in larger numbers, particularly after World War I, the Palestinians began to see themselves as a distinct national group. And, increasingly, they came to view large-scale Jewish immigration as a threat to their interests. Violence erupted. Efforts by the international community to create independent homelands in Palestine for both the Jews and the Palestinians led only to war in 1948.

The article provides facts about the states and many people that make up the Middle East. Situated as it is between Africa, Europe, and the Far East, the Middle East has played a unique role in world history. Often described as the birthplace of religions and the cradle of civilizations, this region and its people have given humanity some of its most precious possessions. A few general observations are in order as an introduction to the subject matter. The modern Middle East is full of ancient sites and peoples who trace their lineage and literature to antiquity. The second observation has to do with economics, demography, and natural resources. The Middle Eastern people live in a region of often dramatic geographical contrasts. A third important observation is the role of religion in the Middle East.