This assignment asks you to view the people and places of the Middle East from a geographer’s perspec- tive. Instead of discussing the Middle East in terms of war and religious fanaticism, address the diversity and complexity of the people and the places in the Middle East.
Some suggested topics include: every day life, music, art, religions, language, food, literature, economic activ- ity. Are war and violence the only dimension to the people and places of this land? Are all people and places the same? Is the entire region a desert? Are all Arabs Muslim? What about beaches, dance clubs and wine pro- duction in Lebanon? Celebrating Christmas in the churches of Syria? Shopping in some of the world’s finest malls in Dubai? Production of world famous coffee in Yemen? Discuss the spatial variation of the cultural geography in this region.
