Articles in Southwest Asia and North Africa
Stalled Negotiations in Western Sahara
Yet again, talks on Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara collapsed without agreement. Representatives from Morocco, the independence-seeking Polisario Front, Algeria, and Mauritania recently met in for three days in a suburb or New York; in the end, “‘Each party continued to reject the proposal of the other as the sole basis for future negotiations, while reiterating their willingness to work together to reach a solution.”
Increased Cooperation between Turkey, Azerbaijan
Recently, there has been a shift in diplomatic priorities of Azerbaijan. As has been reported in a previous GeoCurrents news post, tensions have been growing between Azerbaijan and Iran, with the latter accusing its northern neighbor of growing pro-Israeli leanings.
When is the right age to say ‘I do’?
While tension between ultra-Orthodox, religious, and secular Israelis are mounting, there is one thing that women in all three groups agree on: mid-20s is the best age to wed. According to a new poll, conducted in Israel by Maagar Mochot for the national religious women’s organization, Emunah, which surveyed 553 women in all three sectors of the society, 87% of ultra-Orthodox women believe the “right age” for marriage is 22, national-religious women feel 24 is preferable, whereas secular women stated 26 is the right age to walk down the aisle.
More Great Maps from M. Izady at Gulf 2000
The fantastic map trove at Columbia University’s Gulf 2000 Project, generated by cartographer M. Izady, continues to expand. Many detailed maps of language, religion, ethnicity, and cultural-historical regions in the greater Middle East are found on the site.
Today’s GeoNote highlights Izady’s map of “Primary Cultural and Historical Zones.” This map makes an invaluable companion for historical sources covering the region. …
Egypt’s Electoral Geography Revealed
By Western standards, Cairo is a socially conservative and religiously devout metropolis. By Egyptian standards, however, it is a rather liberal place. Such a position is evident in the electoral maps of Egypt’s 2011 legislative election, recently put on-line by the invaluable website, Electoral Geography 2.0: Mapped Politics. As the first map posted here shows, the secular, center-left party, Egyptian …
Protests surrounding new Jerusalem to Tel-Aviv route
While construction in the eastern neighborhoods of Jerusalem often makes the news, a proposed development project in western Jerusalem has come under fire in recent days.
The Ethiopian-Eritrean Cold War Heats Up
The struggle between Ethiopia and Eritrea has recently been extending well beyond the boundaries of the two countries. Ethiopia has accused Eritrea of supporting the radical Islamist group al Shabaab in Somalia, and is now pushing for stronger U.N. sanctions against the Eritrean government.
Growing Iranian-Azerbaijani Tensions and Baku’s Diplomatic Maneuvers
Tensions between Azerbaijan and Iran have been intensifying in recent days. On February 23, hackers from groups called “Iranian Cyber Army” and “Cocaine Warriors from Persia” attacked several Azerbaijani website, including that of the national airline, AZAL.
New Internet Censorship in Iran
According to Lebanon’s Naharnet, Iranian authorities just unleased a sophisticated attack on internet usage. The new measures “completely stopping the use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs),” software that has allowed millions to avoid web censorship.
Gaddafy’s Fall and the Drop of Migration to Malta
Malta has long been a major node in the movement of unlicensed migrants to Europe. Maltese authorities, however, have recently announced that that landings have essentially come to and end.
Terranova: The Black Petaltail - A Novel
Diversity Amid Globalization: World Regions, Environment, Development (5th Edition)
Globalization and Diversity: Geography of a Changing World (3rd Edition)
