Maps and Atlases of the Middle East

Abstract

The current state of mapping for the Middle East has been conditioned by the particular needs of indigenous countries, by foreign national and private interests, by the demands of the Western public, and by the research interests of scholars. Middle Eastern countries themselves require maps for the purposes of administration and national development and thereby provide the main thrust for the production of maps by national and international agencies. Foreign states and companies having strategic or economic interests in the region, past or present, have also produced maps. The West’s long concern with the origins and evolution of its civilization has fostered efforts in historical cartography. Not the least have been the research interests of scholars, which have led to the drawing of maps to suit their sometimes peculiar needs.

Where Is the Geography of the Middle East?

“…A number of geographers contributed to the American Geographical Society's Focus o n the Middle East (24), an introduction to the geographic, economic, social and political forces of this region. Hale has reviewed maps and atlases of the Middle East (25). Physical geographic studies in the Middle East by Americans are rare, although there is Oberlander's study in Iran (26), and Butzer's prolific work (27) is a major exception.…”