REGION 101

MENA is an acronym for the Middle East (sometimes Near East) and North Africa. For this website and mostly everywhere, we’re talking about the region that spans from Iran to Morocco, encompassing the Arabian Gulf, the Levant, and all of North Africa. Our full list is below!If you’re feeling anti-Eurocentrist, you would use the term WANA (West Asia-North Africa) or SWANA (South West Asia-North Africa). If you find yourself at a subject matter expert cocktail party, you could also hear MENAP (MENA +Afghanistan and Pakistan) or MENAT (MENA +Turkey). It’s unlikely, but we wanna have your back, just in case.

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Languages
In the majority of the region, Arabic is the official language. Formal Arabic is known as Fusha (Foos-ha) or MSA (Modern Standard Arabic), which is used for official things like the daily news, school, or work. Most countries use colloquial Arabic for everyday conversation. There are regional dialects and some variations, blending other languages alongside Arabic like French, Spanish, and Amazigh. Iran claims Persian as its official language, but uses a smorgasbord of dialects and other languages. Turkey’s official language is Turkish; in Israel it’s Hebrew. There’s also Tamazight, which is the Afro-Asiatic language of the indigenous people of North Africa. 

(O) is Official, (Ot) is Other, and (Sp) is spoken 

Culture
It’d be disingenuous to say that MENA/SWANA can be boiled down to one culture, considering the region is incredibly diverse and influenced by a variety of civilizations, ethnicities, territorial conflicts, and regional politics. While there are some shared traditions and values across parts of the region, many stereotypes have dominated the study of MENA/SWANA from the West. In the 19th century, Arabian Nights and archeological finds in Egypt romanticized MENA/SWANA’s nomadic, desert nature. Currently, thoughts have been dominated by oil wealth and political and religious conflict. Either way, we’re going to have to defer to future series to cover it all! 

Religion
More than half of the region’s countries and territories have a Muslim population of 95% or higher, making Islam the region’s largest religion. The two major sects of Islam are Sunni and Shia. The difference between the two lies in the debate over who succeeded Allah’s messenger, the Prophet Mohammed, after he passed. Sunnis believe the Caliph (leader of Islam) is Abu Bakr. Shiites believe it’s Ali bin Abu Talib. 

The second-largest religion in the region is Christianity, with significant populations in Egypt, Lebanon, and Syria. Judaism is the third-largest religion, with Israel being the only majority-Jewish country in the world.

Politics
An explanation of modern MENA/SWANA politics must acknowledge Western colonialism from the late 1700’s to the withdrawal of Britain and France in the early 20th century. European influence often resulted in the establishment of secularized regimes, conflict-igniting borders, and the rise in a pan-Arabism nationalist identity. The consequences of these decisions are evident in the complex makeup of modern MENA/SWANA politics, wherein liberal ideologies struggle under authoritarian regimes. Some argue that the struggle towards democracy stems from residual attitudes towards Western colonialism, while others believe its the nature of rentier states (nations without tax) to not demand more from their governments.

Economics
World Population Review Data

Algeria - Algerian Dinar; GDP/capita $4,402.54
Bahrain - Bahraini Dinar; $23,923.13
Egypt - Egyptian Pound; $3,238.01
Iran - Iranian Rial; $5,901.61
Iraq - Iraqi Dinar; $6,139.15
Israel - New Israeli Shekel; $46,670.83
Jordan - Jordanian Dinar; $4,552.62
Kuwait - Kuwaiti Dinar; $33,484.75
Lebanon - Lebanese Pound; $8,881.47
Libya - Libyan Dinar; $7,338.36
Mauritania- Mauritanian Ouguiya; $1,392.59
Morocco - Moroccan Dirham; $3,496.45
Oman - Omani Rial; $16,480.16
Palestinian Territories - Jordanian Dinar/Egyptian Pound/New Israeli Shekel
Qatar - Qatari Riyal; $70,810.22
Saudi Arabia - Saudi Riyal; $22,693.89
Sudan - Sudanese Pound; $977.27
Syria - Syrian Pound; $1,266.41
Tunisia - Tunisian Dollar; $2,974.12
Turkey - Turkish Lira; $2,974.12
United Arab Emirates - UAE Dirham; $45,410.69
Western Sahara - MoroccanDirham/ Mauritanian ouguiya/ Sahrawi Peseta; $2,500
Yemen - Yemeni Rial; $1,052.27

MENA/SWANA countries are well-known for their wealth in oil and gas, which is why they make up seven of the 13 OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries). Attempts to diversify economies and integrate with international markets are important for the MENA/SWANA economies going forward, since many countries rely heavily on petroleum and natural gas exports for economic prosperity. Oil has influenced MENA/SWANA since 1936 when it was first discovered in Saudi Arabia. The largest oil deposits are in the UAE, Kuwait, and Bahrain, which makes it no surprise that the highest MENA/SWANA GDPs/capita are Qatar, the UAE, and Kuwait.

History
This region is home to the Fertile Crescent, which spanned from modern-day Iraq to Egypt and originated agriculture, irrigation, and many empires such as the Sumerians in Ancient Mesopotamia. Ancient Egypt also flourished and developed the dynastic political system under the Pharaoh. Empires rose and fell, but none so strong as the Ottomans. After the fall of the Ottoman Empire, Western powers seized control of MENA/SWANA countries. The departure of Western powers after WWII, the discovery of oil, the establishment of Israel, and the achievements of MENA/SWANA countries’ independence gave rise to a pan-Arab identity that continues to influence the region today.

Orientalism
Orientalism is a book written by Edward Said in 1978. It argues that the study of ‘the East’ (Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East) too often relies on Western imperialist perspectives, which are both patronizing and political. As academics, Al Fusaic encourages self-awareness in the ways we approach, digest, and analyze information. We believe it is important to acknowledge this bias that often shadows our study of this region and its people. With our website, we hope to foster understanding and open-mindedness while building a passionate community dedicated to learning about a region that is wonderfully rich, vibrant, and complex.

By Meagan Dashcund