Middle East: Countries and Current Events

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Crowds In Tahrir Square As Mubarak Prepares To Address Egyptians CAIRO, EGYPT - FEBRUARY 10: An anti-government protester is carried on shoulders in Tahrir Square in the afternoon before a speech by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Tahrir Square February 10, 2011 in Cairo, Egypt. President Hosni Mubarak made a statement saying that he had given some powers to his vice President but would not resign or leave the country, leaving a crowd of anti-government protesters disappointed and furious after early reports he might step down. (Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images)

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Arab Spring

What Is the Arab Spring? The Arab Spring was a loosely related group of protests that ultimately resulted in regime changes in countries such as Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. Not all of the movements, however, could be deemed successful—at least if the end goal was increased democracy and cultural freedom. In fact, for many countries […]

Camp David Accords

Peace in the Middle East The ultimate goal of the Camp David Accords was to establish a framework for peace in the Middle East by formalizing Arab recognition of Israel’s right to exist, developing a procedure for the withdrawal of Israeli forces and citizens from the so‑called “Occupied Territories” of the West Bank (which would […]

Constantinople

Constantinople is an ancient city in modern‑day Turkey that’s now known as Istanbul. First settled in the seventh century B.C., Constantinople developed into a thriving port thanks to its prime geographic location between Europe and Asia and its natural harbor. In A.D. 330, it became the site of Roman Emperor Constantine’s “New Rome,” a Christian city of immense wealth and magnificent architecture.

Palestine

What Is Palestine? The word Palestine derives from ancient Greek (Philistia), but ancient Egyptian, Assyrian and Hebrew languages also included similar‑sounding words to describe the region or its people. Judaism, Christianity and Islam are all strongly tied to the region, and trace origins to the land over the past few thousand years. Following the 1918 […]

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Here’s How the Six‑Day War Changed the Map of the Middle East

Learn how the Six‑Day War between Israel and its Palestinian Arab rivals — Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Iraq — redrew the map of the Middle East in 1967. See how Israel’s preemptive military attacks decimated its enemies and doubled its territory.

Here’s How The Arab Spring Started and How It Affected the World

Learn how The Arab Spring started in Tunisia in 2011, causing a ripple effect of democratic demonstrations in countries throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Discover how the use of technology helped spur on revolution, both good and bad.

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Persian Gulf War

Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait set off a brief but consequential conflict involving an international coalition of forces led by the United States.

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Here’s How the Camp David Accords Impacted the Middle East

Learn about the contentious history between Israel and Egypt and President Carter’s role in bringing both leaders—Israeli Prime Minister Begin and Egyptian President Sadat—to Camp David to establish a framework for peace in the Middle East.

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