Arabia
Arabia, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Arabia and also known, but not universally recognised, as the Sharifian Caliphate, is a country in the Middle East, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and the fertile crescent. It is bordered by Turkey and Kurdistan to the north, Iran to the east, the Trucial States to the east and southeast, Egypt to the west and Yemen and the Commonwealth Overseas Territory of Aden to the southwest. It also has coasts on the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf. With an area of 3,249,385 km2, Arabia is the largest sovereign state in the Middle East, the second largest in the Arab world (after Azawad), the third largest in Asia (after China and Mongolia) and the tenth largest in the world. It has a GDP of over 3.7 trillion bancors, making it the ninth largest economy in the world.
Modern Arabia encompasses the Fertile Crescent, which has been called the “cradle of civilization” because it is where settled farming first emerged. Early human civilizations such as Sumer flourished from around 4,500 BC. Technological innovations thought to originate in the region include irrigation, writing, the wheel and glass. The world’s second-largest religion, Islam, emerged in the Arabian Peninsula in the early 7th century, followed by the quick conquest by the Arabs of a an unprecedented swathe of territory. Arab dynasties originating from modern-day Arabia founded numerous states, including the Rashidun (632-661), Umayyad (661-750) and Abbasid Caliphates (750-1517) as well as numerous others. In the century after the Fall of Constantinople (1453), the Ottoman Empire established control over the Fertile Crescent and the Red Sea coast, which they would hold for the next 400 years. The centre of the peninsula was not directly controlled by the Ottomans but was ruled by a variety of Arab sultans who owed a greater or lesser degree of loyalty to Istanbul.
Modern-day Arabia came into existence during the Great War, when the Sharifs of Mecca led the Great Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire, receiving British help. They were accepted as a minor member of the Allies at the Paris Peace Conference and the state’s independence was confirmed by the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. The only territorial change after that was the secession of the regions of Rojava and Southern Kurdistan in 1922 following the Kurdish referendum on independence. Under the first constitution, promulgated in May 1919, a legislature composed mostly of hereditary tribal elders was instituted to pass legislation. Faisal al-Hashemi, King Hussein I’s third son and one of the most prominent leaders of the Arab Revolt, became the first prime minister and retained the position until his death in 1936. Arabia also fought in the World War on the side of the Allies, with Arabian forces playing a crucial role on the Middle Eastern front.
The constitution provided for each of Hussein’s sons to rule after his death (although, as it turned out, Faisal died before he could reign). Following the death of Hussein’s youngest son, Adullah, in 1961, the crown passed to Abdullah’s son Talal. Under Talal, a new constitution was promulgated in January 1963 which created a bicameral legislature with a chamber elected by near-universal male suffrage alongside the chamber of elders. Abdullah al-Hejaz, the son of King Hussein’s oldest son, who had served as prime minister on three separate occasions, launched a failed coup in 1968, the last time that the constitutional order of the state was seriously challenged.
Oil was discovered on Arabian territory in March 1938 and was followed up by several other finds around the country. The company Anglo-Arabian Petroleum was founded to exploit these reserves and revenues from this did much to power the country’s modernisation during the first few decades of independence. The country transitioned away from an oil-exporting economy over the course of the 1980s and 1990s but it remains an important player in global energy markets through the development of solar batteries. Arabia’s economy is relatively well diversified, with transportation, communication, tourism, chemicals, textiles and agricultural products being prominent industries. The country also has a significant financial services sector, with Tel Aviv, Damascus and Baghdad being notable centres.
Arabia has a diverse geography, ranging from fertile plains and high mountains through to arid desert, and is home to diverse ethnic and religious groups, including Arabs, Kurds, Turks, Assyrians and Jews. Arabs are the largest ethnic group and there is a substantial body of foreign expatriates in the country, which makes up just over 7% of the population. The country’s official religion is Sunni Islam, although there is official toleration of other sects and certain regions of the country have majorities of Jews, Maronites, Assyrians or other minorities. Arabia is considered a regional and middle power, and is a member of the G20 and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, alongside many other international organisations.
As well as their temporal royal power, the Kings of Arabia also claim the title of Caliph of Islam, with the state they rule being known in this capacity as the Sharifian Caliphate. This claim has been asserted since 1916 and has been uncontested since the formal end of the Ottoman Caliphate in 1923. However, this claim to califal authority is not universally recognised by Muslims around the world, although it has enabled Arabia to exercise a great deal of soft power. The country’s official capital is Mecca, although because the city is not open to non-Muslims, much of the country’s diplomacy and politics takes place in Damascus.
Modern Arabia encompasses the Fertile Crescent, which has been called the “cradle of civilization” because it is where settled farming first emerged. Early human civilizations such as Sumer flourished from around 4,500 BC. Technological innovations thought to originate in the region include irrigation, writing, the wheel and glass. The world’s second-largest religion, Islam, emerged in the Arabian Peninsula in the early 7th century, followed by the quick conquest by the Arabs of a an unprecedented swathe of territory. Arab dynasties originating from modern-day Arabia founded numerous states, including the Rashidun (632-661), Umayyad (661-750) and Abbasid Caliphates (750-1517) as well as numerous others. In the century after the Fall of Constantinople (1453), the Ottoman Empire established control over the Fertile Crescent and the Red Sea coast, which they would hold for the next 400 years. The centre of the peninsula was not directly controlled by the Ottomans but was ruled by a variety of Arab sultans who owed a greater or lesser degree of loyalty to Istanbul.
Modern-day Arabia came into existence during the Great War, when the Sharifs of Mecca led the Great Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire, receiving British help. They were accepted as a minor member of the Allies at the Paris Peace Conference and the state’s independence was confirmed by the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. The only territorial change after that was the secession of the regions of Rojava and Southern Kurdistan in 1922 following the Kurdish referendum on independence. Under the first constitution, promulgated in May 1919, a legislature composed mostly of hereditary tribal elders was instituted to pass legislation. Faisal al-Hashemi, King Hussein I’s third son and one of the most prominent leaders of the Arab Revolt, became the first prime minister and retained the position until his death in 1936. Arabia also fought in the World War on the side of the Allies, with Arabian forces playing a crucial role on the Middle Eastern front.
The constitution provided for each of Hussein’s sons to rule after his death (although, as it turned out, Faisal died before he could reign). Following the death of Hussein’s youngest son, Adullah, in 1961, the crown passed to Abdullah’s son Talal. Under Talal, a new constitution was promulgated in January 1963 which created a bicameral legislature with a chamber elected by near-universal male suffrage alongside the chamber of elders. Abdullah al-Hejaz, the son of King Hussein’s oldest son, who had served as prime minister on three separate occasions, launched a failed coup in 1968, the last time that the constitutional order of the state was seriously challenged.
Oil was discovered on Arabian territory in March 1938 and was followed up by several other finds around the country. The company Anglo-Arabian Petroleum was founded to exploit these reserves and revenues from this did much to power the country’s modernisation during the first few decades of independence. The country transitioned away from an oil-exporting economy over the course of the 1980s and 1990s but it remains an important player in global energy markets through the development of solar batteries. Arabia’s economy is relatively well diversified, with transportation, communication, tourism, chemicals, textiles and agricultural products being prominent industries. The country also has a significant financial services sector, with Tel Aviv, Damascus and Baghdad being notable centres.
Arabia has a diverse geography, ranging from fertile plains and high mountains through to arid desert, and is home to diverse ethnic and religious groups, including Arabs, Kurds, Turks, Assyrians and Jews. Arabs are the largest ethnic group and there is a substantial body of foreign expatriates in the country, which makes up just over 7% of the population. The country’s official religion is Sunni Islam, although there is official toleration of other sects and certain regions of the country have majorities of Jews, Maronites, Assyrians or other minorities. Arabia is considered a regional and middle power, and is a member of the G20 and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, alongside many other international organisations.
As well as their temporal royal power, the Kings of Arabia also claim the title of Caliph of Islam, with the state they rule being known in this capacity as the Sharifian Caliphate. This claim has been asserted since 1916 and has been uncontested since the formal end of the Ottoman Caliphate in 1923. However, this claim to califal authority is not universally recognised by Muslims around the world, although it has enabled Arabia to exercise a great deal of soft power. The country’s official capital is Mecca, although because the city is not open to non-Muslims, much of the country’s diplomacy and politics takes place in Damascus.
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