Third Blog Post

For my genius project I am researching the Middle East.  The Middle East is not a region defined by a continent or borders, but it encompasses Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Yemen, Iraq, Turkey, and Iran (Introduction to the Middle East).  There are four major cultures within this region, Iranian, Arab, Turkish, and Israeli.  Differing cultures come with differing religions, ideals, and traditions which has caused the Middle East to be somewhat of a shatter zone that is rarely without some type of war or conflict.  Islam, the dominating religion of the Middle East, holds a lot of older values especially when it comes to gender roles.  Girls education and women's rights are not priorities, which is a huge problem in itself, and it's also part of the cause for their low ranking in infrastructure, unstable politics, and conflicts with extremists.  The geography of the Middle East is varied.  There are vast deserts,  rivers that provide rich agricultural centers, as well as mountain ranges and plateaus (Global Perspectives).