Challenges and opportunities: The population of the Middle East and North Africa.

摘要: The countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) continue to fascinate concern rest world. With two-thirds worlds known petroleum reserves regions economic political importance far outweighs its population size. It has second-fastest growing after sub-Saharan Africa. Its demographic trends-especially rapidly youth population-are complicating capacity adapt social change strains sometimes wrenching transformations. people have long played an integral if volatile role in history human civilization. Three major religions originated region-Judaism Christianity Islam. MENA contains some oldest cities; universities existed here before they emerged Europe. Today is overwhelmingly Islamic yet includes substantial Jewish Christian minorities. And while Arabic predominant language two largest countries-Iran Turkey-and Israel are not Arabic-speaking. Thanks declining death rates slowly fertility MENAs size quadrupled last half 20th century. stands at about 430 million 2007. Despite recent declines projected surpass 700 by 2050. (excerpt)