The Arab states include 22 countries spanning Asia and Africa. Almost all have strong identification with Islam. There are few countries widely considered Arab democracies, though there are a few exceptions, Algeria, and Morocco for example. Many Arab states have vast petroleum resources, moderate levels of public literacy and great disparity between social classes.
The borders of the various states were drawn up by European colonial powers in the 19th and 20th centuries. They are often straight lines drawn on a map with complete disregard to the geographic and demographic characteristics of the land. After World War II, there was a movement called Pan-Arabism that sought to unite all Arab countries into one political entity. Only Syria, Iraq, Egypt and North Yemen attempted the short-lived unification. Historical colonial divisions and geographical sprawl were major reasons for the failure of Pan-Arabism. Arab Nationalism was another strong force in the region wich peaked during the mid 20th Century and was professed by many leaders in Egypt, Algeria, Libya, Syria, and Iraq. Arab Nationalist leaders incuded Gamal Abdel Nasser (Egypt), Ahmed Ben Bella (Algeria), Hafez al-Assad and Bashar al_Assad (Syria), Moammar al-Qadhafi (Libya) and Mehdi Ben Barka (Morocco).
The various Arab states maintain close ties. Various national identities have been greatly strengthened by political realities in the past 60 years, making a single Arab nation less and less feasible.
Countries close to Iran, including Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, have focused on safety issues, the threat of a possible regional arms race and the threat of a crisis with the West that spills over.
Countries close to Iran, including Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, have focused on safety issues, the threat of a possible regional arms race and the possibility that a crisis with the West could spill onto other nations.
In January, the secretary-general of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, an Egyptian, quarreled publicly with the Emirates' foreign minister after Moussa sent a message to the Gulf Cooperation Council summit, urging the leaders of the UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain and Qatar to focus on Israel, not Iran.
Arab Nationalism was another strong force in the region which peaked during the mid 20th Century and was professed by many leaders in Egypt, Algeria, Libya, Syria, and Iraq.
At the other extreme, the smallest autonomous mainland Arabcountries in North Africa and the Middle East are Djibouti (23,000 square kilometers) and Lebanon (10,400), and the smallest island Arabcountries are Comoros (2,170) and Bahrain (665).
The southern boundary of Arab North Africa is the stripe of scrubland known as the Sahel, that crosses the continent south of the Sahara, dipping further south in Sudan in the east.
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