lebanon essays

lebanon essays Prior to the 20th century, the Middle Eastern nations could easily have been categorized as third world countries. It was not until the early 1930s that oil production was begun and not until the mid-century that oil became an important commodity in the world market. Thus, the Middle Eastern countries experienced a huge influx of capital. This wealth had a major impact on the Middle East, yet most Middle Eastern countries still retain a Third World status. The use of oil-revenues has had a major impact on the Middle East that distinguishes them from other Third World countries. Yet, at the same time, this wealth has not caused these countries to break free from this status in order to raise their status to that of major powers. Disagreements among Middle Eastern nations, their inability to effectively organize and political instability have all contributed to the Middle East remaining Third World. Until the invention of the combustion engine, the oil industry only slowly developed. This was because oil was not a major commodity until it became more widely used in cars, planes and other engines. Until this time, there was little use for oil. Oil exploration in the Middle East began in the late 19th century with the first wells being drilled in Iran in 1884. In the early 20th century, oil was struck in commercial quantities at Masjid-I-Sulayman in 1908 and in Egypt in 1909. In 1909, the first pipeline used to transport oil was built by the Egyptian Oil Trust and by 1914, Persia was producing two million barrels of oil annually. From this time until the Second World War, oil production and organization of oil producing countries progressed slowly. During World War II, the demand for oil increased. Oil began to be used more frequently as a source of heat and for the British Royal Navy. Because of this, oil production increased to 8.6 million barrels. World War II also saw the expansion of oil production in Bahrain, ...