Amazon.com description: Product Description: Today, more than ever, we need to understand the complex geographic, historical, cultural and economic foundations of the 23 countries that comprise the Greater Middle East. This comprehensive resource, updated in November of 2001, provides a clear perspective and basis for understanding this vitally important area of the world. It contains political and physical maps of the region (including Afghanistan, Pakistan and North Africa); an up-to-the-minute World Political Map with a complete list of United Nations members; informative economic maps of the area depicting agriculture, industry and resources; a detailed 4-page chronology of the Middle East from 1900 to the present, including the terrorist attacks in the US on September 11, 2001; thematic maps highlighting petroleum and natural gas sources, population, languages, religion and climate; informative historical maps on such critical topics as the growth of Islam and Christianity, the rise and fall of the Ottoman Empire, and the Middle East since 1945; full-color flags of the nations in the Greater Middle East region; and a handy locator index for quick access to key information. It's the ideal tool to learn about the Middle East and to follow events as they unfold daily.