Human Geography: The Five Themes of Geography

Americans are notoriously ignorant of the geography of the world. Many of us would be challenged if asked to fill out a map with the locations of all 50 states and at a complete loss if asked to do the same for the countries of the world. We often find ourselves content with sectioning the globe off into larger regions: The Americas, Middle East, Asia, Africa, Europe, etc. Those large regions also have predescribed notions that we attached to the as well. The major issue of resigning to this practice is that Americans also find themselves ignorant of the many geographical nuances within those regions. Our view on the Middle East is quite possibly the most jaded and simplified. Common correlations Americans make about the Middle East might include notions such as oil, Islam, deserts, political instablity, and war. This is not only in part to our geographical ignorance of the world, but also due to the current social and political climate in the country. We have accepted the truths we hear throughout our daily lives. Ask someone what makes Iran and Iraq so different and they might be at a loss for words. Some would be surprised to learn they share a border. Throughout this page we will dive into The Five Themes of Geography of Iran and Iraq and develop a better understanding of two Middle Eastern countries which have dominated much of America’s recent history in the region.