WORLD HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -Today, abundant petroleum fields dominate the area’s economy. The Middle East is similarly disproportionately rich in natural gas (32 percent of the world’s known natural gas reserves are in the region) and phosphate (Morocco alone has more than half of the world’s reserves).

Detailed explanation-2: -Apart from petroleum, the country’s other natural resources include natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc and sulphur. The national currency is the rial. The Islamic Republic of Iran’s President is HE Ebrahim Raisi. The country is a Founder Member of OPEC.

Detailed explanation-3: -The 3 largest oil producers in the Middle East are Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are next in the region’s oil league table – experts describe them as having ‘midsize potential. ‘ Bahrain, Pakistan, Syria and Yemen have a combined output of around 1m barrels a day.

Detailed explanation-4: -The war-fought between Iraq, under Saddam Hussein, and the Coalition forces-started with Iraq’s invasion and occupation of Kuwait on August 2, 1990. The invasion was a result of long-standing territorial and oil disputes.