Many of the political problems of the Middle East and North Africa have geographic roots, but material and ideas on spatial relationships in the region have, until now, remained scattered and piecemeal. In this original work, Drysdale and Blake examine the ways in which the geography and politics of the region are intertwined, and focus on the evolution and deficiencies of the contemporary political map. Organized around the themes of partition and integration, the discussion covers such timely issues as the Arab-Israeli conflict, Arab unity, the civil war in Lebanon, regional petroleum development, strategic straits, and the Iran-Iraq war. Throughout, this unique book is richly illustrated with specially drawn maps and diagrams.